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However, you have to scan the codes to regain access to your funds.After you've identified perhaps a handful of various coins that you happen to be potentially interested in, check your list of exchanges and cross off any exchanges on your list that never trade in the cryptocurrencies you want. When promoting, users can use the very same app to sell their Bitcoin in return for its money worth. However, the practice doesn't look to be totally foolproof, as users can nevertheless maintain their display name as Elon Musk as soon as they verify their account. They say on the internet trading of the cryptocurrency is a kind of high-stakes gambling which can totally consume participants. - Comments: 0
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Don't be concerned although you can return them to China.My appearance in the 44th 'webisode' of Britain's initial on the web interactive soap opera, KateModern, may possibly be fleeting but it is still thrilling to be component of a show that is fast becoming the have to-watch phenomenon for the net generation. - Comments: 0
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Physical beauty is not almost everything.We know, we know—you've heard it a million occasions, but wearing sunscreen is the single easiest way to prolong healthful, glowing skin and appear younger for life. "Ninety percent of wrinkles are from sun exposure," says New York-primarily based dermatologist Doris Day. "It is so considerably easier to avoid the damage than it is to repair it afterwards." That indicates no slacking in the course of winter months either, when rays are just as robust and can reflect off of buildings onto your face. What much more, don't overlook to apply when you're in the the office or the vehicle, as cell-damaging UVA rays can penetrate glass also. - Comments: 0
Step 1: Let your dog get employed to the hoop. Set it on the ground click web page and treat when he approaches it. Speak to German Shepherd owners and trainers. Go to dog shows and watch how owners and trainers interact with their dogs, as properly as paying focus to how German Shepherds respond to stimuli and commands. Give massive rewards. Due to the fact this command is so important, the praise you give for performing it must be extravagant. Responding to the "come" command ought to be the greatest portion of your dog's day. Step 1: Tell your dog to limp, crawl, and play dead, clicking and treating right after he performs each action.The Bark Busters worldwide residence dog instruction service assure is distinctive in the business. 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Open rate: As pointed out earlier, obtaining recipients to open your email is crucial to accomplishment. As you test different techniques like send time and topic line, track which tactics lead to the very best open price. Some techniques might be diverse against diverse audiences, but the more granular you can get in your information of who opens emails when, the better chance you have at leading contacts to a conversion. If you happen to be considering implementing an email advertising and marketing http://judithbodin020.soup.io/ program or are currently emailing but experiencing underperformance, Comm100 supplies you in this write-up with a list of 10 E mail Advertising tips that will assure improvement in your email advertising and marketing campaigns. Recognize that search engines are the essential to most online marketing and advertising. Businesses are looking for ways to make confident their internet site and item are listed on the very first page of a Google, Yahoo or Bing search. The primary methods of performing this are Search engine marketing, meta tags, press releases, social media content material, videos and paying for an ad to be placed at the best or side of the search page.Register on your competitors e mail list and see what methods they are making use of, what sort of emails they send out, how typically, what type of merchandise they market and so on. Your intention is not to copy or mimic your competitor's practices but to make sure that you are ahead of them.Net marketing and advertising nearly constantly consists of launching many campaigns at after, which is why they are so essential to track. A internet site may be marketing through e-mail blasts, YouTube videos, social media accounts, net banners, affiliate marketers, Search engine optimisation, blogs and more.To get the most out of these 23 guidelines and tricks, you're going to require to choose a respected e mail service provider (ESP). A good ESP ought to have top quality customer service assistance, and outstanding deliverability (Messages go to inbox, not the spam folder). This page will benefit you no matter which ESP service you chose. Nonetheless, we wanted to save the best for last by delivering our recommendation for the greatest ESP at the end of this post.If you e mail also usually, you run the danger of overwhelming your subscribers and losing them. If you e mail as soon as each 6 months, then your readers are in no way going to keep in mind who the hell you have been in the first place. Let your subscribers know when (and how often) they can anticipate emails from you, with each campaigns and newsletters.Marketers can send personalized emails that outcome in elevated content engagement metrics. Regardless of whether you are operating an on the web shop, weblog or services web site, e-mail is a fantastic way to keep in touch with your current consumers and a single of the most effective methods to convert potential clients to customers.We recommend utilizing Sendicate to simply send emails and get efficiency metrics that will help you grow. That is why it is crucial to devote time with segmentation Get to know your clients and send them emails that are beneficial to them.As a small organization owner, it's tough to decide which marketing and advertising strategies to invest in. Following all, you can promote your organization employing social media, weblog content, video sharing mediums such as YouTube or Vimeo and even put out routine press releases sharing great news with your loyal followers.Attain that by sending the content material your consumers favor to obtain. One more way you can offer you actual values to clients is via exclusive gives. Lots of brands attempt this method but it's not always effective. Start off adding these things into every e-mail advertising campaign you send out to your supporters.E-mail is 1 of the most successful advertising and marketing mediums on the web. In the event you cherished this post as well as you would like to acquire guidance with regards to just click the up coming page i implore you to stop by our own page. Studies have shown that e-mail advertising assists generate even a lot more sales than social media giants Facebook and Twitter, which is why you probably want all the e-mail marketing guidelines you can get.Keep away from overstuffing your e-mail as you don't want to overwhelm the shopper with also numerous gives in the email. There is a subtle art to advertising and marketing in a transactional email, and marketers who focus on the buyer do it best. Make sure items or offers are tailored to the buying behavior of the consumers, such as complementing previously-purchased products.Spam emails are emails sent out in bulk with out the permission of the receiver. The principal way to avoid spam is to follow the best practices described above. This will aid cease individuals marking your emails as spam and submitting abuse reports, which can lead to your IP address being blocked by email consumers, such as gmail, outlook or yahoo.E mail was the channel of choice for the client's campaign - which was aimed to assist its buyers handle their debt - due to the fact e mail enables very customized, targeted communications using the wealthy customer information the client has on hand. The database was segmented according to this rich information by their danger category. - Comments: 0
What's The Hottest Temperature For An Workplace, What Are The Legal Limits In The UK - 17 Aug 2018 01:42
Keeping various sorts of stocks from a variety of companies assists to defray the risks associated with non-systematic danger. Kinds of danger vary from organization to company, but preparing a danger management program requires a frequent procedure. When you loved this informative article and you would love to receive details about More Bonuses; http://dorotheablanton88.Soup.io/post/662557267/Whats-The-Hottest-Temperature-For-An-Workplace, kindly visit our own More Bonuses web site. Your threat management strategy need to detail your method for dealing with risks specific to your company.You can control your enterprise dangers by accelerating identification and management of frequent risks. Of course, respective significance will vary by company and of course companies are most likely to locate they have their personal unique risks. High-probability threats that also would be pricey to counter or control may possibly demand preparing in multiple stages to steadily minimize the threat more than time.Such hesitancy could feasibly be a case of firms getting mixed messages. Even Hugh Robertson, head of security at the TUC, admits that there is no such point as a great shift pattern". Exacerbating the issue is a tension amongst patterns that boost a person's operate-life balance and patterns that mitigate overall health dangers, he says.Every single employer is obliged to provide workers with a desk assessment or training on how to set up their workstations to suit individual demands , and several make obtainable ergonomic keyboards and mice (such as the one Smith utilizes). If you have not been presented this education, which usually only requires an hour, ask your manager to arrange it for you. Modest organizations with no occupational health departments can arrange for a specialist to pay a visit to.Completely! Envision what would happen in a best-case and worst-case scenario. Then perform a organization influence evaluation to identify which regions are essential for the company to meet its mission and continue operations. Read on for yet another quiz question.Be confident that all of your plans to keep away from dangers preserve compliance with the law and whatever regulating agencies apply to your field of perform. Conduct a senior staff assessment. The senior employees chooses a date and time to go over all contingency plans and recognize the men and women who completely completed their assignment.For example, if you buy stocks in 30 diverse businesses, it is not probably that all 30 will execute poorly or go bankrupt at when, barring an economy-wide downturn. Nevertheless, if you utilised the very same amount of money to invest in only one particular company's stock, the business might perform poorly and drag your whole stock portfolio down with it.Outlining positives: An audit report should not just consist of negatives. This is particularly accurate for compliance reports, and operational audits. This makes it possible for the organization to focus on regions that are working and apply these to other areas. For instance, if you are conducting a compliance audit to guarantee an organization meets instruction specifications, you might say, "The audit reveals the present instruction plan has exceeded specifications on-time and on-price range".Self-insurance entails setting aside a specified amount of money into a reserve fund every year to cover any losses incurred. The owner holds the cash in this reserve fund, rather than paying premiums to an insurance coverage firm. In practice, this method is risky for small firms that could encounter a huge loss. If the reserve fund is not massive sufficient to cover that loss, the firm will be sunk. A developing company with many geographically diverse units is more suited for self-insurance, as are massive nonprofit organizations like college systems.Do not get as well intricate for the project. Danger Management is an critical part of the project but it shouldn't overshadow the actual operate to be done. If you're not cautious about this, you can begin chasing irrelevant dangers and overload your strategy with useless details.It's important to allocate some time, budget and resources for preparing a danger management strategy and a business influence analysis. This will support you meet your legal obligations for delivering a protected workplace and can minimize the likelihood of an incident negatively impacting on your company.Countries like Turkey, Puerto Rico and Argentina are more challenging for us, with smaller sized economies, larger language barriers, and difficult (meaning costly) processes to set up a organization. For example, incorporating in Argentina cost significantly much more than incorporating in Canada, and the industry size chance is smaller sized. This goes not just for setup but also for upkeep. And then you have the idiosyncratic human resources rules in each of these markets, which tend to favor the employee over the corporation.A generation ago, tv viewing seemed to be routinely interrupted by public info campaigns warning children about "stranger danger". All adults of a particular age will don't forget the lasting effect of watching as youngsters the "Charley Says" broadcasts in the 1970s, warning about dangers such as strangers in parks approaching you. - Comments: 0
Untreated low-self esteem can typically lead to lifelong troubles, such as becoming the victim of abusive relationships, feeling continuously self-conscious, and being so afraid of failure that you never even attempt to set her Explanation objectives. If you stare longingly at the set, a sales associate may possibly commence quizzing you about your brand preference, price tag point and the size of your Tv space. Okay, this topic occurs to be a pet-peeve topic of mine. The whole Bay Location two. bandwagon has jumped on this topic of ‘personal brands' rather hastily (contemplate Dan Schwabel and Rohit Bhargava, two properly know voices in the space). Couple of men and women really operate with the sophistication that Catherine and others assume the populace at huge is capable of.The guidelines she's referring to are the guidelines of conventional magazine generating — all upheld strictly at an institution like Condé Nast. A single of them is that they weren't permitted to use the magazine as portion of their contextual commerce" method. They wanted to be in a position to sell Goop goods (in addition to other items, just as they do on their site). But Condé Nast insisted that they have a more agnostic" editorial approach. The company publishes magazines, not catalogs. But why? G.P. wanted to know. She wanted the Goop magazine to be a natural extension of the Goop internet site. She wanted the reader to be in a position to do factors like text a code to buy a item with no even obtaining to leave her explanation inert reading position and wander over to her explanation laptop. A magazine buyer is also a typical buyer.If you loved this short article and you would like to acquire more data concerning her explanation kindly pay a visit to the web-site. Every Wednesday his weblog featured an On the Roll " video to answer inquiries from his community or offer business suggestions. He would often do something funny or some type of stunt at the end of the video. He also employed the Net internet site Support A Reporter Out to solicit content for his weblog. He regularly posts inquiries on business subjects and then curates answers from his loyal readers and other modest-organization owners to develop a weblog post. He hired a coder to create a straightforward technique that enables followers to submit enterprise suggestions, Web website hyperlinks and a head shot straight into a database for his weblog posts. This saves him lots of time and lets him turn all of these submissions into a single massive post with 50 to 100 contributors. Here's an instance of one particular he did on contest concepts for advertising small organizations.33% of individuals badmouth a former employer, or current boss or a fellow worker on social media. The actual number of new businesses is probably to be even greater, as if you set your self up as a sole trader (as many self-employed people do) you don't have to register with Organizations Residence.If you have spent your entire operating life in an workplace environment, the transition to operating for yourself will appear like a big leap, says Chamberlain. However, in a global digital age, this is easy to overcome by joining online communities like Workingmums and LinkedIn groups, he suggests. Freelancers can also join a single of the developing quantity of co-working spaces, which offer all possibilities to network and collaborate with fellow modest firms.3 factors lie behind my quest for a a lot more efficient option. Firstly, marking saps a huge quantity of time and power that could be redirected into the analysis and reflection needed to strategy lessons that genuinely challenge and create students' learning. Secondly, the method feels depersonalised because it happens away from the classroom, creating it tough to maintain meaningful dialogue with students. Thirdly, by marking also often we develop a culture of dependency, denying students the chance to create critical self-regulation strategies such as editing and proofreading.Reach out to your private network with a type, nicely-written e-mail asking them to assist spread the word. Offer all the essential links and information, and kindly ask them to share the book and hyperlinks with many pals or household members. This not only heightens targeted traffic for your internet site but also increases awareness for your book, supplying important word of mouth buzz that sparks early sales. You are going to be surprised at how many people want to assist your book get famous.If you require a professional marketing poster, you must think about hiring a professional graphic designer. A graphic designer knows how to produce a visually pleasing and convincing poster. The funds you pay toward the graphic designer can spend off, if you have an successful poster that outcomes in far more ticket sales, enterprise or recognition.Invest some time identifying the USP of your small company and make positive that you actively promote this. Every small company has anything particular to offer you customers - it's just crucial to let everyone know what that is. It has already started to sell some of these products on the meals web site, which they say will make it "simpler" for consumers to shop in 1 spot. - Comments: 0
Try clicker training with your dog. Clicker coaching is a useful way to teach your dog new commands and reinforce old ones. A clicker could be beneficial for overly-excited dogs who will not sit or remain calm in specific situations. 3 You can get a clicker at most pet stores or via an on the web retailer.Coaching is an obligation all dog owners want to fulfil for the community they reside in and the welfare of the dog. By going to classes you can meet the ethical and moral responsibilities have a peek here of dog ownership and promote the rewards that dogs can bring to peoples' lives.Keep your dog's temperament in thoughts. All dogs have a peek here distinct temperaments. Just like children, various breeds find out differently and at various prices. Some dogs are stubborn and will challenge you at every turn. Others will bend over backwards to please you. You might want to adjust your coaching strategies to meet the require of your dog's temperament.It really is by no means too late to train a dog! Even so, older dogs might have physical infirmities that make it hard to sit, so always operate inside the dog's capabilities. Also, they might have hearing or sight impairment, so adapt your commands to a form they can sense. Also, they have a shorter concentration span, so frequent short sessions are best.Dog instruction is a lot like the lovely martial art of Tai Chi, with equal components physical and philosophical. It requires timing, strategy, and stamina, as well as a devotion to understanding the canine thoughts. It is not a talent that can be discovered by watching one particular half-hour tv show or Have A Peek Here from reading a couple of books. It requires time.Like all of these pet instruction suggestions, consistency is key. Make certain you continually teach this to your dog every day, and make certain you reward them for very good behaviour and not poor behaviors (like jumping!). The other college involved ‘positive reinforcement', with dogs receiving treats or getting petted, praised and played with when they obediently performed a activity.Education ought to be started as quickly as attainable with Boxer pups. When it comes to making dog training simpler one of the most critical issues to remember is to Have a peek Here be constant with rules. Set up some clear boundaries for your dog and make positive absolutely everyone in the home follows these guidelines. If everyone is consistent it won't take extended for your dog to understand what behaviors are acceptable.Commitment to a everyday routine is the most significant hurdle to effectively education your husky. Be conscious that sudden alterations in a schedule can irritate and confuse a dog, making him far more vulnerable to break the guidelines you established during instruction.Other remodeling plans are impacted, too, by your pet's needs. Where ought to its many non-meals supplies — like leash, collar, waste bags, flea powder and medicines — be stored so that they're practical for exactly where they will be used? Organizers are increasingly obtainable and well-known for these purposes. The key is arranging them into your project so that the space and budget are obtainable.Dogs need to perform a quantity of commands, such as sit, come and heel. But this is all about perfection, one particular flinch can let you down. If you require any assist with this or any other issues, give us a contact. Your neighborhood Bark Busters Home Dog Education therapist will be delighted to assist you and teach you the tactics you require to remedy your dog's ‘anti-social' behaviour.I have a peek here researched around for the best way to teach her bite inhibition. She is not responding properly to vocal reaction from us and we do not want to punish her. We are unable to put her in training classes until she is completely vaccinated. Questioning if you would have any recommendations for us.Be mindful not to praise your husky in the morning for staying peacefully inside the crate. This provides the dog the illusion that it is far better to be out rather than in the crate. Certainly, spend tiny interest to your husky for the 1st couple of moments right after exiting the crate to reduce this illusion. Greyhounds are quite intelligent and can get bored quickly, so the training sessions will most likely be brief and finish on a constructive note. Appear for an instructor has encounter instruction Greyhounds, as she will be familiar with the breed's temperament and body structure.If you adored this article so you would like to be given more info pertaining to have a peek Here generously visit the web-site. Rather of making use of a crate for alone time, if you have a dog that could potentially be destructive, you can generate a protected pen for your dog to stay in or develop a dog-safe space. Praise your dog as quickly as it responds. Reward it with a pat, by saying "great dog," or with a unique treat. When you train dogs, you want to reinforce their great behavior with a reward.But the puddles in a nearby park seemed as well significantly of a distraction for him at occasions, and he tried to escape coaching to play, often running off among moves. Teach your dog the "quiet" command by repeating the word "quiet" and holding up a treat. When your dog stops barking and sits calmly, praise your dog and offer you the treat. - Comments: 0
Thank you for your write-up. You didn't mention something about on the web booking management systems which i feel would also match here. I can suggest SuperControl, It allows self catering owners and agencies to manage every little thing online from bookings and payments to emails and listings. You can save a lot of time and cash and they have valuable friendly employees. I advocate their totally free trial to anybody managing a self catering home(s). Before lengthy, he was acquiring 1,000 visits a day. At its peak, the weblog attracted up to 70,000 guests a month and his e-mail list now has nearly 15,000 names. He makes income through his membership club, book sales, speaking engagements, sponsorships, and consulting.For these that consider ‘Oh I want to be a Make-up Artist' till they begin to actually try and get into this globe of make-up artistry a realisation hits them of how considerably challenging operate goes into it, I am not going to lie to you- it's not easy and there have been so many times I told myself I can not do this or there is no operate out there, but my passion and enjoy for make-up took more than and I located each and every possible way to get into make-up as a career and to prove all those that told me becoming a make-up artist is not a expert career, and simply click the up coming internet page right here I am now with the most remarkable job in the globe and this was all down to marketing and advertising myself appropriately, developing contacts and obtaining my function out there and I will in no way look back. This brief journey of mine I had to understand it the challenging way as there was no 1 there to point me in the right direction, so it really is my pleasure to give as several ideas and direction for my followers as possible in this blog post.A staple for every productive firm, the company card is your go-to when meeting new clients, networking with other professionals or even socialising. When you make your personal, you are in comprehensive manage of the end result, so you can chose the size and finish you want, and add any individual touches. In addition, when you've handed them all out, it is effortless to print much more off at the touch of a button. When you've perfected one particular design, you can role them out to other folks inside your company to create a constant marketing and advertising theme across the board.Okay, this topic happens to be a pet-peeve topic of mine. The whole Bay Area two. bandwagon has jumped on this subject of ‘personal brands' rather hastily (consider Dan Schwabel and Rohit Bhargava, two nicely know voices in the space). Handful of folks truly operate with the sophistication that Catherine and other people assume the populace at massive is capable of.Other celebrities followed. Jessica Alba's Sincere Organization was worth much more than $1 billion at its peak, but it truly delivers largely cleaning and beauty merchandise. Miranda Kerr has a line of organic beauty merchandise. Amanda Chantal Bacon's Moon Juice, a line of supplements, is a ship launched straight from Port Goop. None of them aim to treat every single aspect of the human as wholly as Goop does. Nothing is as elemental an extension of its source as Goop is.In no way undercut established gallery marketplace costs on-line and do not use the net to offload inferior work. On the web activities are not an option sales tool, but an extra sales tool to complement and assistance enterprises offline.It is simple to really feel overwhelmed by the prospect of presenting at a job interview, and even a tiny intimidated. Making a dynamic and engaging presentation that properly communicates your concepts is frequently simpler stated than completed, and this is a frequent aggravation shared by jobseekers when applying for roles. It is not just sales experts that are essential to update their CVs and make them much more visually compelling and memorable. Presentations are required for a wide range of industries, which includes style, graphic design, education and economic services. Algonquin is a massive provincial park about three hours north of Toronto, from which there is a cost-free park bus service. Although there are a number of drive-in campsites in Algonquin, access to the interior (the greatest bit) is on foot or by canoe only, which can be rented. There is also a canoe taxi, which will transport you and your canoe about the park if required. As there are more than 700km of canoe trails, you may want to use the taxi to get deeper into the park or to return to your automobile following your stay. There are Simply Click The Up Coming Internet Page designated camping locations along the shoreline with firepits and privies - you just pull more than at an empty one and invest the evening. There are also ranger cabins , which can be booked. If you loved this posting and you would like to acquire far more info concerning simply click the up coming internet Page (lanafrancis190391.wikidot.com) kindly visit the web-page. Needless to say, wildlife abounds and the fishing is first class. For a actual wilderness encounter with simply click the up coming internet page safety of often passing canoe taxis, this is one of the greatest wilderness experiences for the entire loved ones. - Comments: 0
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Since 1983 I have helped thousands of women and babies to successfully breastfeed. As both a lactation consultant and a CranioSacral Therapist, I am in a unique position to help you. I am often the person that other lactation consultants refer to when they are unable to resolve their patients' breastfeeding issues.
Some of the ways I can help:
Educating you about breastfeeding during your pregnancy
Building your confidence
Offering emotional support
Teaching you latching and positioning techniques
Preventing and treating sore nipples and breasts
Supporting your milk supply
Ensuring adequate infant weight gain
Teaching you how to read your baby's body language and feeding cues
Helping you with a fussy baby
Increasing the efficiency of your feedings
Showing you how to express/pump your milk
Offering guidance for working mothers
Supporting you in balancing breastfeeding with the rest of your life
Home Visits: Throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Appointments available 7 days per week. Visits last 2-4 hours.
Hospital Visits: If you need lactation support above and beyond what the hospital provides, please contact me for a hospital visit.
Prenatal Counseling: Private education designed to address your needs and concerns.
Breast Pump Rentals and Sales: I rent Medela Symphony breast pumps and sell a complete line of Medela personal use pumps including FreeStyles and Pump in Styles. I also carry all the pump kits, replacement parts, hands-free pumping bras, and milk storage accessories.
Baby Scale Rentals: Weighing your baby before and after breastfeeding is the only way to know how much milk your baby is getting from the breast.
What past clients have to say:
"My son turns 1 on Sunday - I can't believe it! I just wanted to thank you again for helping me breastfeed him. He loves nursing. After all of the trouble we had at the beginning, I'm so pleased that we were able to nurse for the whole year." CK
"Today was my daughter's 6 month birthday. She's over 18 pounds now, and still exclusively breastfed. Every time she hits a new milestone, I think about you and how grateful I am for all of your help and support. I can't imagine where she and our family would be if you hadn't been there to save us." AG
"Ellen, I am thankful that I met you -- your continued support and helpful expert-knowledge means more to our family than words can say! My son and I are doing great! He has an amazing immune system and has not gotten sick even though I've been through 3 bad colds!" NG
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! My son is now eating in a way that is a million times better for both of us! For the first time, I actually feel I can continue this for the next year! Thank you for your priceless advice and recommendations, Ellen! You've made such a positive difference in our lives." CR
"Ellen, I wanted to let you know that I'm exclusively nursing both girls as of 5 1/2 weeks! The girls are pooping and peeing and growing. They are 8 weeks old as of today. I wanted to thank you again for your support and encouragement. You convinced me that I could nurse twins! I DO make enough milk...." DW
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Funny, but as many things as went wrong in the past week, I actually feel better about it all, let me list some and see if you find a sinister sneer, or chuckle in them;
1. About six months ago one of my clients did something that I thought was legally not within the Statute contolling it, so I asked their attorney for his opinion. Three pages of fine print later not only am I right, but thier entire action is legally non-existant, let alone enforceable. My boss says “Let it slide”, and he decides to take over the account. Flash forward, last week, client decides they want to put liens on property of non-payers of illegal assessment made, Controller goes ahead to prepare the liens and file them, I warn him about the unenforceablility of the assessment, and the reprecussions if he tries, he fails to believe me, “rats” me out to my boss, who originally knoew and said “let it slide”, ……balls in his court now, happy ending? It ain’t me who “let it slide” try splainin’ that one to the Board Lucy! (That’s the Desi Arnez Lucy, not the IT Lucy.)
Carefully measured new vanity top for the bathroom, time the installation so the vanity top goes in on the same day they cut down the kitchen countertop and measure and template for the round countertop at the end for more worksurface, all timed to the hour for minimal disruption of the house. DISASTER strikes, the vanity top of cultured marble is 1/2″ too wide, panic, can’t get it fixed or cut and back until Friday (that was tuesday), Soooooo gotta use the “kiddie bathroom” upstairs (real low counter top, about mid thigh for little kids not that THEY will ever be in my house anymore) So at three am gotta wander through the house, up the stairs, and try and get a drink of water. (I need the exercise so what the hell)
At work I have a vendor whining to one of my Board of Directors because I won’t give him the competitors bids for thier annual insurances before he submits his! (Poor diddums, suck an egg, asshole, that’s why they call them “bids” for work, not “rape permits”!)
I tell you folks,feelin’ like John Wayne today,….”ya know what I mean Pilgrim?”
Kudos on the first point. It’s not that hard to keep businesses legal and it annoys me especially when they expect fine people like yourself to go along with it…..
Nice place you have here Alec, I like it.
By: Lucy on June 12, 2008
at 3:59 pm
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Use by printed expiration date!! Perhaps a bit cynical,….but the reality of life has a way of slapping you HARD on your cheek when it happens! In today’s world we simply sigh and say something asinine like,”…..guess that’s life too bad, I guess.” (Grammatical note: the period at the end of the sentence should be an exclamation mark, but there is such a thing as “indicative punctuation”,….unless todays mores have eliminated that as well. A man in upstate Washington, (on the left coast) called the Sherrif and indicated he was going to commit suicide, he was 77 and his wife was 76. He told the Sherrif it was because he and his wife could not afford their medical bills, and there was no other apparent way out! Police ere dispatched, cordoned off the house, set up thier perimeter and began their standard tactics,….alas no response! They finally made their way up to the house and gained entry. Inside they found the couple both dead, (cause of death later when it is reported). In addition they found several notes indicating the couple could apparently see no way to pay their medical bills, and go on,…..so murder suicide was their only option!!! End of news report. THAT NEWS REPORT HAS NO NEED TO HAPPEN IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!! And the Southern border of our country has almost a million people trying to gain admittance to OUR country! For them it means they will be supported with medical ,dental and vision care, overall FREE insurance, wage subsistence, living costs, etc! I’ll bet when I follow up on this, it will take more digging than it takes to build a new septic system!! The question is WHY? Because it’s not worth much to a newspaper except an obituary notice, and since they don’t have the money to pay for it, (I’m assuming they have relatives who will be asked to pay. And whatever we have today as a “Potters Field” will be their final resting place, ( or whatever Washington State has a a stipend for this entirely “FREE funeral, burial, cremation.) While I never met either one of them, I can relate on a number of levels. I’m 75, my wife is 73,……we only have Medicare, and a supplemental Medicare policy. I’m nor working a) because I can’t find a job , I’ve had open heart surgery, and a full hip replacement,…..and there ain’t nothing else wrong with me (that I know of), my wife is working a full time job at a “Home Owners Management Company as the Office manager”. So why can’t I get a job? (My wife says it’s partially my attitude,…in her defense,at 13 years old I was “rounding up shopping carts” in a Supermarket,….and unless we really run up against a wall I’ll be damned if that will be my last job, in this life!! My wife says “get over yourself,…money is money! I have been a licensed Florida Community Association Manager for over fifteen years, had my own company for 12 years, owned a Country Western Dance Club that sat 1000 customers, and Irish Pub with LIVE REAL Irish music and “seissuns”, a sort of “jam session” by volunteers who play “Irish Music” (It’s not that difficult as there are only two rythems, and tempos, “Jigs, or Reels”. I’ve also owned and run an Industrial medical supply Company for 10 years, and “grabbed a “ring” of American opportunity, My problem was I never knew OR learned how to “make my money, make money for ME”,other than what I could do personally with it! Hence my retirement is Social Security! We bought a townhouse in Florida in 2000, but we’ve had to remortgage a few times and now only have equity of about $70,000 left in it!! Plus what my wife makes. BELIEVE me, I can understand how they felt!! Life is opportunity, and as the old Frank Sinatra song says , “That’s Life!” I’ll update this as soon as anything else is published. We’re all proud, we all want to pull our own weight, but since the Government, and their policies and the “fifth column” is a behemoth who doesn’t really care what do you do? Well,….again it’s what Frank (Sinatra),…had to say,…..”That’s Life,….you’re riding high in April,…then you’re shot down in May.” Donald Trump withstanding!! He does’nt need more money, more success, or “ego-boosters”,…..(Gee maybe I’ll write another Podcast and Chat with you about what REAL sacrifice is about and simply ask you “WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ORIGINAL SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION Perhaps a bit cynical,….but the reality of life has a way of slapping you HARD on your cheek when it happens! In today’s world we simply sigh and say something asinine like,”…..guess that’s life too bad, I guess.” (Grammatical note: the period at the end of the sentence should be an exclamation mark, but there is such a thing as “indicative punctuation”,….unless todays mores have eliminated that as well. A man in upstate Washington, (on the left coast) called the Sherrif and indicated he was going to commit suicide, he was 77 and his wife was 76. He told the Sherrif it was because he and his wife could not afford their medical bills, and there was no other apparent way out! Police ere dispatched, cordoned off the house, set up thier perimeter and began their standard tactics,….alas no response! They finally made their way up to the house and gained entry. Inside they found the couple both dead, (cause of death later when it is reported). In addition they found several notes indicating the couple could apparently see no way to pay their medical bills, and go on,…..so murder suicide was their only option!!! End of news report. THAT NEWS REPORT HAS NO NEED TO HAPPEN IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!! And the Southern border of our country has almost a million people trying to gain admittance to OUR country! For them it means they will be supported with medical ,dental and vision care, overall FREE insurance, wage subsistence, living costs, etc! I’ll bet when I follow up on this, it will take more digging than it takes to build a new septic system!! The question is WHY? Because it’s not worth much to a newspaper except an obituary notice, and since they don’t have the money to pay for it, (I’m assuming they have relatives who will be asked to pay. And whatever we have today as a “Potters Field” will be their final resting place, ( or whatever Washington State has a a stipend for this entirely “FREE funeral, burial, cremation.) While I never met either one of them, I can relate on a number of levels. I’m 75, my wife is 73,……we only have Medicare, and a supplemental Medicare policy. I’m nor working a) because I can’t find a job , I’ve had open heart surgery, and a full hip replacement,…..and there ain’t nothing else wrong with me (that I know of), my wife is working a full time job at a “Home Owners Management Company as the Office manager”. So why can’t I get a job? (My wife says it’s partially my attitude,…in her defense,at 13 years old I was “rounding up shopping carts” in a Supermarket,….and unless we really run up against a wall I’ll be damned if that will be my last job, in this life!! My wife says “get over yourself,…money is money! I have been a licensed Florida Community Association Manager for over fifteen years, had my own company for 12 years, owned a Country Western Dance Club that sat 1000 customers, and Irish Pub with LIVE REAL Irish music and “seissuns”, a sort of “jam session” by volunteers who play “Irish Music” (It’s not that difficult as there are only two rythems, and tempos, “Jigs, or Reels”. I’ve also owned and run an Industrial medical supply Company for 10 years, and “grabbed a “ring” of American opportunity, My problem was I never knew OR learned how to “make my money, make money for ME”,other than what I could do personally with it! Hence my retirement is Social Security! We bought a townhouse in Florida in 2000, but we’ve had to remortgage a few times and now only have equity of about $70,000 left in it!! Plus what my wife makes. BELIEVE me, I can understand how they felt!! Life is opportunity, and as the old Frank Sinatra song says , “That’s Life!” I’ll update this as soon as anything else is published. We’re all proud, we all want to pull our own weight, but since the Government, and their policies and the “fifth column” is a behemoth who doesn’t really care what do you do? Well,….again it’s what Frank (Sinatra),…had to say,…..”That’s Life,….you’re riding high in April,…then you’re shot down in May.” Donald Trump withstanding!! He does’nt need more money, more success, or “ego-boosters”,…..(Gee maybe I’ll write another Podcast and Chat with you about what REAL sacrifice is about and simply ask you “WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ORIGINAL SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDANCE? (Also a GREAT information packet. If nothing else it shows us all WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF THE AMERICA WE LIVE IN TODAY.,…..and whaat it cost the 54 original signers for that belief!! Or maybe more simply,….”Do you feel as though you have more FREEDOM in todays environment “,….or is that just an illusion? Just saying! -30- August 29, 2019 OF INDEPENDANCE? (Also a GREAT information packet. If nothing else it shows us all WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF THE AMERICA WE LIVE IN TODAY.,…..and whaat it cost the 54 original signers for that belief!! Or maybe more simply,….”Do you feel as though you have more FREEDOM in todays environment “,….or is that just an illusion? Just saying! -30- August 29, 2019 Perhaps a bit cynical,….but the reality of life has a way of slapping you HARD on your cheek when it happens! In today’s world we simply sigh and say something asinine like,”…..guess that’s life too bad, I guess.” (Grammatical note: the period at the end of the sentence should be an exclamation mark, but there is such a thing as “indicative punctuation”,….unless todays mores have eliminated that as well. A man in upstate Washington, (on the left coast) called the Sherrif and indicated he was going to commit suicide, he was 77 and his wife was 76. He told the Sherrif it was because he and his wife could not afford their medical bills, and there was no other apparent way out! Police ere dispatched, cordoned off the house, set up thier perimeter and began their standard tactics,….alas no response! They finally made their way up to the house and gained entry. Inside they found the couple both dead, (cause of death later when it is reported). In addition they found several notes indicating the couple could apparently see no way to pay their medical bills, and go on,…..so murder suicide was their only option!!! End of news report. THAT NEWS REPORT HAS NO NEED TO HAPPEN IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!! And the Southern border of our country has almost a million people trying to gain admittance to OUR country! For them it means they will be supported with medical ,dental and vision care, overall FREE insurance, wage subsistence, living costs, etc! I’ll bet when I follow up on this, it will take more digging than it takes to build a new septic system!! The question is WHY? Because it’s not worth much to a newspaper except an obituary notice, and since they don’t have the money to pay for it, (I’m assuming they have relatives who will be asked to pay. And whatever we have today as a “Potters Field” will be their final resting place, ( or whatever Washington State has a a stipend for this entirely “FREE funeral, burial, cremation.) While I never met either one of them, I can relate on a number of levels. I’m 75, my wife is 73,……we only have Medicare, and a supplemental Medicare policy. I’m nor working a) because I can’t find a job , I’ve had open heart surgery, and a full hip replacement,…..and there ain’t nothing else wrong with me (that I know of), my wife is working a full time job at a “Home Owners Management Company as the Office manager”. So why can’t I get a job? (My wife says it’s partially my attitude,…in her defense,at 13 years old I was “rounding up shopping carts” in a Supermarket,….and unless we really run up against a wall I’ll be damned if that will be my last job, in this life!! My wife says “get over yourself,…money is money! I have been a licensed Florida Community Association Manager for over fifteen years, had my own company for 12 years, owned a Country Western Dance Club that sat 1000 customers, and Irish Pub with LIVE REAL Irish music and “seissuns”, a sort of “jam session” by volunteers who play “Irish Music” (It’s not that difficult as there are only two rythems, and tempos, “Jigs, or Reels”. I’ve also owned and run an Industrial medical supply Company for 10 years, and “grabbed a “ring” of American opportunity, My problem was I never knew OR learned how to “make my money, make money for ME”,other than what I could do personally with it! Hence my retirement is Social Security! We bought a townhouse in Florida in 2000, but we’ve had to remortgage a few times and now only have equity of about $70,000 left in it!! Plus what my wife makes. BELIEVE me, I can understand how they felt!! Life is opportunity, and as the old Frank Sinatra song says , “That’s Life!” I’ll update this as soon as anything else is published. We’re all proud, we all want to pull our own weight, but since the Government, and their policies and the “fifth column” is a behemoth who doesn’t really care what do you do? Well,….again it’s what Frank (Sinatra),…had to say,…..”That’s Life,….you’re riding high in April,…then you’re shot down in May.” Donald Trump withstanding!! He does’nt need more money, more success, or “ego-boosters”,…..(Gee maybe I’ll write another Podcast and Chat with you about what REAL sacrifice is about and simply ask you “WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ORIGINAL SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDANCE? (Also a GREAT information packet. If nothing else it shows us all WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF THE AMERICA WE LIVE IN TODAY.,…..and whaat it cost the 54 original signers for that belief!! Or maybe more simply,….”Do you feel as though you have more FREEDOM in todays environment “,….or is that just an illusion? Just saying! -30- August 29, 2019
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Use by printed expiration date!! Perhaps a bit cynical,….but the reality of life has a way of slapping you HARD on your cheek when it happens! In today’s world we simply sigh and say something asinine like,”…..guess that’s life too bad, I guess.” (Grammatical note: the period at the end of the sentence should be an exclamation mark, but there is such a thing as “indicative punctuation”,….unless todays mores have eliminated that as well. A man in upstate Washington, (on the left coast) called the Sherrif and indicated he was going to commit suicide, he was 77 and his wife was 76. He told the Sherrif it was because he and his wife could not afford their medical bills, and there was no other apparent way out! Police ere dispatched, cordoned off the house, set up thier perimeter and began their standard tactics,….alas no response! They finally made their way up to the house and gained entry. Inside they found the couple both dead, (cause of death later when it is reported). In addition they found several notes indicating the couple could apparently see no way to pay their medical bills, and go on,…..so murder suicide was their only option!!! End of news report. THAT NEWS REPORT HAS NO NEED TO HAPPEN IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!! And the Southern border of our country has almost a million people trying to gain admittance to OUR country! For them it means they will be supported with medical ,dental and vision care, overall FREE insurance, wage subsistence, living costs, etc! I’ll bet when I follow up on this, it will take more digging than it takes to build a new septic system!! The question is WHY? Because it’s not worth much to a newspaper except an obituary notice, and since they don’t have the money to pay for it, (I’m assuming they have relatives who will be asked to pay. And whatever we have today as a “Potters Field” will be their final resting place, ( or whatever Washington State has a a stipend for this entirely “FREE funeral, burial, cremation.) While I never met either one of them, I can relate on a number of levels. I’m 75, my wife is 73,……we only have Medicare, and a supplemental Medicare policy. I’m nor working a) because I can’t find a job , I’ve had open heart surgery, and a full hip replacement,…..and there ain’t nothing else wrong with me (that I know of), my wife is working a full time job at a “Home Owners Management Company as the Office manager”. So why can’t I get a job? (My wife says it’s partially my attitude,…in her defense,at 13 years old I was “rounding up shopping carts” in a Supermarket,….and unless we really run up against a wall I’ll be damned if that will be my last job, in this life!! My wife says “get over yourself,…money is money! I have been a licensed Florida Community Association Manager for over fifteen years, had my own company for 12 years, owned a Country Western Dance Club that sat 1000 customers, and Irish Pub with LIVE REAL Irish music and “seissuns”, a sort of “jam session” by volunteers who play “Irish Music” (It’s not that difficult as there are only two rythems, and tempos, “Jigs, or Reels”. I’ve also owned and run an Industrial medical supply Company for 10 years, and “grabbed a “ring” of American opportunity, My problem was I never knew OR learned how to “make my money, make money for ME”,other than what I could do personally with it! Hence my retirement is Social Security! We bought a townhouse in Florida in 2000, but we’ve had to remortgage a few times and now only have equity of about $70,000 left in it!! Plus what my wife makes. BELIEVE me, I can understand how they felt!! Life is opportunity, and as the old Frank Sinatra song says , “That’s Life!” I’ll update this as soon as anything else is published. We’re all proud, we all want to pull our own weight, but since the Government, and their policies and the “fifth column” is a behemoth who doesn’t really care what do you do? Well,….again it’s what Frank (Sinatra),…had to say,…..”That’s Life,….you’re riding high in April,…then you’re shot down in May.” Donald Trump withstanding!! He does’nt need more money, more success, or “ego-boosters”,…..(Gee maybe I’ll write another Podcast and Chat with you about what REAL sacrifice is about and simply ask you “WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ORIGINAL SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION Perhaps a bit cynical,….but the reality of life has a way of slapping you HARD on your cheek when it happens! In today’s world we simply sigh and say something asinine like,”…..guess that’s life too bad, I guess.” (Grammatical note: the period at the end of the sentence should be an exclamation mark, but there is such a thing as “indicative punctuation”,….unless todays mores have eliminated that as well. A man in upstate Washington, (on the left coast) called the Sherrif and indicated he was going to commit suicide, he was 77 and his wife was 76. He told the Sherrif it was because he and his wife could not afford their medical bills, and there was no other apparent way out! Police ere dispatched, cordoned off the house, set up thier perimeter and began their standard tactics,….alas no response! They finally made their way up to the house and gained entry. Inside they found the couple both dead, (cause of death later when it is reported). In addition they found several notes indicating the couple could apparently see no way to pay their medical bills, and go on,…..so murder suicide was their only option!!! End of news report. THAT NEWS REPORT HAS NO NEED TO HAPPEN IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!! And the Southern border of our country has almost a million people trying to gain admittance to OUR country! For them it means they will be supported with medical ,dental and vision care, overall FREE insurance, wage subsistence, living costs, etc! I’ll bet when I follow up on this, it will take more digging than it takes to build a new septic system!! The question is WHY? Because it’s not worth much to a newspaper except an obituary notice, and since they don’t have the money to pay for it, (I’m assuming they have relatives who will be asked to pay. And whatever we have today as a “Potters Field” will be their final resting place, ( or whatever Washington State has a a stipend for this entirely “FREE funeral, burial, cremation.) While I never met either one of them, I can relate on a number of levels. I’m 75, my wife is 73,……we only have Medicare, and a supplemental Medicare policy. I’m nor working a) because I can’t find a job , I’ve had open heart surgery, and a full hip replacement,…..and there ain’t nothing else wrong with me (that I know of), my wife is working a full time job at a “Home Owners Management Company as the Office manager”. So why can’t I get a job? (My wife says it’s partially my attitude,…in her defense,at 13 years old I was “rounding up shopping carts” in a Supermarket,….and unless we really run up against a wall I’ll be damned if that will be my last job, in this life!! My wife says “get over yourself,…money is money! I have been a licensed Florida Community Association Manager for over fifteen years, had my own company for 12 years, owned a Country Western Dance Club that sat 1000 customers, and Irish Pub with LIVE REAL Irish music and “seissuns”, a sort of “jam session” by volunteers who play “Irish Music” (It’s not that difficult as there are only two rythems, and tempos, “Jigs, or Reels”. I’ve also owned and run an Industrial medical supply Company for 10 years, and “grabbed a “ring” of American opportunity, My problem was I never knew OR learned how to “make my money, make money for ME”,other than what I could do personally with it! Hence my retirement is Social Security! We bought a townhouse in Florida in 2000, but we’ve had to remortgage a few times and now only have equity of about $70,000 left in it!! Plus what my wife makes. BELIEVE me, I can understand how they felt!! Life is opportunity, and as the old Frank Sinatra song says , “That’s Life!” I’ll update this as soon as anything else is published. We’re all proud, we all want to pull our own weight, but since the Government, and their policies and the “fifth column” is a behemoth who doesn’t really care what do you do? Well,….again it’s what Frank (Sinatra),…had to say,…..”That’s Life,….you’re riding high in April,…then you’re shot down in May.” Donald Trump withstanding!! He does’nt need more money, more success, or “ego-boosters”,…..(Gee maybe I’ll write another Podcast and Chat with you about what REAL sacrifice is about and simply ask you “WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ORIGINAL SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDANCE? (Also a GREAT information packet. If nothing else it shows us all WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF THE AMERICA WE LIVE IN TODAY.,…..and whaat it cost the 54 original signers for that belief!! Or maybe more simply,….”Do you feel as though you have more FREEDOM in todays environment “,….or is that just an illusion? Just saying! -30- August 29, 2019 OF INDEPENDANCE? (Also a GREAT information packet. If nothing else it shows us all WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF THE AMERICA WE LIVE IN TODAY.,…..and whaat it cost the 54 original signers for that belief!! Or maybe more simply,….”Do you feel as though you have more FREEDOM in todays environment “,….or is that just an illusion? Just saying! -30- August 29, 2019 Perhaps a bit cynical,….but the reality of life has a way of slapping you HARD on your cheek when it happens! In today’s world we simply sigh and say something asinine like,”…..guess that’s life too bad, I guess.” (Grammatical note: the period at the end of the sentence should be an exclamation mark, but there is such a thing as “indicative punctuation”,….unless todays mores have eliminated that as well. A man in upstate Washington, (on the left coast) called the Sherrif and indicated he was going to commit suicide, he was 77 and his wife was 76. He told the Sherrif it was because he and his wife could not afford their medical bills, and there was no other apparent way out! Police ere dispatched, cordoned off the house, set up thier perimeter and began their standard tactics,….alas no response! They finally made their way up to the house and gained entry. Inside they found the couple both dead, (cause of death later when it is reported). In addition they found several notes indicating the couple could apparently see no way to pay their medical bills, and go on,…..so murder suicide was their only option!!! End of news report. THAT NEWS REPORT HAS NO NEED TO HAPPEN IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!! And the Southern border of our country has almost a million people trying to gain admittance to OUR country! For them it means they will be supported with medical ,dental and vision care, overall FREE insurance, wage subsistence, living costs, etc! I’ll bet when I follow up on this, it will take more digging than it takes to build a new septic system!! The question is WHY? Because it’s not worth much to a newspaper except an obituary notice, and since they don’t have the money to pay for it, (I’m assuming they have relatives who will be asked to pay. And whatever we have today as a “Potters Field” will be their final resting place, ( or whatever Washington State has a a stipend for this entirely “FREE funeral, burial, cremation.) While I never met either one of them, I can relate on a number of levels. I’m 75, my wife is 73,……we only have Medicare, and a supplemental Medicare policy. I’m nor working a) because I can’t find a job , I’ve had open heart surgery, and a full hip replacement,…..and there ain’t nothing else wrong with me (that I know of), my wife is working a full time job at a “Home Owners Management Company as the Office manager”. So why can’t I get a job? (My wife says it’s partially my attitude,…in her defense,at 13 years old I was “rounding up shopping carts” in a Supermarket,….and unless we really run up against a wall I’ll be damned if that will be my last job, in this life!! My wife says “get over yourself,…money is money! I have been a licensed Florida Community Association Manager for over fifteen years, had my own company for 12 years, owned a Country Western Dance Club that sat 1000 customers, and Irish Pub with LIVE REAL Irish music and “seissuns”, a sort of “jam session” by volunteers who play “Irish Music” (It’s not that difficult as there are only two rythems, and tempos, “Jigs, or Reels”. I’ve also owned and run an Industrial medical supply Company for 10 years, and “grabbed a “ring” of American opportunity, My problem was I never knew OR learned how to “make my money, make money for ME”,other than what I could do personally with it! Hence my retirement is Social Security! We bought a townhouse in Florida in 2000, but we’ve had to remortgage a few times and now only have equity of about $70,000 left in it!! Plus what my wife makes. BELIEVE me, I can understand how they felt!! Life is opportunity, and as the old Frank Sinatra song says , “That’s Life!” I’ll update this as soon as anything else is published. We’re all proud, we all want to pull our own weight, but since the Government, and their policies and the “fifth column” is a behemoth who doesn’t really care what do you do? Well,….again it’s what Frank (Sinatra),…had to say,…..”That’s Life,….you’re riding high in April,…then you’re shot down in May.” Donald Trump withstanding!! He does’nt need more money, more success, or “ego-boosters”,…..(Gee maybe I’ll write another Podcast and Chat with you about what REAL sacrifice is about and simply ask you “WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ORIGINAL SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDANCE? (Also a GREAT information packet. If nothing else it shows us all WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF THE AMERICA WE LIVE IN TODAY.,…..and whaat it cost the 54 original signers for that belief!! Or maybe more simply,….”Do you feel as though you have more FREEDOM in todays environment “,….or is that just an illusion? Just saying! -30- August 29, 2019
So why are medical costs so outrageous?
Why is it that WE don’t get it??
Why is it that WE don’t get it??
Use by printed expiration date!! Perhaps a bit cynical,….but the reality of life has a way of slapping you HARD on your cheek when it happens! In today’s world we simply sigh and say something asinine like,”…..guess that’s life too bad, I guess.” (Grammatical note: the period at the end of the sentence should be an exclamation mark, but there is such a thing as “indicative punctuation”,….unless todays mores have eliminated that as well. A man in upstate Washington, (on the left coast) called the Sherrif and indicated he was going to commit suicide, he was 77 and his wife was 76. He told the Sherrif it was because he and his wife could not afford their medical bills, and there was no other apparent way out! Police ere dispatched, cordoned off the house, set up thier perimeter and began their standard tactics,….alas no response! They finally made their way up to the house and gained entry. Inside they found the couple both dead, (cause of death later when it is reported). In addition they found several notes indicating the couple could apparently see no way to pay their medical bills, and go on,…..so murder suicide was their only option!!! End of news report. THAT NEWS REPORT HAS NO NEED TO HAPPEN IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!! And the Southern border of our country has almost a million people trying to gain admittance to OUR country! For them it means they will be supported with medical ,dental and vision care, overall FREE insurance, wage subsistence, living costs, etc! I’ll bet when I follow up on this, it will take more digging than it takes to build a new septic system!! The question is WHY? Because it’s not worth much to a newspaper except an obituary notice, and since they don’t have the money to pay for it, (I’m assuming they have relatives who will be asked to pay. And whatever we have today as a “Potters Field” will be their final resting place, ( or whatever Washington State has a a stipend for this entirely “FREE funeral, burial, cremation.) While I never met either one of them, I can relate on a number of levels. I’m 75, my wife is 73,……we only have Medicare, and a supplemental Medicare policy. I’m nor working a) because I can’t find a job , I’ve had open heart surgery, and a full hip replacement,…..and there ain’t nothing else wrong with me (that I know of), my wife is working a full time job at a “Home Owners Management Company as the Office manager”. So why can’t I get a job? (My wife says it’s partially my attitude,…in her defense,at 13 years old I was “rounding up shopping carts” in a Supermarket,….and unless we really run up against a wall I’ll be damned if that will be my last job, in this life!! My wife says “get over yourself,…money is money! I have been a licensed Florida Community Association Manager for over fifteen years, had my own company for 12 years, owned a Country Western Dance Club that sat 1000 customers, and Irish Pub with LIVE REAL Irish music and “seissuns”, a sort of “jam session” by volunteers who play “Irish Music” (It’s not that difficult as there are only two rythems, and tempos, “Jigs, or Reels”. I’ve also owned and run an Industrial medical supply Company for 10 years, and “grabbed a “ring” of American opportunity, My problem was I never knew OR learned how to “make my money, make money for ME”,other than what I could do personally with it! Hence my retirement is Social Security! We bought a townhouse in Florida in 2000, but we’ve had to remortgage a few times and now only have equity of about $70,000 left in it!! Plus what my wife makes. BELIEVE me, I can understand how they felt!! Life is opportunity, and as the old Frank Sinatra song says , “That’s Life!” I’ll update this as soon as anything else is published. We’re all proud, we all want to pull our own weight, but since the Government, and their policies and the “fifth column” is a behemoth who doesn’t really care what do you do? Well,….again it’s what Frank (Sinatra),…had to say,…..”That’s Life,….you’re riding high in April,…then you’re shot down in May.” Donald Trump withstanding!! He does’nt need more money, more success, or “ego-boosters”,…..(Gee maybe I’ll write another Podcast and Chat with you about what REAL sacrifice is about and simply ask you “WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ORIGINAL SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION Perhaps a bit cynical,….but the reality of life has a way of slapping you HARD on your cheek when it happens! In today’s world we simply sigh and say something asinine like,”…..guess that’s life too bad, I guess.” (Grammatical note: the period at the end of the sentence should be an exclamation mark, but there is such a thing as “indicative punctuation”,….unless todays mores have eliminated that as well. A man in upstate Washington, (on the left coast) called the Sherrif and indicated he was going to commit suicide, he was 77 and his wife was 76. He told the Sherrif it was because he and his wife could not afford their medical bills, and there was no other apparent way out! Police ere dispatched, cordoned off the house, set up thier perimeter and began their standard tactics,….alas no response! They finally made their way up to the house and gained entry. Inside they found the couple both dead, (cause of death later when it is reported). In addition they found several notes indicating the couple could apparently see no way to pay their medical bills, and go on,…..so murder suicide was their only option!!! End of news report. THAT NEWS REPORT HAS NO NEED TO HAPPEN IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!! And the Southern border of our country has almost a million people trying to gain admittance to OUR country! For them it means they will be supported with medical ,dental and vision care, overall FREE insurance, wage subsistence, living costs, etc! I’ll bet when I follow up on this, it will take more digging than it takes to build a new septic system!! The question is WHY? Because it’s not worth much to a newspaper except an obituary notice, and since they don’t have the money to pay for it, (I’m assuming they have relatives who will be asked to pay. And whatever we have today as a “Potters Field” will be their final resting place, ( or whatever Washington State has a a stipend for this entirely “FREE funeral, burial, cremation.) While I never met either one of them, I can relate on a number of levels. I’m 75, my wife is 73,……we only have Medicare, and a supplemental Medicare policy. I’m nor working a) because I can’t find a job , I’ve had open heart surgery, and a full hip replacement,…..and there ain’t nothing else wrong with me (that I know of), my wife is working a full time job at a “Home Owners Management Company as the Office manager”. So why can’t I get a job? (My wife says it’s partially my attitude,…in her defense,at 13 years old I was “rounding up shopping carts” in a Supermarket,….and unless we really run up against a wall I’ll be damned if that will be my last job, in this life!! My wife says “get over yourself,…money is money! I have been a licensed Florida Community Association Manager for over fifteen years, had my own company for 12 years, owned a Country Western Dance Club that sat 1000 customers, and Irish Pub with LIVE REAL Irish music and “seissuns”, a sort of “jam session” by volunteers who play “Irish Music” (It’s not that difficult as there are only two rythems, and tempos, “Jigs, or Reels”. I’ve also owned and run an Industrial medical supply Company for 10 years, and “grabbed a “ring” of American opportunity, My problem was I never knew OR learned how to “make my money, make money for ME”,other than what I could do personally with it! Hence my retirement is Social Security! We bought a townhouse in Florida in 2000, but we’ve had to remortgage a few times and now only have equity of about $70,000 left in it!! Plus what my wife makes. BELIEVE me, I can understand how they felt!! Life is opportunity, and as the old Frank Sinatra song says , “That’s Life!” I’ll update this as soon as anything else is published. We’re all proud, we all want to pull our own weight, but since the Government, and their policies and the “fifth column” is a behemoth who doesn’t really care what do you do? Well,….again it’s what Frank (Sinatra),…had to say,…..”That’s Life,….you’re riding high in April,…then you’re shot down in May.” Donald Trump withstanding!! He does’nt need more money, more success, or “ego-boosters”,…..(Gee maybe I’ll write another Podcast and Chat with you about what REAL sacrifice is about and simply ask you “WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ORIGINAL SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDANCE? (Also a GREAT information packet. If nothing else it shows us all WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF THE AMERICA WE LIVE IN TODAY.,…..and whaat it cost the 54 original signers for that belief!! Or maybe more simply,….”Do you feel as though you have more FREEDOM in todays environment “,….or is that just an illusion? Just saying! -30- August 29, 2019 OF INDEPENDANCE? (Also a GREAT information packet. If nothing else it shows us all WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF THE AMERICA WE LIVE IN TODAY.,…..and whaat it cost the 54 original signers for that belief!! Or maybe more simply,….”Do you feel as though you have more FREEDOM in todays environment “,….or is that just an illusion? Just saying! -30- August 29, 2019 Perhaps a bit cynical,….but the reality of life has a way of slapping you HARD on your cheek when it happens! In today’s world we simply sigh and say something asinine like,”…..guess that’s life too bad, I guess.” (Grammatical note: the period at the end of the sentence should be an exclamation mark, but there is such a thing as “indicative punctuation”,….unless todays mores have eliminated that as well. A man in upstate Washington, (on the left coast) called the Sherrif and indicated he was going to commit suicide, he was 77 and his wife was 76. He told the Sherrif it was because he and his wife could not afford their medical bills, and there was no other apparent way out! Police ere dispatched, cordoned off the house, set up thier perimeter and began their standard tactics,….alas no response! They finally made their way up to the house and gained entry. Inside they found the couple both dead, (cause of death later when it is reported). In addition they found several notes indicating the couple could apparently see no way to pay their medical bills, and go on,…..so murder suicide was their only option!!! End of news report. THAT NEWS REPORT HAS NO NEED TO HAPPEN IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!! And the Southern border of our country has almost a million people trying to gain admittance to OUR country! For them it means they will be supported with medical ,dental and vision care, overall FREE insurance, wage subsistence, living costs, etc! I’ll bet when I follow up on this, it will take more digging than it takes to build a new septic system!! The question is WHY? Because it’s not worth much to a newspaper except an obituary notice, and since they don’t have the money to pay for it, (I’m assuming they have relatives who will be asked to pay. And whatever we have today as a “Potters Field” will be their final resting place, ( or whatever Washington State has a a stipend for this entirely “FREE funeral, burial, cremation.) While I never met either one of them, I can relate on a number of levels. I’m 75, my wife is 73,……we only have Medicare, and a supplemental Medicare policy. I’m nor working a) because I can’t find a job , I’ve had open heart surgery, and a full hip replacement,…..and there ain’t nothing else wrong with me (that I know of), my wife is working a full time job at a “Home Owners Management Company as the Office manager”. So why can’t I get a job? (My wife says it’s partially my attitude,…in her defense,at 13 years old I was “rounding up shopping carts” in a Supermarket,….and unless we really run up against a wall I’ll be damned if that will be my last job, in this life!! My wife says “get over yourself,…money is money! I have been a licensed Florida Community Association Manager for over fifteen years, had my own company for 12 years, owned a Country Western Dance Club that sat 1000 customers, and Irish Pub with LIVE REAL Irish music and “seissuns”, a sort of “jam session” by volunteers who play “Irish Music” (It’s not that difficult as there are only two rythems, and tempos, “Jigs, or Reels”. I’ve also owned and run an Industrial medical supply Company for 10 years, and “grabbed a “ring” of American opportunity, My problem was I never knew OR learned how to “make my money, make money for ME”,other than what I could do personally with it! Hence my retirement is Social Security! We bought a townhouse in Florida in 2000, but we’ve had to remortgage a few times and now only have equity of about $70,000 left in it!! Plus what my wife makes. BELIEVE me, I can understand how they felt!! Life is opportunity, and as the old Frank Sinatra song says , “That’s Life!” I’ll update this as soon as anything else is published. We’re all proud, we all want to pull our own weight, but since the Government, and their policies and the “fifth column” is a behemoth who doesn’t really care what do you do? Well,….again it’s what Frank (Sinatra),…had to say,…..”That’s Life,….you’re riding high in April,…then you’re shot down in May.” Donald Trump withstanding!! He does’nt need more money, more success, or “ego-boosters”,…..(Gee maybe I’ll write another Podcast and Chat with you about what REAL sacrifice is about and simply ask you “WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ORIGINAL SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDANCE? (Also a GREAT information packet. If nothing else it shows us all WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF THE AMERICA WE LIVE IN TODAY.,…..and whaat it cost the 54 original signers for that belief!! Or maybe more simply,….”Do you feel as though you have more FREEDOM in todays environment “,….or is that just an illusion? Just saying! -30- August 29, 2019
Perhaps a bit cynical,….but the reality of life has a way of slapping you HARD on your cheek when it happens! In today’s world we simply sigh and say something asinine like,”…..guess that’s life too bad, I guess.” (Grammatical note: the period at the end of the sentence should be an exclamation mark, but there […]
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Some people complain because the Bible doesn’t spell things out plainly enough. Recently, I heard a popular atheist on YouTube (where all the great intellectuals can be found) declare that God would’ve organized things better if it were really from Him. In response, let me take a shot at what an organized treatment of the … Continue reading The Roman Road
Posted on September 4, 2021 September 6, 2021 No Comments on One Spirit, One Baptism
As a child, I was raised under the umbrella of Christian beliefs known as charismatic. (It comes from the Greek word for gifts of the Spirit, charisma, which means something like gifts of grace, and from which we get the English word for being “graced” with personality.) I grew up hearing a lot about the … Continue reading One Spirit, One Baptism
All I Want for Christmas is Truth
Posted on December 20, 2020 December 20, 2021 No Comments on All I Want for Christmas is Truth
For years, we’ve been told through movies and television that Christmas is about “giving” or “family.” In one classic film, Santa Claus even declares that it’s not a day, but a “frame of mind.” Whatever that means, it surely bears some connection to the same idea of love and charity. And if we’re talking about … Continue reading All I Want for Christmas is Truth
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“There has to be an end, Scully.” When Mulder whispered that to Scully in “Requiem” back in 2000, our hearts nearly pounded out of our chests. These two people we’d come to love were at a crossroads, the future of their work uncertain. As the episode continues he says “It has to end sometime. That time is now.” with certainty and devotion and a little fear in his voice. Well, today I know how he feels, if you’ll pardon the sentimentality. Because that “sometime” has come for us here at XFN as well.
This will likely be our last post on XFilesNews. After 11 years, a feature film, two revival seasons, conventions, fan campaigns, contests, and more articles than we can mention, it’s time for us to say goodbye. We announced back in May that we would be stepping back at the end of the year, and now that 2018 has come to a close we’re ready to make that happen.
Going forward, this site will remain as an archive of all the work this fandom has done to keep The X-Files alive, and of the success you had in convincing the powers-that-be that there was still a need for more Mulder and Scully. We will retain the XFilesNews name and will maintain the site as long as we can keep up the server costs, which our TeePublic store will remain open to help support. We will stay somewhat active on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, but our Tumblr will stop publishing after today as well. Our goal on social media for now will be to continue to boost the efforts of fan groups on things like charity drives and podcasts. But our days of contests, convention coverage, and fan campaigns are mostly done. We will provide coverage of X-Fest 2 in Illinois in June, as we want to honor that commitment we made last year. We also hope to have one more product review that we promised before the end of January but the timing on that is still uncertain.
It was an honor to bring you the news over the years, and to help tell the story of this fandom. Every interview we did and every press pass we got was all to share that information with you, and in return to tell the creators of this show how much their work meant to the fans. It’s been a labor of love since 2007 and everyone who worked for XFN was a volunteer. We’re so proud to have been a part of this fandom’s story and we appreciate all the support and feedback you’ve given. We hope you’ve enjoyed being a part of our family. And we look forward to being there with you at events in the future, but like Avi said back in May, this time we’ll be sitting right next to you as fellow fans instead of journalists.
Before we go, we wanted to take a look back through our family album at some of our favorite pieces of coverage over the years and we hope you’ll page through with us and remember how far we’ve come together. Head to memory lane after the jump.
XFN launched on October 31st, 2007, to provide a community for the fandom and to help promote the upcoming release of The X-Files - I Want to Believe. One of the first events we covered was WonderCon in March, 2008, where 5,000 very excited Philes got the first hint of what was to come in IWTB. We continued with IWTB promotion through the year and were ecstatic to bring you coverage from the red carpet of the premiere in Los Angeles on July 23rd, 2008. Most of our red carpet footage was lost to the ages but what we were able to save has started to feel like a time capsule. See what David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mark Snow, and Frank Spotnitz had to say that exciting day.
IWTB sparked a new era of growth in the fandom and we wanted to bring Philes together from all around the world to say thank you to everyone involved in creating The X-Files. Fans from 26 countries created “Place,” where we explained what makes our fandom so special. Because where we are from, it’s always 10:13! “Place” debuted at an IBG charity event with Frank Spotnitz and was the first of many fan videos over the years.
2009 saw the birth of “Frankenbear” whose world-wide tour raised money for the UCLA Rape Treatment Center. Frankenbear now lives with Frank Spotnitz in France but his earlier exploits were legend as his Facebook page shows. 2009 also saw the launch of the XF3 Army and the “Believe in the Future” campaign, our official action to call for a third X-Files film. And when we asked Philes to join us, boy did you respond. To show FOX how much we still loved these characters you bought out the stock of I Want to Believe DVDs on Amazon three different times and the ranking of the film jumped from 5,000 to 704. An Amazon executive told XFN that such a jump like that had never happened before. You created postcards and fan videos that XFN delivered to executives at FOX, along with “green light” M&M’s.
Throughout 2010 and 2011 you kept that campaign going by creating XF3 trailers and posters. Some of those trailers still live on our YouTube channel and show just how creative this fandom is. You joined us in 10,013 Photos for a Green Light and sent thousands of photos of your fan experiences which we presented to FOX as a sign of your enthusiasm. We came together for an LAX-Files event to raise money for the American Cancer Society in honor of Kim Manners and laughed our butts off in Beverly Hills as Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny interviewed each other at the conversation event.
In the fall of 2011 The X-Files turned 18 and we launched the first of our #XF3 Tweet-a-Thons. By 2014, the XF3 Army would trend hashtags on Twitter on 16 different occasions. As the deadline for the 2012 alien invasion came and went, Philes didn’t give up hope of seeing our heroes again. You once again pulled out all the stops and joined in our parody video “Greenlight Baby” where we said “we need a third film, and don’t mean maybe!”
2013 sure felt like a turning point in the fandom. Not only were fans celebrating the 20th anniversary of The X-Files, but it felt like the whole world was. A new comic series from IDW was launched. There was the amazing panel at San Diego Comic Con. On the show’s 20th birthday on September 10th, 2013, members of the cast and crew shared letters with the fandom about what the show mean to them in our #XFTurns20 campaign. Take a minute to read thoughts from Gillian Anderson, Sheila Larken, Annabeth Gish, and more here.
In October 2013, we had a 1013 weekend to remember. At the Paley Center event XFN was there to witness one of the most heartfelt conversations about the show we’ve ever had with Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. Sure, we laughed about “what the fuck is magnetite,” but we’d venture there may have been a tear or two shed over the conversations about the “Post-Modern Prometheus” dance scene and David’s thoughts on the filming of “The Unnatural” and the work Gillian did in it. Then we moved on to NYCC and the panel where the crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to Chris Carter at David’s request and two Philes got engaged with the blessings of our favorite TV couple.
All through 2014 rumors ran rampant that The X-Files would finally return, but to our TV screens instead of the big screen. We talked to Gillian Anderson at NYCC again in October about her recent projects as well as X-Files. And then...we come to 2015. Oh 2015….as Managing Editor Roi Ollson called it, “The Year of the Phile.” On January 15, 2015, news broke that FOX was officially in talks with Chris Carter, Gillian Anderson, and David Duchovny to bring the show back to TV for a short run. We waited on pins and needles with you until March 24th, when we got that official green light announcement you all fought so hard for. The X-Files Revival was actually going to happen, thanks to this amazing fandom.
While we waited for the premiere of the six-episode Season 10 we found so many ways to keep ourselves occupied. Top Ten Lists. The X-Philes Talk X-Files Podcast. David and Gillian’s infamous “Cutting Room” appearance. And starting in July you joined us for the Global X-Files Rewatch where we watched the entire series and both films, one per day, until the new season premiered in 2016. You had us laughing and crying with your tweets, which will live on in our “Best Tweets” collection.
Then in October we got our first look at the season premiere at NYCC. Thousands of lucky fans joined us for the screening and then we hit the press room to hear from David Duchovny, Mitch Pileggi, and Chris Carter. We died a little when “The X-Files Reopened” special dropped on Christmas Day, which in turn inspired the #PlatonicActivity hashtag on Twitter as we debated about what was to come.
Then finally 2016 arrived and the wait was over. We walked the red carpet at the official premiere for “My Struggle” and interviewed members of the cast. We died laughing when David and Gillian appeared on Jimmy Kimmel. And when the big day finally arrived on January 24th, 2016, you blew the roof off expectations with amazing ratings. We rode the rollercoaster that was Season 10 and in a few short weeks it was over. With so many questions after the cliffhanger in “My Struggle II” we went back to the source to see if we could get some answers. Chris Carter was his usual enigmatic self but gave us hope we’d see our heroes again for Season 11.
So what’s a fandom to do while we wait, yet again? You helped us thank the cast and crew for Season 10. You shared amazing fan art and wrote amazing fan fiction. You sent William the Rabbit on an adventure around the world. You cheered David Duchovny on as he got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 2016 rolled into 2017 and then finally, on April 20th, 2017, we got a the news we’d waited over a year for. Season 11 was a go! And this time we were getting 10 episodes.
Shooting got underway in Vancouver in late summer and the stars kept us hanging with sneak peeks from behind the scenes on social media. At the end of September we all freaked out when the image of Scully in a hospital bed appeared in Entertainment Weekly. Then at NYCC on October 8, 2017, Chris Carter, Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny, and Mitch Pileggi took time out of their shooting schedule to destroy us with a peek at the upcoming season. Between the teaser trailer, the hilarious panel, and the press room interviews, we had a lot to digest about what was to come in Season 11. As we waited for the January 3rd premiere date pumpkins were carved, fan videos were created, and every single promo shared was picked apart and analyzed for clues. Fans submitted their thoughts on what they hoped to see in Season 11, which we shared in a video as 2017 came to a close.
2018 came in like a whirlwind. “My Struggle III” premiered on January 3rd and stirred up a lot of controversy. Keen-eared fans caught something at the end of the episode which turned out to be a hidden message of thanks from Chris Carter. Philes from around the world turned out a few days later for Gillian Anderson’s Walk of Fame star ceremony. And we all paused for a minute when Gillian confirmed, again, at the FOX TCA that she was done playing Scully. We’re a fandom that doesn’t give up, but it was also becoming clear that this time we were truly at the end of an era.
As the season aired we had the honor of interviewing many of the cast and crew like Karin Konoval, Mitch Pileggi, Gabe Rotter, Benjamin Van Allen, Dean Haglund, Kristen Cloke Morgan, Shannon Hamblin, and Karen Nielsen. We went to X-Fest in Illinois and loved meeting many fellow Philes at the biggest gathering of X-Files cast members ever. And then just like that, 10 episodes had passed, “My Struggle IV” ended with what David Duchovny called the “cliffiest of all hangers” and it was time to say good-bye again. Avi Quijada had a lengthy interview with Chris Carter that provoked a pointed discussion between fans who enjoyed the season finale and others that really didn’t.
By May, FOX had announced that there were no plans for more X-Files, and though we were sad to see that this chapter was likely closed for good we wanted one last chance to debate the series with all of you. Some members of XFN held a panel at SDCC in July where we talked about the cliffhanger and how the fandom will always keep the story of Mulder and Scully moving forward.
How do you say good-bye to something you have loved for 25 years? How can you possibly thank the people whose creation has brought so much joy to your life? While we weren’t sure how, we wanted to try. On September 10th, 2018, we threw a day-long 25th Anniversary party. We shared memories on Twitter, rewatched the Pilot, heard from the cast and crew, but most importantly we heard from you. Over the summer we had asked you to submit your memories of the show and as always Philes stepped up. Your beautiful thoughts, memories, artwork, photos, and heartfelt thanks became our documentary: 25 Years of X-Philes: A Tribute to the Cast, Crew, and Fans of The X-Files. Even though we might not ever see Mulder and Scully on screen again, this fandom has proven time and again that their story will never really die.
Before we go, some XFN staffers through the years wanted to share their thanks.
When I came to XFN in 2007, I had no idea the trajectory my life was about to take. The obvious highlights were getting the opportunity to interview the cast and crew and spread the love for all things The X-Files, but what I didn’t realize, what I had no idea at the time, was that XFN would fundamentally change my life and bring me the most amazing friendships with incredibly talented, driven, and beautiful humans from around the world. What I found in XFN was a family; one of our own making, and it has been the greatest privilege to work and play with these beautiful souls. I am a better person for having known them, and a better person for having the opportunity to meet so many fans from all over the world. You have all laughed with us, cried with us, supported us, and been a part of our global family and it has been magic. This fandom is forever proof that no one gets there alone. Thank you to our followers and to my fellow XFNers for being my touchstones. I will forever be grateful for the impact you have made on my life and I will pay it forward as I move on into the next chapter. Much love to you all, always.
What can I say about XFN? The X-Files was the first fandom I ever joined and XFN received me with open arms. I have been with XFN for almost 11 years now and I feel like part of a family the same way today as I did those 11 years ago. I didn’t know what fandom was when I joined. I just stumbled upon XFN when I needed someone who shared the same excitement about a tv show as I did when all my friends thought it was weird and funny to be so excited about something on tv. Specially a sci-fi show. No one can truly understand how amazing it is to spend hours on Skype talking about the silliest things you could ever imagine unless you were a part of it. I was lucky enough to join this fandom at the best time ever. We all just came together because we felt that need.
I can truly say XFN is the longest job I’ve ever had. I have never worked with a better group of people who are extremely professional about something as simple as a volunteer job. I have participated in so many campaigns and projects that have helped me grown and helped me become a better professional in my own career path. I will forever be in debt to XFN for that. It is so sad that we must now come to an end after so many years of so much great work. But like everyone says, all great things must end. Some of the most amazing memories I have are XFN memories, whether it was working at a Comic-Con or just spending hours on Skype saying Lamp-Palm back and forth to each other on a group chat window.
These people will forever hold a piece in my heart and I am so grateful that I met each and every one of them. Some of the best friends I have in life came from XFN. We are truly a family and we will be one for the rest of our lives no matter where we are. We have laughed and we have cried together. I will cherish these memories forever and I will always look up in the sky with wonder and thirst for knowledge because a fandom taught me to.
What can I say about this group of ladies that isn't already known? I've known XFN and most of its inhabitants for maybe over a decade now, being unofficially included in a lot of their antics over the years. And I've officially been a part of the team for 3 or so years. These ladies are ride or die and I think I knew that the moment I joined my first Skype call with them. RIP Skype Philes.
This show changed my entire life. I was late to the game, only discovering it years after it was off the air, but I was welcomed with open arms. In 2011, I attended the IBG Event and finally met some of XFN in person for the very first time. After the event, I joined them along with a few Phile friends for dinner, cultivating myself some lifelong friendships. Never forget that Cheesecake Factory bathroom... Hahaha.
A lot of my favorite memories involving XFN are moments that probably shouldn't be discussed in such a professional forum, haha! But there are so, so many. Being a part of the team during such a big moment for this fandom meant everything. Hosting episode rewatches and creating all the gifs for XFN's Tumblr. All the late, late nights leading up to the revival's premiere. Just being a part of something big like that. Including the stress and everything that came with it. That is one of my favorite memories.
Because of these ladies, my video editing has excelled exponentially over the years. They never stopped annoying me to finish a fan video, never stopped fangirling over any of my fan art. I'll never forget the night I posted a new fan video, before leaving for California for the IBG Event, Tiff and company sent it to Frank and he ended up posting it on his blog. I was so happy. Then, when attending the event a few days later, I had people to gravitate towards. I wasn't a stranger in the room and crazily enough, people actually recognized me from my fan videos. XFN and all their support for my craft over the years did that for me and that is pretty dang cool. Nowadays, I do more editing as my job, rather than a hobby, but I can look back on that time and think fondly of SexyCheeseNipNinja and what it used to be.
Having these ladies in my corner means everything. Over the years I've endured a lot. I still endure a lot. Never once has their support faltered and being scattered all across the world, all of us having crazy sleeping schedules, support is literally 24/7. So yeah, not only is the crew of XFN dedicated to the show, the fandom and everything it entails... they care about you individually. XFN encompasses perseverance, integrity, grace and intelligence. Its crew always looking out for and guiding the fandom.
Thank you Avi, Keva, Roi, Ky, Sophie, Tricia, Tiff, Lauren and everyone who has come and gone on the XFN team for setting an example for this fandom. Thank you Avi, our backbone, for everything you have done for this fandom and this wayward crew of fan girls. Thank you for all your dedication. And thank you for always caring about me and the complete mess that I am. I'm so glad you're in my life. I'm so glad all of you are in my life and in this fandom. We were all a part of a great legacy here. Thank you X-Philes, for you love and support for XFN over the years. Thank you X-Files. Thank you XFN for adopting me into your family all those years ago!
Also, let us not forget the time David Duchovny asked Roileigh if she was my mom. Because I sure won’t. Haha! Thanks for being the reason I have the best photo ever with David, Roi!
An Apollo keychain and XFN taught me the same thing, and although I first heard the phrase from the former, it wasn’t until the latter that I put it into practice: what can be imagined can be achieved, we must dare to dream, blah blah blah no one gets there alone. I remember being a twelve year old warrior knocking on puberty’s door, living and breathing X-Files and having absolutely no one to talk to about it. I don’t even want to admit how much Mulder and Scully consumed my thoughts. It was absurd, weird, and lonely.
But when the second movie was announced, I stumbled upon this ragtag group of ladies that was just as weird and obsessed and EXCITED as I was! We made up 9 minute songs, wrote sleep-med-induced emails to Frank Spotnitz, met up in person at the premiere in LA (and then literally shared beds and hotels with these fantastic women that night), traveled to Washington DC just to nerd out together with the backdrop of Mulder and Scully’s stomping grounds, went to Comic Cons and Fests, took a road trip to Vancouver with my partner in crime for life, Roileigh, AND explained to David and Gillian that Mulder and Scully totally gave each other cylindrical sex toys and porn for presents in How the Ghosts Stole Christmas… it would not have been possible if not for XFN. I went from a lonely nerd to making lifelong friendships with people just as obsessed as me. Thank you so, so much. ROCK FROM MARS!
When I began at XFN I was just a wandering fangirl, flitting from site to site, looking for my people. Avi stalked me, insinuated herself into my online life, and eventually demanded I write her an article. Just one. For fun. No pressure. It turned into a second job. I couldn’t be more grateful.
Working for XFN has been a labor of love. There’s no pay, but the rewards are plenty. In the eight or so years I’ve been a part of the team, I’ve gained so much: Teamwork, camaraderie, a chance to meet my teenage idols, and some of the best friends a girl could ask for.
We came from all different walks of life and bonded over our love of two dorks who couldn’t get their shiz together long enough to invest in some form of birth control, (Once is an accident, twice is a pattern, guys.) let alone save the world from an alien invasion. But boy did we love watching them try.
Some of us are still just as big a fan as we were when we started, others twitch a little at just the mention of Chris Carter, but no matter our feelings about where Mulder and Scully’s path led, how the series ended, and where it should go from here, the family we created beyond fandom remains strong. To everyone and everything that went into making The X-Files return, I owe you a debt of gratitude. You’ve improved me as a writer, you’ve opened a world of possibilities I’d never even considered, you’ve held me up and encouraged me along, and you’ve been there for all kinds of firsts and a multitude of finales.
Time passes in moments... moments which, rushing past define the path of a life just as surely as they lead towards its end. If I could stop, to pause and take stock of each precious moment... I’d choose the same path.
I cannot thank this fandom enough for everything you’ve given me over the years. For the friendships, the heated debates, and the endless laughter. I’ll never forget the endless XF3 Tweet-a-thons, the night of #ScullysHorribleLife, and the sheer joy when we’d finally accomplished our green light goal. It was a privilege to cover Cons and Star Ceremonies and everything in between for you all. Thank you to all the fan authors who have shared your talents with us over the years. And I don’t know that I’ve ever cried so much while working on a project as I did putting together our last fandom documentary. You all made me so proud to be a Phile. Thank you for giving us the chance to tell your story. Thank you to everyone who followed along, who tweeted, who gave feedback, who said hi at a convention. Thank you Dana Scully for putting me on this path all those years ago.
To my XFN sisters….where do I even begin? It’s been an absolute joy being with you these last four years. Avi, thank you for giving me a shot...we'll always have Vancouver, and likely the bruises from the screeners too... Thank you to this team of amazing women for becoming my extended family and for always having my back. I owe you everything and you owe me nothing. I don’t know that I’ll ever quite be ready to say good bye to this amazing thing we’ve built, but I'm so thankful to have shared this journey with you. You’ve changed my life for the better, and I’ll be over here waiting for the Philemune. Anyone for a rewatch? ;)
It is incredible to think that XFN has been a decade of my life. While I discovered The X-Files later than most, it still came into my life at the perfect time. What’s a better distraction from the perils of high school than intense philosophical debate over whether or not Scully secretly mouthed “it’s yours” to Mulder in Season 8? Nothing. Who could have been a better role model to a young girl who liked science than Dana Scully? No one.
In my time with XFN, I’ve taken tens of thousands of photos, written hundreds of articles, covered dozens of events, conducted more interviews than I remember, saw The X-Files return twice, and took one incredible road trip to Vancouver. None of this ever would have happened though if one Spring day in 2009, Avi hadn’t persuaded me to come write for XFN. The rest is history.
The XFN Team saw me through the end of high school, all of college, and now graduate school. I have no idea where I’d be right now if XFN hadn’t taken me on this crazy, ridiculous, stressful, and exciting journey, but probably not in school because you guys proofread all of my admissions essays. I’ve traveled all over the country and even the world as part of XFN. The skills I’ve learned working with all of you will stay with me forever, but hopefully not my stomach ulcer that I’ve named after Chris Carter. Carl needs to go.
I hope one day in the future we’re all relaxing on the beach at the Philemune reminiscing about all the amazing things we did way back when. Like the 8 page paper Jessa and I wrote on how Mulder and Scully got back from Antarctica. Or the time I made Gillian Anderson 17 different gifs of her hitting a tambourine. That afternoon when Avi almost ran over Frank Spotnitz with her car. Or the time we walked the red carpet at the premiere after talking about it for 8 long years. The conventions. The Skype Philes. The long nights. Frankenbear and CarterFox. And all the Philes we met all over the world.
Nothing Lasts Forever, but what a ride it has been. Thank you to everyone who came along—at XFN, on Twitter, Facebook, wherever you joined us—it wouldn’t have been the same without you.
It seems almost surreal to say that I’ve been part of XFN now for almost 12 years. That is, by all means, a third of the time I’ve been present on this planet. Half of the time I’ve been a fan of The X-Files. The entirety of my actual, practical, away from my parents - take care of your bills - try to be a grown-up, independent adulthood. Saying that these years were easy as a breeze would be a disservice to the amount of sacrifice put behind this project, but what made it easy was the company. What made me choose XFN over any other endeavor was the fact that we built a family in between sleepless nights, the dread of hacked websites, of deadlines, of countless hours trying to figure out what our purpose was.
It was all worth it, for me… but I always worried that I had chosen a path full of windmills and what about the group of unicorns that chose to come with me?
Being the one expected to have answers along the way made me grow up really fast. Being the one to set the example, made me want to never fail… all the while, inadvertently, challenging everyone around me to reach for their own unspoken goals and undiscovered paths. So I could then go and accompany them in their own crazy pursuits.
Even when so many people found no importance in our cause, we learned as we went that we were indeed not only finding ourselves while in the company of supporting individuals, but also learned the definitions - the true ones - for words like bravery, selflessness, resilience, kindness, generosity, honesty, tenacity, care and love. I wanted to believe that the more we stood up for being good examples, the more that others would want to chase their own windmills with their own fable creatures. It may sound grandiose, but in the world where we were just there waiting for others to create something we could enjoy, it sounded like a good task to be able to create real things… and what’s more real than the world around us?
For many, this site might be just a news site, the place they found the pictures of conventions they couldn’t go to, reviews and listicles that brought amusement, and then we’re also the hub where many found their best friend, their partner, their next passion, their kin. For the people on production companies, studios, and so many other places and entities, we went from “those people that won’t stop emailing…” to “the people that we like having conversations with and partner together.”
We saw evolution and triumphs we never expected and didn’t realize we had been dreaming of; we saw each other blossom. We worked in the generality of nurturing this brain child, and in the minutia of caring for every limb of this operation. Because at some point we understood that we are nothing without the other… and that after everything is said and done, a show may come and go, a server may crash, a website could break, but we found human capital in ourselves and in everyone that opened their hearts to us. We may not have been completely successful at everything, every time… but damn, did we try.
Looking back, we once worried on how to solve the formula to get a movie greenlit, a show brought back, and in the way, we probably cracked other mysteries that will stand tall alongside the joy, growth and ambition that this series and these epic characters brought us.
I hope that everyone, at some point in their lives, finds a group like this for themselves.
We sign off with love and gratitude, your XFilesNews Team,
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Created in 2007, we’re the only fan news website authorized by 20th Century Fox to advertise The X-Files franchise since 2008. Know more here.
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For this and all our biographies, we ensure to conduct a detailed research to ensure we not only state facts but also for our readers to get full information about their favorite players.
Zach Mettenberger was born on July 16, 1991, in Athens, Georgia. He went to Oconee County High School in Watkinsville, Georgia. Rivals.com ranked him as the 11th best pro-style quarterback in his class with six interceptions and nineteen touchdowns as a senior in the football team.
He joined the University of Georgia and still played for the school team. However, they sent Zach out of the team due to a violation of the team rules. He transferred to Louisiana State University prior to the 2011 season.
Zach Mettenberger injured his ACL in LSU’s final season game and underwent surgery. Tennessee Titans drafted him in the sixth round during the 2014 NFL Draft.
Like most celebrities, Zach has tried to keep his relationship status private. Online rumors have stated that he had at least one relationship in the past and has no children.
He is currently a free agent. Mettenberger has played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the San Diego Chargers, and Memphis Express. He is 101 kilograms and 1.96 meters of height. Mettenberger has tried several attempts to rejoin the NFL.
To gain attention, he joined The Spring League in 2018 but they just assigned him to the west team.
His early life in Athens, Georgia, USA, inspired him to take up football. He was a star senior on the football team at Oconee County High School in Georgia. Then, when he enrolled at the University of Georgia, he took up college football as a sport. In order to further his athletic career, he transferred to Louisiana State University. The Tennessee Titans selected him in the 2014 NFL Draft, marking the beginning of his professional career. A later version of his career saw him suit up for the likes of the Memphis Express, San Diego Chargers, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
In 2009, Zach Mettenberger enrolled at the University of Georgia and began his academic career there. However, he was quickly dismissed from the squad for rule violations. His guilty plea to two counts of sexual battery stemming from a 2009 incident in a pub in the Valdosta, Georgia, area was accepted the following year in 2010.
After that, he went to Butler Community College, where he started playing in 2010. He had a fantastic performance, tossing for 2678 yards and 32 touchdowns while also throwing just four picks. The college squad he captained to an 11-1 record was undefeated under his direction. Moreover, he guided them to the Junior College National Championship Game.
Zach Mettenberger moved schools once more, this time to Louisiana State University, before the 2011 season began. In his first year at LSU, he was 8-for-11 passing for 92 yards and a touchdown. They went 10-3 the following season under his direction. He had a completion percentage of over 58%, throwing for 2609 yards and 12 scores while also throwing seven picks.
In 2013, he made history by becoming the first quarterback in LSU history to throw for 2,500 yards in a season twice. Additionally, he was twice named team captain. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL in the season-ending game versus Arkansas and required surgery.
Thirteen weeks later, he was cleared to take part in the team’s Pro Day. He completed more than 90 percent of his passes while wearing a shoulder-padded helmet and throwing an estimated 125 passes.
The general studies degree he earned in 2013 from Louisiana State University was his capstone experience.
Professional Career
The Tennessee Titans selected quarterback Zach Mettenberger in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. On September 28th, 2014, he made his NFL debut in a game that resulted in a 41-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. They lost 30-16 to the Houston Texans in their next game.
His final stats for his rookie year were 8 TDs, 7 INTs, 1412 passing yards, and 4 rushing yards. Unfortunately, the Titans lost all of his games. He passed for 935 yards and four touchdowns with seven interceptions in his second season as a starter. He added 8 yards on the ground and a touchdown with his rushing. On May 16th, 2016, he was officially waived by the Titans.
Next, Zach Mettenberger signed with the San Diego Chargers, however he was cut before being able to play a single game for the team. Soon after, he was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, he did not play in any games during the 2016 NFL season.
After selecting Joshua Dobbs in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Steelers waived him. His repeated attempts to get back into the NFL were fruitless.
He joined the Alliance of American Football’s Memphis Express in August of 2018.
In the first week of the 2019 Alliance of American Football season, Zach Mettenberger was the backup quarterback. The head coach, Mike Singletary, announced his selection as the new starter on February 25. In his first career start, he was successful in 18 of 25 throw attempts for 174 yards and a score against the San Diego Fleet. He also helped his team win by running for another position and scoring a touchdown (26-23).
On March 16, 2019, however, he was injured and replaced by Brandon Silvers. In April of 2019, the league officially disbanded.
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Am an American Football enthusiast (at heart) and player too. I have played football at various levels and I understand the importance of sports performance gear, and training equipment.
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Sea Turtle Properties, an affiliate of Homes for Heroes, was founded by a local Summerville real estate expert. We help our clients find the home they always dreamed of with unparalleled service—doing everything with love.
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Renters can be, well, a bit harder on rental homes than the average homeowner. With so many people shuffling in and out, it can lead to a lot of wear and tear. Remember, your rental prospers or fails due to its condition both inside and out. If you made it through the summer without any necessary repair calls, that doesn’t necessarily mean that all is fine. The old phrase “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” is not a good one to live by for rental owners. These are basic things that you can do to enhance your rental home as we head into the fall and winter, to ensure that you are protecting your investment and providing the best experience for those who invest in you.
Pressure washing is one of the quickest and easiest ways to make your home go from drab to fab. As siding becomes caked with dirt and debris, it can look years older than it is. Before you decide that it is time to rip it off and start fresh, give pressure washing a try. While the pressure washers are there, they can also clean up the walkway, sidewalk, and driveway. Not only are appearances important; safety is a must. Allowing dirt and debris to build can make things a little slick, which could put you in danger of litigation.
Nothing makes an interior look fresh like a new coat of paint. Renters, especially those with kids, can do a lot of damage to walls, and those little imperfections have probably started to equal big ones. Painting is not an extremely expensive upgrade, but it is a necessary one. Try some beach colors for your beach house, or brighten things up with more neutrals and whites. Just make sure you spend the extra for high-quality paint; otherwise, it will look very worn in just a few years.
As we head into the fall, storms and Hurricane Ian took their toll on the Summerville area. If you haven’t had your roof inspected this year, now is a good time. If you have a roof leak, it will probably go unnoticed until there is significant and expensive damage. And if you have renters in while your roof leaks, it will make a poor impression, potentially lead to mold remediation, and cause downtime for your rental and your rental income. Having your roof inspected will give you peace of mind that it will make it through the winter ahead, and if there is something amiss, the inspection will give you the documentation you need to file a claim with your homeowner's insurance.
First impressions do matter. Renters form an impression about the quality of your rental as soon as they drive up. If they are unhappy with the maintenance on the outside, it will make them more critical of the state of the inside. Also, fall is the best time to have your trees trimmed before they go dormant for the winter to trim branches so that they don’t pose a hazard of falling on the surrounding area. Regular lawn care is a must, but don’t overlook the forest through the grass.
The key to keeping your HVAC working optimally is maintenance. As we head into fall, now is the time to ensure that your air filters are switched out and your furnace is maintained. Nothing will make a worse impression than someone coming for a stay and not having any heat. While the HVAC company is there, have them service your air conditioning, too; that way you will be good to go when the spring weather hits our area and you’ll be ahead of the game on the first steamy day.
With the fall here, it has been a successful summer rental market – which is great, but maybe not so great for your rental if you haven’t had time for maintenance. Don’t take a chance that you will overlook something that could potentially lead to unhappy renters, and poor ratings and reviews. At Sea Turtle Properties, we are a property management company that is consistently ensuring that your rental is in good shape – not just for your renters, but also to protect your investment. We take care of the maintenance for you, so you are always making the best impression possible. Contact us today and let us be your eyes and ears to keep things fresh.
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joker123 fish shooting gambling, RNG games is by far the largest and most played category of online casino games at the moment. Amongst the many subcategories slots, roulettes and blackjack variants are the three most offered ones. First of all, they are plug and play and require no maintenance on the part of the casino. Then there is the players’ experience. Playing against a computer means that you can take your time and enjoy a much more relaxed and slow-paced action.DELHI: Prithvi Shaw, Tim Seifert, Mandeep Singh, Rishabh Pant (c&wk), Rovman Powell, Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman.
They believed that the average was a force of nature which had to correct all deviations. In fact, the average is a statistical result, which must be calculated from a very large sample to be representative. Twenty-six spins is not a large sample at all.
They had mistaken the average for statistical probability. A probability of 50% doesn’t mean that in a sample of 100 spins you’ll get exactly 50 reds and 50 blacks. It simply means that for every next spin you have a 50/50 chance of red vs black.
They had overestimated sample size. How large is 26 compared to thousands of spins daily? Large deviations from the average are not that uncommon in small samples. Don’t expect them to be representative of the entire population.
They had underestimated the independence of future spins from past spins. Simply put, they forgot that the wheel has no memory.
This is a fascinating example because it illustrates how several people can make the same inadequate conclusion, from the same facts, at the same time, based on the same faulty logic. People are funny!The importance of this type of wagers should not be overstated because they play some, but not a very significant, role in the game as a whole. What’s more, they are a feature that often serves as an advertisement, which means they are likely to be more profitable for the casino rather than the players. Even if not the dream money-making feature we are all hoping for, side bets put an interesting spin to the game and could give you a brand-new appreciation for it. Remember to not stake your whole game plan on them, but to play small and simple bets, similar to the ones you would place at the best higher or lower card game sites in the UK and you should be fine..
The game involves patience and you need to have a balanced game planI’m going to fire the WSOP rather hard, at least at the beginningUnlike the former, bi-directional BTMs let you buy and sell cryptocurrency, as they are two-way machines. However, it's worth mentioning that only around 30% of all BTMs are bi-directional, while the rest typically only allow you to buy bitcoins.Even if it means to lose a game, they intently play to learn.They topped the group and remained unbeaten in their respective leagues.
This 5 reels and 10paylinesvideo slot powered byNetEntis filled with the history of the Islamic world. The slot is themed around the ninth to the thirteenth century. When playing Arabian Nights you’ll be transported to the Arabian Desert for a historic adventure unlike any other.The Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan are sitting at the top of the points table with 3 wins in 4 matches whereas Gujarat saw their three-match winning run from the start of the competition ending in the contest against Hyderabad joker123 fish shooting gambling, If O’Kearney enters the Irish Poker Masters Main Event, he’s going to be one to carefully watch.There will be a total of 100 winners, with 25 each in the following categories:1He also became the first player to cross the ten-wicket mark in the tournament.
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Planning for retirement doesn’t have to be difficult or confusing. Here’s a list of retirement terms that can help clarify questions you may have:
401(k): Retirement savings plan funded by employee contributions and, often, by partially matching contributions from the employer. Most 401(k) contributions are made on a tax-deferred basis. Interest, dividends, and capital gains generally accumulate tax-free until you withdraw them.
403(b): Retirement savings plan generally offered by public schools, colleges, and universities, as well as charitable organizations that are tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3). Contributions are tax-deductible, growth is tax-deferred, and you can contribute more per year than you can with an IRA.
Annuity: A contract between a consumer and an insurance company. The consumer invests money with the insurance company in return for a stream of retirement income.
Beneficiary: Someone who benefits by receiving money from an insurance policy, will, or trust fund.
Catch-up provisions: Allow people who are 50 years and older to save additional money in IRAs (individual retirement accounts) and 401(k)s.
Compound interest: Interest calculated not only on the original principal that was saved, but also on the interest earned and left in the account.
Individual retirement account (IRA): A personal savings account that offers the potential for tax-advantaged growth of retirement savings. There are two types: Traditional and Roth. These IRAs have important differences with respect to income limits and tax benefits.
Money market account: A type of savings account that pays a higher rate of return (dividends) than a regular savings account, in return for higher minimum balances and check-writing restrictions.
Pension: A government-approved employee retirement plan offered and funded by the employer.
Roth 401(k): An employer-sponsored investment savings account funded with after-tax money. The account grows tax-free, and the withdrawals of earnings taken in retirement aren’t subject to income tax if you’re at least 59½ years old and have held the account at least five years.
Roth IRA: Retirement savings plan where you make contributions on an after-tax basis, and earnings grow free of federal taxes. This means you don’t get a tax deduction now, but you won’t need to pay taxes on the earnings later.
Share certificate/certificate of deposit (CD): A credit union savings account that will earn dividends at a particular rate if held to maturity. If you withdraw any or all of the principal before maturity, you may have to pay a penalty of a percentage of the amount withdrawn.
Traditional IRA: Retirement savings plan where you may be able to deduct your contributions from your current taxes, and earnings grow tax-deferred until retirement.
To read more about these products and terms, check out the Retirement Plans webpage at irs.gov.
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Introduction to Google Workspace Administration is the first course in the Google Workspace Administration series of courses. This series will serve as the starting place for any new Google Workspace admin as they begin their journey of managing and establishing Google Workspace best practices for their organization. These courses together will leave you feeling confident to utilize the basic functions of the admin console to manage users, control access to services, configure security settings, and much more. Through a series of readings and step-by-step hands-on exercises, and knowledge checks, learners can expect to leave this training with all of the skills they need to get started as Google Workspace administrators. In this course you will sign up for a Google Workspace account and configure your DNS records for Google Workspace. You will learn how to provision and manage your users, and will create groups and calendar resources for your organization. You will be introduced to your Cloud Directory and will learn how to split your organization into organizational units to simplify user and service management. Finally you will learn how to delegate admin privileges to other users in your organization. IMPORTANT - To get the most out of this training course, learners should be prepared to: - Purchase a new domain through a registrar such as enom or GoDaddy. Note: If you already have a domain that you would like to use for the trial you can do this but this course does not provide detailed steps on how to associate an existing domain with a Google Workspace trial account. For detailed instructions on how to do that, please refer to this Help Center article: https://support.google.com/a/topic/9196 - Provide credit card details as part of the Google Workspace account setup. You will be using a 14 day trial Google Workspace account during this course. As part of the sign up flow you will be required to provide credit card details. No charges for Google Workspace are made to your credit card until the trial period has ended. You must ensure that you CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION before the trial period ends to avoid and charges. This is very IMPORTANT so don't forget! - Install and be ready to use the latest version of Chrome web browser available at https://www.google.com/chrome/...
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Aug 15, 2019
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I loved the parts on Organizational Units and Custom Directory. If Google Could build a course on the Google Cloud Directory Sync that would be more awesome. GSuite remains the best by far.
Oct 26, 2019
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I had already set up a couple of GSuite accounts for small businesses, but this course gave me a number of tips & tricks which helped me fine tune the accounts. Worth the time to complete.
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If you enjoy playing tabletop games you likely had thoughts about designing and making your own board game. For me it started with having an idea for a quick and easy card game. As I fleshed out the game mechanics and theme my mind started to think about getting it made and then published. That led me to think about starting my own indie tabletop game business.
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November 7, 2019 admin Leave a comment
Is it too early to think about goals for 2020? Too early to start thinking about a New Year’s Resolution? I don’t think so. Setting goals is an important aspect for anyone who is looking to accomplish something in their life.
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Keto Weight loss program? The poster isn’t weak and insecure — he was probably following the food pyramid that tells people to eat five (5!) meals a day, and to load each and everybody up with carbs. We have already got a way more complete article on all of the fundamentals of the ketogenic weight loss plan here So, should you’re new to the concept of ketosis and the keto weight-reduction plan, please learn that first.
There’s a saying within the keto group that fats is a lever, carbs are a limit and protein is a goal. More often than not once we hear the phrase weight-reduction plan we consider both weight reduction or fats loss. Purpose to get not less than 70% of your energy from wholesome fats, akin to nuts, nut butter, additional virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, avocados, meats, eggs, and fatty fish like salmon.
A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic food regimen versus a low-fat diet to deal with obesity and hyperlipidemia: a randomized, controlled trial. One research examine found that individuals on a ketogenic food regimen lost 2.2 instances extra weight than these on a calorie-restricted low-fats food plan. They are typically low in carbs, however high in fats, fiber, protein and numerous micronutrients.
The standard ketogenic weight-reduction plan and high-protein ketogenic food plan have been studied extensively, whereas the remainder are extra advanced strategies which are primarily utilized by bodybuilders or athletes. Keto diets embrace some carbs (normally between 20 and 30 grams) as a result of if your blood solely eats acids, it will get acidic and you could possibly enter a state of ketoacidosis.
Thus, once you limit carbs to twenty internet grams, it takes no longer than 24 hours to enter ketosis. The rationale why you expertise an increase in psychological performance is that ketones are an amazing gasoline supply in your brain. Protein is crucial to build muscle cells and burn calories Eat an excessive amount of or too little of it as a part of your keto weight-reduction plan food plan and you may end up sabotaging your objectives.
Many people incorporate MCT Oil into their diet (it will increase ketone production and fats loss) by ingesting ketoproof espresso within the morning. Drench your vegetables, salads, meats and eggs in loads of olive oil day by day to improve your coronary heart health, cut back your threat of certain cancers, and steadiness your ratio of dietary fats.
The website additionally sells weight reduction and therapeutic programs, books, and hyperlinks to keto supplements. It might additionally require calorie restriction together with carbohydrate restriction to get similar weight loss results. For example, this examine found that intermittent fasting was an effective technique for weight loss in overweight adults and concluded that topics rapidly adapt” to an intermittent fasting routine.
Whatever the weight reduction, the other health benefits related to a low carb eating regimen are purpose sufficient to stick with it long run and see results. We lighten up” on the carb intake in Stage 2 in order that your food choices become much less restrictive. Much like measuring blood glucose levels, this technique also makes use of a blood meter and a chemo-sensitive strip made particularly to measure ketones in the blood known as beta‑hydroxybutyrate (βHB).
This gasoline comes from three sources: fat, carbohydrates and protein, known as macronutrients. This food plan is good for leisure runners, fitness lovers, or individuals seeking to lose a whole lot of weight as quickly as potential. In Simply Keto, Ryan particulars her own journey with the food plan, explaining how she misplaced greater than 100 pounds and 40 p.c of her body weight by adopting a ketogenic life-style.
LAZY KETO IS JUST LIMITING THE NUMBER OF CARBOHYDRATES YOU EAT. They could give us a fast increase in energy, and stimulate the brain’s pleasure centers, however there is one major draw back to this, any carbs the body has not used to supply vitality will get stored, and you guessed it, it will get stored as fats. Consuming high-protein meals is a great way to stay full and energized while constructing muscle, but overdoing it on protein can lead to dehydration.
The character of the ketogenic eating regimen ensures that protein is consumed at most meals with few exceptions. The identical paper stories that a ketogenic might barely scale back blood pressure, however science is still very scant on this point. Backside Line: Ketogenic diets could enhance metabolic health by improving insulin perform, lowering irritation and selling fats loss, among others.
Ketogenic diets had been originally developed to assist enhance signs of epilepsy (particularly in kids who did not improve from other therapies), however as we speak very low-carb diets are used to help adults, too, together with these affected by many different continual health problems like obesity, cancer and diabetes. Being a low carb weight loss plan implies that your physique will use the saved fat and carbs and can burn the additional energy.
We have listed a few of our favorite keto dinner recipes under, as proof that you may take pleasure in delectable meals whereas following the keto weight-reduction plan. There are some meals objects that are beneficial for these on a Keto weight-reduction plan plan. Some individuals do exactly high-quality with more carbs from actual meals however love to go back into ketosis when they need a reset.
So far as what you possibly can eat: Eat dark inexperienced, leafy vegetables , fatty red meats, hen with the skin left on, fish, offal (organ meat), eggs , seeds & nuts, full-fat dairy, or the rest you’ll find wealthy in vitamin, fats, protein and fiber. Sausage – Sausage will not be the preferred way to get your meat on Paleo, due to its increased fats content, but may be loved sparsely.
Due to its neuroprotective effects, the ketogenic diet could help defend neurons, increase energy production and mitochondrial function, lower inflammation, and enhance motor function—all of which play a role in Parkinson’s disease. Urine checks only monitor leftover, unused ketones in your physique. Many dieters and well being professionals alike tend to confuse the fully natural state of ketosis with a life-threatening state of ketoacidosis.
Your mind can’t feed on fatty acids like the rest of your cells, so it likes to tell your physique it’s ravenous whenever you begin keto. Cheat days, even when they’re rare, and ingesting alcohol can take you out of ketosis, too. Higher health and longevity that comes from controlling your blood sugar levels naturally. With keto, you might be focusing extra on utilizing fat as your vitality supply.
I spend extra time muscle constructing and resistance training than anything so I require near 200g of carbs per day. This carb discount forces your physique to depend on fats for its fundamental energy source as an alternative of glucose — a process often called ketosis. But problems start to happen when glucose ranges in the bloodstream are consistently high. Even bold dieters and wholesome eaters have a tough time settling in to the ketogenic food plan, so don’t feel surprised for those who really feel tired, grumpy, or weak.
Nevertheless my husband should not be eating something but the low carb meals as a result of medical recommendation. If your body is burning fat then you are sure to shed extra pounds. The only method for the sugar to depart the bloodstream and be oxidized and be used for energy (which it MUST instantly) is by the pancreas creating insulin because insulin is the primary hormone that helps drive sugar into cells to be used for energy.
Be aware: We never recommend a weight loss plan for girls that has lower than 1,200 energy per day. When the body is in a state of ketosis, however, it’s fuelled by ketone our bodies and fat, which suggests much more of the power is derived from burning fat than from burning carbs. Compared to a diet centered on decreasing energy, it is not a low calorie diet as a result of many of the meals which are beneficial, meats for instance, are calorically dense.
In case you eat too many carbohydrates and too little fat, you possible will not be in ketosis and subsequently danger losing your time and effort. Steer clear of corn and soy; they are usually genetically modified organism (GMO) foods which might be problematic on a keto food plan. In case your purpose is to rid your self of body-fat and LDL ldl cholesterol, then it simply does not make a single bit of sense not to be on a ketogenic diet.
The gist is to eat quite a lot of vegetables and lean on wholesome fats instead of carbs for power. If your goal is to drop extra pounds with the keto diet, try and limit your alcohol consumption to at least one or two glasses per week. Understanding those amounts and seeing how they improve or decrease depending on what you are eating daily can typically be a motivating and useful indicator of the transition occurring in your physique.
She also recommends eating food rich in potassium, magnesium and sodium. I’ve not heard of the stomach fat eating regimen earlier than, but based on your description i’d say that it can be a ketogenic eating regimen relying on how far you minimize sugars and carbohydrates. See this keto diet evaluation , a earlier than and after trying keto for 30 days.
Be strict about your carb intake and cease worrying about the fat, holding the protein intake average. For folks with diabetes, quickly rising ketone levels can sign a well being disaster that requires rapid medical consideration. Just like ALL diets, it is best to keep away from trans-fats. When you’re not eating a wide range of food, your threat of harmful deficiencies skyrockets, and with those deficiencies, your risk of creating ailments turns into higher too.
A simple rule for learners is to eat foods with fewer than 5% carbs (numbers above 2 ). In as we speak’s submit, I’ll clarify what the ketogenic weight loss plan is, what to eat, what to keep away from, and the best way to get started. Put simply; the ketogenic weight-reduction plan is a weight-reduction plan that’s high in fat and very low in carbs which forces your physique to begin a process called dietary ketosis.
If you happen to’re new to keto, watch out for hidden carbs. When you ate a food regimen low in refined sugar and starches before going keto, you may probably expertise solely mild symptoms. By dishonest, the body can go off ketosis immediately and there will likely be no results. In essence, it is a food plan that causes the body to launch ketones into the bloodstream.
Though this article highlights forty of the most effective meals for burning fats, there are numerous other foods that, when paired with a proper train regimen, may also accelerate your fats loss. Consuming a monotonous food plan – A monotonous keto food plan can turn into harmful. Because the length of the fasting will increase, so does the manufacturing of ketones, and thus a deeper ketogenic state is obtained.
7 A lot of the uncomfortable side effects from the ketogenic weight loss program are related to vitality and nutrient deficiencies. MCT oil helps our body keep on keto and produce extra ketones. When the physique can’t get glucose from carbohydrates, it’s going to wish to use fat. The keto way of life, whether or not it is being tapped for weight loss or well being causes, is just not something that must be taken evenly.
Alcohol’s another gray area on the keto diet—many beers and sugary cocktails are banned on the keto eating regimen, in addition to some sweeter wines. I counsel going plant-based keto for not less than eight weeks to present your body time to shift from sugar-burning to fats-burning. To stay as healthy as possible, keto dieters should eat plenty of low-carb greens like purple bell pepper, kale and cauliflower.
A excessive-fats weight-reduction plan” in the research signifies a weight-reduction plan with each high-fat and high-carbs, which is related to elevated blood lipids, whereas a ketogenic weight loss plan will not be. Dieters can have the occasional treats and would not promote calorie counting for weight reduction. Abstract: Darkish chocolate incorporates 3-10 grams of net carbs per ounce, is excessive in antioxidants and should help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Low carb diets advocate eating to satisfaction and there is no must count calories. Aside from one affected person (15), all patients confirmed lowered blood glucose levels on the food plan. Common challenges encourage healthy consuming targets, resembling filling up with water, or ensuring you fill your plate with vegetables. We wish our users to remain focused on their food plan, on losing weight, on being healthy – utilizing the perfect science available, without distracting and continuously misleading ads or promoted tales, making an attempt to sell you something questionable.
If that is your first time ever on a ketogenic metabolism, or if you have not been under ketosis for a very long time, then you will expertise a period of induction in which your physique adjusts itself to a ketogenic metabolism. It entails drastically decreasing carbohydrate consumption and replacing it with fat. Because of the ketogenic eating regimen, I used to be able slim4vit uomo to reverse my sort 2 diabetes and completely reverse my PCOS.
The Standard American Food regimen is high in carbs & fat. Sugar: meals like honey and maple syrup and so on. That is also why people with diabetes typically discover the keto diet works properly, as they already have low insulin levels. Reheat these meals till sizzling and luxuriate in; use your finest judgement in terms of reheating your meals, as occasions could differ from meal to meal.
So here’s the bad information: While ketosis is a great state on your physique eventually, it may really feel crappy at first. At first, it’s possible you’ll expertise intense hunger; nevertheless, if your eating regimen is effectively formulated, starvation tends to subside as soon as your ketones turn into elevated and your blood glucose stabilizes. It’s my understanding that keto is up to 50 grams of internet carbs, not solely 20 or 30. That typically it’s advisable to eat 25 or less, however that some individuals can go greater and nonetheless be on keto” so long as they stay under 50.
But it is onerous to follow and it may be heavy on purple meat and different fatty, processed, and salty meals which are notoriously unhealthy. Your body also has an virtually endless supply of fats to burn as physique fuel however solely a restricted provide of carb produced glycogen. The ketogenic weight-reduction plan puts you into a state of ketosis , which implies your body makes ketones for energy.
Therefore, you could must further reduce your carb consumption in case you’re struggling to enter ketosis. Exogenous ketones: This complement could help raise the body’s ketone levels. Keto adaptation happens when the body shifts away from glucose and towards fats metabolism. Which means a large number of folks will try it for a short while, and eventual need to stop as a result of it is a weight loss program” and so they’ll feel like they are being restricted from eating the meals they want.
In 2014, Wali was moonlighting at a weight-loss clinic in San Francisco, where she saw her sufferers battle to stick to their strict food regimen applications and maintain their weight reduction. The metabolic advantages of keto may extend to athletes as nicely, since ketosis is characterized by an elevated capability to burn fat. Imagine a world of heavy cream, bacon, fried eggs, butter, and meat and you’ve got your self among the keto diet staples.
Bone broth is carnivore-accredited and it’s an incredible protein supply that additionally helps with intestine, skin, and joint health. Keto eating regimen is effective in weight reduction, reducing inflammation, and improved mind efficiency. Net carbs in meals are calculated like so: total carbs minus fiber = net carbs. High-protein ketogenic weight loss program – The whole lot is identical as standard keto however with more protein, usually making up 35% of every day calories.
A number of mothers have had nice success occurring the keto food plan to shed extra pounds after giving birth. On keto, you may eat plenty of fat and protein and virtually no carbs. Carbs tend to offer essentially the most food energy for most people. It’s referred to as a ketone physique as a result of it’s produced during ketosis. Those with good insulin sensitivity have no problems maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.
Properly-formulated ketogenic diets counteract insulin resistance. Diminished cravings: Because you eat plenty of wholesome fats on keto, you feel satiated for much longer. When starting the keto weight loss program, you need to begin step by step, strictly limiting your carbohydrate consumption. I’m pondering i might just try to scale back the quantity of carbs I eat. In ketosis, your physique converts fat to fuel to burn for energy like Tony Stark burns Captain America for being uptight.
Both manner, we have supplied a sample daily and weekly structure of what a plan would possibly seem like for someone on a keto weight loss program who is also integrating some alternate-day fasting and sixteen:8 time-restricted feeding into their routine. In case you do not eat, your body cannot burn the fat that you just eat, so it would start burning your body fat.
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Do you keep seeing 1026 and wonder why this is so or what it might mean? Number 1026 is an angel number – a sign from your guardian angels who constantly surround you, watch over you, and communicate with you through signs, one of which is numbers.
The number 1026 is quite unusual, but that does not change its importance and significance. Angel number 1026 is made up of four different numbers, meaning that its message carries several important pieces of information you should know.
So, what does the 1026 angel number mean? Read on to find out.
Angel number 1026 consists of four numbers, each of which has a specific meaning. So, to understand the 1026 angel number and its vibrations, you must know the importance of each number.
In angelic numerology, the number 1 symbolizes the beginning of something new, manifestation, “planting the seed,” and intuition.
The number 0 means a whole new beginning (from scratch), a strong connection to your angels or the Holy Spirit, and the ability to do things differently, better, or more creatively.
The number 2 carries the spiritual energy of harmony, the strength to have hope and faith in difficult situations, peace, and “the harvest of what you have planted,” so to speak.
Finally, the number 6 represents health (mental and physical), balance and harmony, and problem-solving. It is also a reminder that it is important to spread love and peace, no matter how difficult or unpleasant the time we are going through.
Angel number 1026 is a very encouraging sign. It commonly appears in the lives of people who are in doubt about something or themselves; or who feel as if they are losing hope or inspiration because they think their efforts are going in vain or unnoticed.
Your guardian angels and the divine energy are letting you know with this sign that you are doing well, and just because you don’t see any results or signs of progress yet doesn’t mean you aren’t on the right track. What if your eyes are not open enough? What if it’s just your thoughts or the people around you trying to demotivate you? What if it’s negative news from the media or the internet that lowers your vibration or drains your energy?
What is happening around you is not you. What other people say around you is not you. You are who you choose to be. You are you. Stop taking things so personally, and don’t be like a sponge that soaks up all the negativity around you.
You are on the right track. Be patient, be yourself and follow your heart and your deepest desires. Do things that give you a sense of peace and freedom and that give you fresh energy.
If you have a big dream you’ve decided to pursue (number 1), know that you are surrounded by divine love and support (number 0.) Your task is to believe unwaveringly, even in difficult times or situations (number 2), and keep your mental and physical health in harmony (number 6.)
It is no accident that you see angel number 1026 in any shape or form. It could be the time on the clock, 10:26, or the number 1026 that you see every day on a car’s license plate. Angels can move through space-time and will do everything in their power to make you notice the number 1026 and realize that it is not just a random combination of numbers but a deep sign.
Remember, it’s important not to neglect your health to give your goals the best possible chance of success. While dreams may be something that ‘propels’ you to forward or work hard on yourself, it is physical health that you need to move forward and enjoy all the fruits that your future holds.
If you stay focused on your goals and dreams, as well as your physical health, sooner or later, the number 1026 will disappear from your daily life, or you will begin to see other indicators on your journey, such as angel number 1111, indicating that your dreams are starting to come true, or angel number 1717, which means that some happy or surprising moment is around the corner.
As for romantic relationships, 1026 could indicate some kind of realization in your relationship. You may have discovered that the connection with your partner is more profound and spiritual or that they mean a lot to you. Maybe you’ve had a spiritual experience or been apart for a while and realized that they are the ones you need in your life.
In this case, 1026 is just a simple message from the divine realm or confirmation that what you think about your relationship or partner is correct and that they really are the partner that was meant to appear in your life.
Angel number 1026 is all about your well-being, career, and your soul mission. Your angels want you to focus on your divine life purpose and do what you feel is right, not what others think or say you should do. Have faith in yourself and in your goals no matter what.
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Clay Smith is the founder of Akita--a Customer Success Management platform for SaaS businesses. Prior to founding Akita, Clay was Head of Technology at Dublin-based Franchise Direct. Clay has a keen interest in helping companies harness data to make their customers more successful.
David Clay Smith realised in his last SaaStock that there were other people just like him struggling to turn their idea into a product and into a business. Akita's original idea was to be a CRM type product for managing your existing customers. His session was going to be on all the issues they faced and how they stayed alive long enough to get traction.
David recommended if you were just getting started, take advantage of any start-up opportunities meant to help you succeed. Look for workshops and webinars. Just the process of filling out an application to Start-up Accelerators is going to help you out and if you do get selected, you get a bit of start-up capital. Look for some free hosting (Amazon & Google) and that will cover your first year or so.
Get a Co-founder
Start-ups can be really hard. Co-founders help you speed up your progress, they help you move faster, provide emotional support and provide some form of validation.
David and team now decided to package Akita as a Chrome Extension. So, if Account managers were on CRM, Akita would pop up with an entire history of your company with that company.
But the response was muted. But a few of the customers did come back saying that their customer success team would like it. So, they became aware of who their customer was and what direction Akita should go in.
But the KEY point is to - Talk to Customers
David recommends this book
Running out of money.
A lot of start-ups fail at this stage. Bank Accounts are now 0. They didn't speak to customers soon enough, didn't do enough research, didn't get enough feedback and then repeat that process again and eventually they ran out of money before they found traction.
Try to do consulting and use whatever skills you have to get some capital. Use government funding (aid -programs) to try and get some cash. Depending on the progress you made you can try Angels and VC's.
If you are running low on cash, you have to CUT YOUR COSTS
Getting that 1st customer
Although Akita was looking a lot better, the product was expensive, the sales cycle was taking too long and no paying customers.
Some mistakes they made were
Building features for a potential customer and losing track of own goals.
Product was very flexible, so it took long to configure it for each customer. So, they didn't have enough trial customers and they weren't learning enough and moving fast enough.
David felt it was time to start from scratch again. They felt they had learnt a lot from the last 42 months
They talked to a ton of different customers.
This time they knew what to build and what not to build.
They did HTML mock-ups and demos and the feedback was immediately positive.
Soon after the launch, Customers started signing up and very soon they had many customers and things went rolling from there. They started gaining traction. The sales cycle got shorter. They got referral customers. Existing customers bought more licences.
Akita is now a real business growing 10-15% every month. They have good customers due to whom Akita has a great product Roadmap.
Akita is a full-featured Customer Success Management platform. Akita helps you reduce churn, identify up‑sell or cross‑sell opportunities and nurture long‑lasting relationships with your customers.
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While he’s been in the headlines for a number of PGA TOUR events, the 29-year-old is credited for leading Team USA in singles with a 1-up win over Rory McIlroy during the 2016 Ryder Cup. Patrick played a pivotal role in helping the United States secure a victory over Europe at the 41st Ryder Cup held at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota.
Nobody has played to the crowd more than Reed. His pairing with Jordan Speith led to a win that tied the American record of 5 points set by Gardner Dickinson and Arnold Palmer in 1967’s Ryder Cup. His memorable match-up against Rory McIlroy will forever go down in the books as one of the most exciting matches to be played in this format.
A truly grueling day of trading birdies and sinking putts, the match came down to the 18th hole where Reed sealed the deal. That day, Reed played to a record gallery of 55,000 in a stellar display of energy and sportsmanship. Reed exchanged fist bumps, finger-wags, and bowing with McIlroy, who had never lost a match in Ryder Cup singles play. The Hazeltine fans cheered and chanted his name, and this warrior marched with immense pride in representing the country he loves.
The 2015-2016 season was yet another superlative year for Patrick Reed, highlighted by a tied finish for 11th at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He also marked the season by winning The Barclays at Bethpage Black by one stroke for his first career FedEx Cup Playoffs win. The victory was Reed’s 11th top-10 finish in 27 starts this past season, second only to Dustin Johnson. It also marked his fifth TOUR title at age 26, joining McIlroy (23) and Spieth (21) as the youngest winners with five TOUR titles in the last 10 years.
Justine Reed- Justine and Patrick Reed were married on December 21st, only two weeks after Patrick earned his PGA TOUR Card through Q-School. Justine caddied for her husband for two years and was there to see him earn his PGA TOUR Status and his first season win at the Wyndham Championship.
Shortly after Patrick Reed’s first win at the Wyndham Championship, they found out they were expecting their first child. Patrick added two more PGA TOUR victories and two records, including becoming the youngest WGC winner ever at the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship. He also shot 63,63,63 at the Humana Challenge and went on to win the tournament while also claiming a PGA TOUR scoring record. Their daughter, Windsor-Wells Reed, was born two months later in May of 2014 and three and a half years and two more victories later, the couple welcomed their son Barrett Benjamin Reed in December of 2017. Both Patrick and Justine have said their children are the light of their lives.
In 2018, Patrick won his first Major Championship at The Masters in Augusta, Georgia. “To win my first Major Championship at Augusta National, is a dream come true for me. This has obviously been a goal of mine, to win a major, to win tournaments and achieve this level of success and it took a lot of commitment and hard work to achieve this. I just want to thank everyone who helped me along the way because this is so special to me and always will be. I hope to use it as a building block for future Major success and hopefully this is just the start,” said Reed.
Patrick Reed would expand his PGA tour success in August, 2019 when he won the Northern Trust at Liberty National Golf Club in New York, marking his 7th tour win. His elevated level of play helped Reed land a spot on the American team at the 2019 Presidents Cup, which took place in Melbourne, Australia in December, 2019.
Reed entered 2020 on a strong note during the World Golf Championships- Mexico Championship, which took place in Mexico City. He shot an impressive 69, 63, 67, 67 to win the championship, making it his 8th PGA Tour title.
Justine received her education at Louisiana State University and Our Lady of the Lake College. Justine has a dual bachelor’s degree in Nursing and Health Service Administration. She is a licensed RN, and maintains her license to date. She also started The Team Reed Foundation in 2016 with her husband and is very involved, additionally running Team Reed Enterprises, Inc. (TRE). Justine still hopes to caddy in at least one of each of the four majors one day.
Kessler joined Team Reed in December 2013 when Justine could no longer caddy due to her pregnancy. Kessler was also a multi-sport athlete and graduated from the School of Business Administration from University of Texas-San Antonio. He was working for Medtronic in medical sales when he was asked to caddy for Patrick. Since Kessler joined the team, he has had four wins, five runner-ups, and 17 top ten’s with Patrick Reed. He has caddied in two Ryder Cups, one President’s cup, and the Olympics.
© 2022 Patrick Reed. All rights reserved.
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Interested in public service, cannabis policy, and continuing to build a more inclusive industry in Massachusetts? There are multiple opportunities available now to work with the Cannabis Control Commission (Commission). Please share this information with your networks. We look forward to hearing from you!
Career Opportunities
Application deadline: Friday, May 28, 2021 by 5 p.m.
The Project Coordinator, under the direction of the Director of Equity Programming and Community Outreach, will support outreach initiatives across the Commission. In addition, this role provides high-level support on a wide variety of projects and tasks including managing and preparing for large-scale meetings, assisting with presentation development, analysis of data, and report preparation for the Commission. The ideal candidate is highly self-motivated, detail-oriented, and exercises good judgment in a variety of situations with the ability to handle a range of tasks under pressure in a dynamic environment.
For details and to learn how to apply, please see the full job description on MassCareers.
Executive Assistant
Application deadline: Monday, May 17, 2021 by 5 p.m.
The Executive Assistant, under the direction of the Chief Operating Officer, provides administrative support to the Commissioners and Executive Director in a setting that requires the ability to handle a range of tasks in a fast-paced dynamic environment. The ideal candidate is highly self-motivated, detail-oriented and exercises good judgment in a variety of situations.
For details and to learn how to apply, please see the full job description on MassCareers.
Application deadline: Friday, May 14, 2021 by 5 p.m.
The Receptionist/Office Manager, under the direction of the Chief Operating Officer, performs administrative functions, including receiving visitors and answering phone calls, and ensures the smooth operation of the Commission’s offices. The ideal candidate will have strong attention to detail and problem-solving skills.
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Some quotes from the Stoics about not wasting time on frivolous discussions or abstract philosophical debates.
Post author By donald
Post date August 10, 2017
One of the recurring themes in the Stoic literature is the notion that doing philosophy exposes us to the risk of becoming preoccupied with trivial digressions and being distracted from the true goal of life.
For example, one of the most frequently quoted passages in The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius says:
Elsewhere he even says:
Away with your books! Be no longer drawn aside by them: it is not allowed. (2.2)
And again, “But away with your thirst for books, that you may die not murmuring but with good grace” (2.3).
Do the external things which befall you distract you? Give yourself leisure to learn something new and good, and cease to be whirled around. But then you must also avoid being carried about the other way. For those too are triflers who have wearied themselves in life by their activity, and yet have no object to which to direct every movement, and, in a word, all their thoughts. (2.7)
The Stoics believed that philosophy should aspire to be clear and simple, where possible, and focused on the most important practical questions in relation to ethics.
In the ancient world a sharp contrast was often made between Diogenes the Cynic and Plato, to illustrate two very different attitudes toward philosophy after the death of Socrates. Diogenes sneered at Plato for being too “Academic”, in the modern sense – too concerned with abstract or long-winded arguments and not enough with practical training in virtue. In return, Plato called Diogenes “Socrates gone mad”. Cynics apparently rejected the study of Physics and Logic, and bookishness in general, as intellectual vanity, not unlike Sophistry, and as diversions from practical philosophy.
Zeno of Citium, who was originally a Cynic and later studied in the Platonic Academy, appears to have adopted a middle ground. He did encourage his Stoic followers to study Physics and Logic but the Stoics also appear to warn us that we should not become lost in these subjects but should be careful to keep the goal of virtue in mind. Philosophical debate of the kind practised at Plato’s Academy, in other words, is good if it actually enhances our practical wisdom and virtue but can also be bad, a vice, if it doesn’t, and just indulges our vanity or wastes our time with trivialities. We shouldn’t indulge in arguments like the proverbial “how many angels can dance on the head of a pin” or become so engrossed in philosophical wordplay that we “disappear up our own backsides”, as it’s crudely put today.
Marcus Aurelius was apparently introduced to philosophy by his painting master, Diognetus, aged around twelve, who seems to have been influenced by Cynicism. He says that one of the first things he learned was “not to busy myself about trifling things”. He repeatedly counts his blessings that he’s been lucky in his education to avoid getting sidetracked by scholastic trivialities.
[I’m grateful to the gods…] that when I had my heart set on philosophy, I did not fall into the hands of a sophist nor sat alone writing, nor untangled syllogisms nor preoccupied myself with celestial phenomena. (Meditations, 1.17)
Epictetus taught that we should constantly remind ourselves that reading books is a means to an end, for attaining eudaimonia, and avoid getting sidetracked by frivolous subjects.
For what purpose do you choose to read? Tell me. For if you only direct your purpose to being amused or learning something, you are a silly fellow and incapable of enduring labour. But if you refer reading to the proper end, what else is this than a tranquil and happy life? But if reading does not secure for you a happy and tranquil life, what is the use of it? (Discourses, 4.4)
Although the Stoic curriculum covered Logic and Physics, the Stoics consistently attach the caveat that these subjects should be approached with caution by students. They should serve Stoic Ethics, and not become a diversion from it. We shouldn’t get caught in hairsplitting arguments about logic or become absorbed in idle speculation about metaphysics or theology. To do so would be the opposite of Stoicism.
What does it matter to me, says Epictetus, whether the universe is composed of atoms or uncompounded substances, or of fire and earth? Is it not sufficient to know the true nature of good and evil, and the proper bounds of our desires and aversions, and also of our impulses to act and not to act; and by making use of these as rules to order the affairs of our life, to bid those things that are beyond us farewell? It may very well be that these latter things are not to be comprehended by the human mind, and even if one assumes that they are perfectly comprehensible, well what profit comes from comprehending them? And ought we not to say that those men trouble in vain who assign all this as necessary to the philosopher’s system of thought? […] What Nature is, and how she administers the universe, and whether she really exists or not, these are questions about which there is no need to go on to bother ourselves. (Epictetus, Fragment)
Marcus Aurelius likewise warns himself to remember, with humility, that many philosophical subjects remained obscure even to the greatest Stoic thinkers.
Things are in a sense so wrapped up in mystery that quite a few philosophers, even the exceptional ones, have concluded that they are wholly beyond our comprehension. Even to the Stoics themselves they seem difficult to understand. Indeed, every assent we give to the impressions of our senses is liable to error, for where is the man who never errs? (5.10)
Marcus even describes those as “wretched” or “struggling” in life, who preoccupy themselves with things that cannot be known with any certainty.
Nothing is more wretched than a man who goes all around and “pries into the things beneath the earth”, as the poet [Pindar] says, and speculates about what is in the minds of his neighbours… (2.13)
Elsewhere Marcus says that not only Stoicism and Epicureanism, but indeed all other schools of philosophy, were in agreement that nothing should divert us from the pursuit of wisdom, especially “not chatter with the ignorant and those who have no understanding of nature” (9.41). We should not cast our pearls before swine, if you like.
Moreover, in addition to avoiding pointless hairsplitting debates and idle chit-chat, Epictetus advised his students to speak less in general:
Be mostly silent; or speak merely what is needful, and in few words. (Enchiridion, 33)
Today, Epictetus’ warnings about associating with uneducated people in a way that leads us to become swept along with their habits and conversation could be applied to social media networks such as Facebook.
If a man frequently interacts with others for talk, or drinking together, or generally for social purposes, he must either become like them, or change them to his own fashion. For if a man places a piece of quenched charcoal close to a piece that is burning, either the quenched charcoal will put out the other, or the burning charcoal will light that which is quenched. Since the danger is therefore so great, we must cautiously enter into such intimacies with people of the common sort, and remember that it is impossible that a man can keep company with one who is covered with soot without getting soot upon himself. For what will you do if a man speaks about gladiators, about horses, about athletes, or what is worse about men? “This person is bad, this person is good; this was done well, this was done badly.” Further, what if he scoff, or ridicule, or show an ill-natured disposition? (Discourses, 3.16)
This is reminiscent of the old saying: “If you lay down with dogs you get up with fleas.” I don’t think Epictetus means to be dismissive of all common people. He also thinks Stoics should debate in public, and should marry, have children, and engage with public life, if nothing prevents them. However, he’s warning his students to avoid bad company, and being drawn into time-wasting activities, particularly joining in with badmouthing other people, etc.
The Stoics in general were wary of gambling and spectator sports, which became an obsession for many in the ancient world. For example, Lucius Verus, the co-emperor and adoptive brother of Marcus Aurelius, was obsessed with supporting his favourite chariot racing team and criticized for neglecting his duties as emperor. Marcus says he’s thankful he was taught early in life not to get too into supporting one team or another, or to waste his time in pursuits like gambling. He also repeatedly warns himself not to be overly concerned with what other people say or think unless it actually contributes to the common good.
Fritter not away what is left of your life in thoughts about others, unless you can bring these thoughts into relation with some common good. (3.4)
Many of these aspects of Stoicism seem to be ignored by modern readers. Inevitably, we make excuses for our vices. For instance, if someone posts an article about Stoicism on Facebook, they’ll probably get a mixture of helpful comments and unhelpful ones, such as lame jokes, or pedantic arguments, etc. We all know these things can waste our time. They also tend, in many cases, to derail conversations and actually inhibit or sidetrack more constructive debates. It would be like the difference between having a serious debate about Stoicism in a philosophy seminar versus trying to talk to a room full of drunk people about it. It might be good to speak to a wider audience but not if the conversation is effectively spoiled by too many interruptions and digressions from people who don’t understand or don’t really care about the philosophy. We can reach a far wider audience using social media but it’s somewhere in-between in terms of the type of responses we get to articles on Stoicism. Sometimes we have to be careful to prevent the background noise from drowning out the philosophy. I think one way of doing that is by gently reminding people who are just becoming acquainted with Stoicism why teachers like Epictetus warned their students to be wary of wasting their own and other people’s time with trivial, unproductive, conversations. It’s not the Stoic way to derail a philosophical debate by making lame jokes, for instance, although even the Stoics could enjoy humour when used appropriately.
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3 replies on “Stoics Should Avoid Trivial Debates”
Working With Adversity – the practice of freedomsays:
September 22, 2017 at 8:09 am
[…] virtues, and ethics (I’ve been studying stoic philosophy). For the stoics, virtue was not about abstract concepts of right and wrong but the embodied capacity to act skillfully and with integrity, even in […]
April 18, 2018 at 7:02 pm
[…] Various bits above are from Donald Robertson. […]
John doesays:
October 2, 2019 at 8:42 pm
what’s your take about if person A argues her understanding of idea X with person B (sometimes person A’s understanding could be flawed even if it’s based on logic and objective reasoning or the effort of it, wouldn’t the discussion of understanding of ideas with person B bring a better view of the idea or do a man always trusts his own logical analyse knowing that there is hidden inside an emotional brain that could flaw your understanding for affinity reasons, just as an exemple to better visualise my question: lots of Marcus Aurelius ideas call to the man’s logical understanding and his quest for truth so a person consider them truthful and a way to be, but what if some other ideas of his are flawed and shouldn’t be considered truths yet you do consider them truths because you already read his books and you have admiration for his person and may be you are tricking yourself into believing they are truthful and that you logically and objectively reached that conclusion)
Hope you understand my question and i hope you could give an answer on this subject
Thank you for your time
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The Internet Archives has been providing digital copies of books to people around the world since 2005. The stated goal was to “provide universal access” to digital copies for those who have no access to public or academic libraries. While the intention of the organization sounds very noble, a group of authors seems to disagree. So last January, the Society of Authors, the union trade group for authors in the United Kingdom, called for the halt of Internet Archive’s Open Library division because, they claim, that the Internet Archives is violating the copyright law.
The Society of Authors (SoA) stated that the Internet Archives should have asked for the authors’ permissions first before they uploaded the digital copies of the books to their Open Library. They also claimed that the authors should be receiving royalties if their books are being lent. The SoA has been aware of Internet Archive’s operation since 2017 and they have a page in their website dedicated to warning their member authors about the site. In the page, they do recognize that the Internet Archive is a non-profit organization and that all the books they have uploaded are donated to them by other individuals. However, like their recent statement, they tell authors that the organization also doesn’t pay any of the authors of the uploaded works any royalties.
One of the authors who signed the warning against Internet Archives, Costa children’s book award winner Hilary McKay, complained how life is hard as a children’s book author without “continual theft” of their works. She complained how difficult it is to take down websites that continuously upload their works. “As fast as a publisher issues one take-down request another site comes up,” she said.
American-British writer, Tracy Chevalier, said that she signed the signatory because Internet Archive’s operation is nothing short of piracy. “Real libraries pay the publisher and author for the right to lend ebooks,” she complained, noting that the Internet Archive doesn’t do any of that. The SoA echoed these sentiments and stated that the earnings of authors in the UK are “in decline.” They also complained that the actions of Internet Archive may harm the emerging ebook market.
A spokesperson of the Internet Archive stated that their practices have been misunderstood by the organization and claimed that they do work with authors and publishers. They also cited that they’re a signatory of the Position Statement on Controlled Digital Lending, which is signed by several US-based academic libraries like the UC Berkeley Library. The statement recognizes the doctrine of fair-use.
Unfortunately SoA operates in UK, where fair-use laws only exempt works from copyright if the offender is using it in an overview, like a short summary of a story’s plot. They’re also exempted if it was used for research, mentioned in a parody or is being parodied, or is being reviewed or criticized.
Despite the fact that piracy has already been proven to not actually affect sales of the medium they are in (and actually may help sales), both the Authors Guild and the Society of Authors seem to have the impression that the contrary is true. Even an EU study from 2017 states that piracy does not negatively affect sales, and even stated that “illegal consumption leads to even more legal consumption.”
If the Guild and SoA are truly concerned about the dwindling profit of their authors, maybe they should fund a study on why this is happening. Alternative causes can include that the author’s works are too niche or uninteresting to the public, and not because they are being pirated by people who have no means to pay for their books.
If, however, both the Guild and SoA are going to stand their ground on the matter, the Internet Archive may have to give way for them. It might even be wise to outright ban from the archive any work of the authors in the Guild or SoA to prevent future cases.
1st Image: Via Pixabay.
2nd Image: Via Pixabay.
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1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
1990s, After-hours, Alternative, Drum 'n' Bass, Electronic, House, Industrial, New Wave, Punk, Rave, Rock, Ska, Techno
September 25, 2014
Marilyn Manson outside of Catch 22, circa mid-1990s. Photo courtesy of Andy Gfy.
Article originally published by The Grid online (The GridTO.com) on May 24, 2012.
In the early ‘90s, alternative rock was exploding overground, with the rave scene coming up right behind it. This beloved Adelaide Street club bridged these two movements together in a legitimate, licensed space.
Years in operation: 1989-1997
History: While a five-year-lifespan tends to be a decent run for nightclubs in this city, some strike a nerve and manage to go it longer, thanks to an ever-evolving community of supporters. Catch 22 was such a venue.
Located on Adelaide near the corner of Spadina, Catch was slightly off the beaten path as it lay on the edges of the then-developing club district and was a few minutes’ walk south from Queen West. It was opened in November of 1989 by a group of friends—with Pat Violo, Lex van Erem, and Gio Cristiano at the core—in a former storage space on the building’s lowest level.
“Lex van Erem had the space and wanted to build a restaurant, but I convinced him it wasn’t a good idea because of its location,” recalls Violo, who had been a manager at RPM nightclub. “I told him it best suited a nightclub. He liked the idea and asked me to be his partner.
“The original idea was to open a club that played only alternative music, and looked very underground. We wanted the music to be the focal point, and it was inspired by CFNY’s format.”
“We wanted to do something that Toronto was missing at that time,” adds Cristiano, a.k.a. DJ Gio. “Klub Domino was gone, Nuts & Bolts was gone, The Silver Crown was gone, so there wasn’t any more really cool alternative places. Thus, Catch 22 was born. We had our own style, and went from punk to techno, from rock to ska.”
Inspired by the open approach of revered alt club Nuts & Bolts, which had closed just the year before, Catch 22 had a similarly industrial feel. Customers entered through a steel door—having first passed by a painted mural of the Silver Surfer and a street-level caged window sometimes occupied by go-go dancers—and walked down into a mid-sized, L-shaped room. The long, concrete bar boasted a mosaic glass counter created by artist and star Catch bartender Suzette Cooper while the club itself was adorned in sheet-metal designs. This was the epitome of 1990s alternative chic, made more comfortable by seating areas, a pool table, and Catch 22’s notoriously friendly staff.
The club’s raised DJ booth and shiny, slippery stainless steel dancefloor—which, contrary to rumour, did not come from Nuts & Bolts—were focal points and its sound was crisp.
“The sound kicked ass and was specially designed for the place,” emphasizes Cristiano. “The lighting was crazy as well. I remember we had this robotic piece right in the middle of the dancefloor that would go up and down, and move side to side. It looked like the planet Saturn.”
Why it was important: A decidedly underground dance club, Catch 22 was both influential and welcoming. A progressive approach to music programming lay at its core and, as a result, the crowds who came out were open-minded.
“Catch was full of people who were into alternative music—not goths, not rockers, but people who lay somewhere in the middle,” says Andy Gfy, an early Catch 22 customer who became one of its key staff, serving as doorman, bartender or Mr. Fixit as required. “The people who came to Catch came to dance. The crowd was no attitude; I never heard anyone making fun or teasing. Catch 22, to me, was a bunch of black sheep herded together.”
Andy Gfy (left) with Rob the lighting guy. Photo courtesy of Gfy.
Early on, the club’s programming included a punk Wednesday hosted and DJed by CIUT’s Mopa Dean, also the lead singer of the band Armed and Hammered, who frequently performed. The night later gave way to a long-running alt and industrial night DJed by Rono Box and hosted by Andy Gfy.
DJ Gio held down Fridays and Saturdays for some time. A popular and diverse DJ who also came to be known for his nights at The Phoenix and Klub Max, Cristiano had his ear to the ground. He and DJ Hanna epitomized the Catch approach with their Hell’s Kitchen Fridays.
“Musically, we covered a lot of ground, from psychedelic stuff to big beat, techno, jungle, grunge, alternative—anything and everything that was not getting played on the radio except for some stuff being played on 102.1 [a.k.a. CFNY],” says Cristiano.
Full disclosure: I took over Fridays from Cristiano and crew in October of 1993, when I launched and DJed the mixed queer alt night BENT, which ran for almost two years. I appreciate the men of Catch 22 to this day for their support of my programming ideas, which ranged from live bands to cabarets, leather parties to film-fest gatherings, queer community fundraisers and loads more.
The fashions at Catch 22 were varied. Photo courtesy of Andy Gfy.
But the DJ who is most strongly associated with Catch 22’s early years and success is one Craig Beesack, a gifted club jock who would also become a beloved CFNY host. Beesack started off as the Thursday-night resident, working with infamous promoter Billy X, and was moved to Saturday nights in 1990. Cristiano had caught word that Beesack would soon host the program Warming Up the House on CFNY early Saturday eves—directly before Chris Sheppard’s infamous Club 102 live-to-air—and so the DJ would run from radio station to nightclub. He brought a sizable audience with him.
“That’s when the magic really started,” says Cristiano. “We got so slammed on Saturday nights. Mr. Beesack and his crew really made that place the best alternative the city had seen in a long time. I have so much respect for the guy. Craig played stuff from 1000 Homo DJs to Metallica, Testone to Bodycount, Stereo MCs and Nine Inch Nails. Everything was perfectly formatted and beat-mixed, if you can believe that.”
“Beesack was the man!” agrees Don Berns, who was then CFNY’s Program Director. “Craig was a totally unique DJ who combined industrial and heavier four-on-the-floor techno into a seamless mix that gave his night at Catch a unique flavor, and also made it very different from his weekly alt-rock night at The Cotton Club in Markham. His knowledge of the music, selection, and skills in playing it were the reasons I hired him to create Warming Up The House.
“I’m not a club person and have never enjoyed hanging out—except at Catch,” adds Berns, now an actor who also spins occasionally under his rave name of Dr. Trance. “Something about the underground vibe and the people there resonated with me. Catch 22 was the only club that had the vibe of a couple of underground NYC clubs I’d been to in the ’70s: dark, loud, cool people, cooler music.
“My friend Martin and I got into a pretty regular routine in 1990-91: spend Saturday night at Catch and then go to 23 Hop to continue the party with the Exodus boys. Once the raves got into high gear and we both joined the Nitrous crew, we eventually drifted away from that routine. But for nine months or so, Catch was an integral part of my social life. I would always discover interesting new music when Beesack was on the decks.” (Unfortunately, no one I interviewed for this story had a current contact for Craig Beesack and, as such, he could not be reached for comment.)
There was, in fact, a very pronounced overlap between some early 1990s alternative clubs in Toronto and the roots of what would become our massive rave scene. Catch 22 played an integral role, not only with the music its DJs played, but also by hosting electronic-music events that ran Saturday afterhours through to Sunday night.
Iain McPherson a.k.a. the pioneering DJ Iain who held residencies at clubs like Nuts & Bolts, OZ, and Limelight, and was a founder of the original Nitrous rave crew—initially came to Catch as a Saturday late-night rave DJ. He became the main Saturday club resident for most of 1993, playing a mix of alt, industrial, and new electronic dance music alongside friend and innovative DJ James Kekanovich.
“I think it was only natural that the early edgy production styles of rave music would find a sympathetic ear in the more open-minded audiences of alternative music,” says McPherson. “Despite its up-tempo disco underpinnings, the soundscapes of early rave screamed ‘Pay attention to me! I’m new, adventurous and often aggressive!’ How perfect for alternative crowds.”
Chris Twomey (left) with UK junglists DJ Kenny Ken and MC Fearless. Photo courtesy of Mary Ireton and Joan Tulloch.
Not only did Catch 22 help introduce club-goers to new forms of electronic dance music—especially breaks, drum ‘n’ bass and techno—it also provided a licensed, stable space for raves when the scene was in its infancy.
Mary Ireton and Joan Tulloch were both familiar faces at Catch. Ireton had worked at Cotton Club with Craig Beesack and followed him downtown to work as a Catch 22 bartender. Tulloch, a fan of industrial music, was a Catch customer from its first week.
They were the force behind a number of Saturday afterhours at Catch “on weekends when there were no raves,” Ireton and Tulloch tell me collectively by email. “There was only a rave every six weeks back then. No club or bar was playing rave music, and they were not willing to give up a weekend night, since they thought there would be no drinkers.”
Mary Ireton and Joan Tulloch. Photo courtesy of them.
DJ Mark Oliver (left) and friend at Majic Mondays. Photo courtesy of Andy Gfy.
The two were given Mondays at Catch 22. Majic Mondays were truly that, from the time they opened in September 1993 until the club’s closing in 1997. DJs Mark Oliver and Dr. No were the first to spin, but the line-up was different each week. Diverse local rave and EDM bricklayers like John E, Algorithm, James St. Bass, Tim Patrick, Mystical, Medicine Muffin, Terry Kelly, and Czech played alongside international guests who’d stayed in town after a weekend gig, including Mike Huckaby, Kenny Ken, Ellis Dee, L Double, and John ‘00’ Fleming.
“Majic Mondays was a gathering of music lovers of vast tastes and a wide range of ages,” share Ireton and Tulloch. “There was a community of people—all open to these new styles of electronic music. We were unique in that we didn’t just play one sound and Catch 22 was a unique venue for this music as it actually had a bathroom and running water—much more civilized than the warehouses that were being used for some of the raves!”
A collage of Majic Mondays flyers. Photo courtesy of Mary Ireton and Joan Tulloch.
DJs who appeared at Majic Mondays. Photo courtesy of Mary Ireton and Joan Tulloch.
Who else played/worked there: Catch 22 was home to a few generations of local alt DJs who would go on to break new music and set the pace wherever they played.
“The DJs that came through Catch were some of the most influential in Toronto’s alternative scene,” agrees Mike Mckinlay a.k.a. DJ Michael X, who played a mix of industrial, goth, new wave, new rock, and Britpop at his X-Isle Thursdays and Rip Rig and Panic Saturdays.
“Craig Beesak, DJ Iain, Rono Box, DJ Jürgen, Die J Mars—all of these guys were changing the music scene and upshot the levels of what was happening in the clubs. Catch was one step for them in their evolutions. The club kept their customers happy by always looking for something new or different.”
DJ Jürgen held down Industrial Strength Thursdays with the late Martin Streek, and then on his own, after Mckinlay’s X-Isle concluded. Mars—a Catch Friday resident after me—moved to New York and developed an impressive career as DJ, producer, remixer, and fashionista. Jeff Caldwell a.k.a. Jeff C was a much-loved Saturday resident later in Catch 22’s history, while many other top alt locals, including Shawn Macdonald, DJ Shannon, DJ Dwight, and Paul Dhingra all made good use of the Catch booth.
Martin Streek (left) and friends at Catch 22. Photo courtesy of Andy Gfy.
“You see, everybody wanted to be a part of that place,” states Gio Cristiano. “We had no problem finding talent. Everybody did it for the music and to give back to the scene. To this day, I really respect everything that everybody did at Catch; everybody was so different, but so, so good.”
“I remember walking in to Catch and finding guys like Marilyn Manson, Trent Reznor, and Pop Will Eat Itself in there,” he adds. “Also, many members of Cirque de Soleil when they did their first show in T.O. They hung out because they loved our bar and staff, especially Suzette. She was the best bartender in the city at that time.”
“Catch 22’s bar and door staff were legendary and wonderful,” adds McPherson. “The place had a lovely, comfortable, community vibe to it.”
Paul, a.k.a. Rave Master. Photo courtesy of Andy Gfy.
Like many I spoke with, McPherson’s former DJ partner James Kekanovich makes special mention of Catch 22’s venerable doorman Paul a.k.a. Rave Master.
“Paul was the first touch point when entering the club, and his understanding of the scene being created there was an essential component to the experience. He was a familiar face and really knew the crowd.”
Staff would have to contend with only one big recurring problem.
“The dancefloor would go out of control when Ministry came on,” recalls Andy Gfy. “People just flew everywhere. Pat used to freak out about all the broken glass; the floor was covered in it. Eventually, it was decided that we couldn’t play Ministry or Rage Against the Machine between 12:30 and 1 a.m. [then last call in bars].”
Flyer for the final event, courtesy of Christy Washer.
What happened to it: In 1997, Catch 22’s owners found that the building’s landlord would not renew the lease. The club closed with a bash on May 31. 379 Adelaide West was soon renovated into the office building that exists today.
379 Adelaide St. W., as it appears today.
Pat Violo, in association with Liberty Group, opened infamous live-music bar and alternative dance club Velvet Underground at 510 Queen St. W. Many Catch 22 alumni can be found there, including Andy Gfy on bar and Paul a.k.a. Rave Master at the door.
There was a Catch 22 reunion party held last year, with DJs Mars, Jürgen and Jeff C, with talk of future events. A related Facebook group keeps the Catch community connected.
Thank-you to all those interviewed, as well as to Christy Washer and Tim Barraball for their contributions.
December 5, 2014
September 24, 2014
September 22, 2014
Reply Tamara Cashin February 24, 2020 at 5:39 am
Reply Stan pillar May 20, 2017 at 10:49 pm
DJ Mad Max was legendary working with Gio on alternatenuit Fridays he also had a Tuesday he was one of the originals love him!!!
Reply Sarah Wayne December 12, 2014 at 8:32 pm
All comments in the string below have been republished from their original appearance on The Grid website. We’re including the readers’ comments as they add to these Then & Now stories. We look forward to reading new comments here as well.
Came across this after watching a 1st season episode of La Femme Nikita (and searching Queen St sets used in the episode…somehow led to this, abstruse, I know…). Amazing how it can all come rushing back in after all these years, those nights experiencing the influence of Mars and Jurgen and Jeff C and simply the quality of that scene…never to be replicated. Thanks, Denise. 1:36 am on July 28, 2012
Absolutely one of the best stories I’ve read in Eye/The Grid, or anywhere else. Denise has created a document of thousands of people’s lives, and thank you for doing that. 11:00 am on June 1, 2012
Die J!
Mars I agree 100% with Michael X. Awesome article. You got it down. Makes me realize how much I really miss that place. Out of all the clubs I’ve ever done, it really was home.
Funny enough, I remember sneaking in with my friend and my fake I.D. when I was underage. It was a blizzard and the bouncer told me the party was cool. After I paid to get in there was nobody there. Then many years later, Michael X told me to go spin there cuz I needed a job (just got fired from Death or something…)–that an a combination of meeting Jason Levesque (the club’s later promoter). From what I heard, I was told it was a “gino bar”. Hahaha.. Then I met Pat the owner who said some homophobic thing to me and would constantly come into my booth (even on packed nights) and say “what is this shit, you suck!” It really pissed me off but put me in place and brought my stupid ego down. He also actually was a bigger fan of the “alternative” music than most of us. He stumped me a few times and always talked about going to Cure concert.. Years later he was one of my best friends and I go play soccer with him wearing my nail polish. Hahaha. After seeing the movie “Lords of the Dogtown”, Pat really was like that partying older brother who made everyone feel at home. Oh yeah, the first time I met Gio (another great guy), Pat told me he was a Go Go Dancer. I didn’t even know he was the owner… You know, I knew the place was magical but didn’t know the full extent of it (since 89!) until I read your article. You were so right about the music. I blew hundreds of dollars a week like a crackhead going to the secret bins of Play De Record, etc. to find new tracks to break in. Looking back, like all of us, I was spending $15 on a single to try to be the first one to play it and hope I wouldn’t clear the club out for the 5 minutes I tried the track out. I valued this over food–literally! That sorta craziness is gone now with MP3s. In fact, I switched my name to “Die J!” only because I wanted to separate what I did at Catch where I pushed new music from other nights I did where I would play “the classics”. Unfortunately, when Catch closed, I was doomed with that Die J! thing forever as that was my name for the other night I did. Haahaha! I think half of us waiting for the next 4 years in denial that a new Catch 22 was going to re-open. I didn’t even want to do any other gigs until this new club happened… BTW, what ever happened to Paul the bartender? I know Suzette got married and lives in Denver. I also heard Coz the door guy (you can’t forget him–the nicest guy around but had surprisingly the strength of Thor to stop a situation) became an accountant. I also was in NYC for 10 years but got married and move to L.A. about a year and a half ago. I just made my first feature film http://freakchic.com/2012/05/08/the-house-of-field-documentary-by-mars-roberge.aspx that I’m trying to get into this year’s Festival of Festivals. If it makes the cut, I’m hoping to do some sorta Catch thing the first or second week of September. Fingers crossed. 8:46 pm on May 25, 2012
Really enjoying this series. Hope at some point you’ll do a piece on the heyday of the DanceCave, circa 89-94. Highly un-fancy and barely crosses that line between beer hall and nightclub, but we had a lively, diverse scene and great DJs, including Siobhan O’Flynn, Stephen Scott, Mr. Pete and a host of others. 12:36 pm on May 25, 2012
You’ve done it again Denise. I truly think you put all of the pieces together for this part of Torontos’ Alternative/Electronic musical puzzle.
Thank you again for allowing me to contribute.
DJ Michael X 11:42 pm on May 24, 2012
This series is touching my heart. The venues you are writing about bring back amazing memories for me. All the places you have covered truly have influenced my life and my decision to enter the music world. Thank you. When I read this I really feel like i’m back in the day. Would you consider gathering these stories in to a book? 11:11 pm on May 25, 2012
Tim, Just wanted to say thanks for posting the video clip! 2:50 am on May 26, 2012
Thanks for the feedback & for participating, Michael.
David, happy to hear you’re enjoying the ‘Then & Now’ series. Thanks! And yes, the goal is to publish a related book. Many more stories to tell 4:11 pm on May 26, 2012
Die J!
Mars Denise, I’d buy that book!
All this nostalgia has me thinking how cool it would be if all these clubs had reunions the same weekend in their original locations (if possible, e.g dancing next to the burger stand in the Boom Boom Room) so we could go club-hopping like it was the early nineties all over again. Might seem like when the Earth stood still in the original Planet of the Apes… 4:57 pm on May 26, 2012
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We are offering a free ESL class every Wednesday at 6:30 pm! The class is for anyone who is interested in learning English or improving their English speaking skills. Ben Moore, who received his TESOL Certification (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from NC State, will be teaching the class.
The class is meeting at our church facility (13301 Leesville Church Rd, Raleigh, NC 27617).
We will be offering two different classes for the following levels:
Conversation: The beginner class will seek to help students learn basic greetings in English and how to have a short conversation in English.
Writing: The beginner class will help students with basic English writing skills.
Pronunciation: The intermediate class will help English learners to better pronounce difficult words in English.
Writing: The intermediate level class will seek to help students learn how to write correctly in English.
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On March, 13th, 2020 Lakelands Primary school celebrated National Ride To School Day in style. Leading up to the day there were many preparations behind the scenes to ensure the day would run smoothly. All throughout week 6 students were reminded to dress up their bike and scooters on Friday. Teachers had communicated this to our families in a number of ways such as communication boards, communication apps, our school's social media page, emails and whole school text messages. On Wednesday 11th at our junior assembly, Mrs Ham spoke to the school about National Ride To School Day and encouraged students to dust off their bikes and scooters and dress them to go into the running to win some fabulous Your Move prizes.
Needless to say the students were buzzing with excitement leading up to the day. To ensure the day would run smoothly a team meeting was also held to communicate the jobs that needed to be done on the day of the event. Jobs included- setting up the decorations and posters, handing out of stickers and tattoos, taking photos, helping students park their bike in the correct locations and hands up surveys. Everyone in the team selected a job that they would be responsible for in both the main school racks and our ECE bike racks.
On Friday the 13th the day was finally here where we arrived at school early and got straight to work. Mrs Ham and Miss Veroni spent the morning decorating the bike racks by placing up our balloon banner, posters and bike rack labels (Our school cleaner also contributed to help put up the decorations to ensure they would not blow away). The bike racks were ready and the school gates were starting to become congested with a number of dressed-up bikes and scooters. Everyone took their places as the gates were opened to the school and students flooded in with their amazingly dressed up bike and scooters. There were bikes dressed as dinosaurs, flamingoes, peacocks, butterflies and much, much more. The students had unleashed their creativity to a high standard making judging very hard. Our bike racks went from empty to being at full capacity.
Students were also excited to receive little goodies such as stickers and tattoos. We even had a photo area to have your picture taken with your bike. After the siren went to begin the day, the bike racks were left unlock for classes to come around during the day and have a look at all the bikes. During lunchtime Mrs Ham headed over to the bike racks where the judging began.
The following were the winners for Best Dressed Bikes 2020: K-PP Jai Russell with his construction themed bike, Year 1-2 Chase Johnston with his ET bike design, Year 3-4 Mia Mcdonald who created a magnificent peacock, Year 5-6 Hudson Shore who turned his scooters into a slashed character. Congratulations to all the winners - your designs were outstanding. Each winner received a Your Move backpack, Your Move hand towel, slap band, badge, Your Move drink bottle and a book about riding or walking to school.
Just before recess our winners were announced over the PA , then they met Mrs Ham at the bike racks to have their photos taken with their entries and prizes. Throughout the day we also conducted another hands up survey which we compared with our first hands up survey for this year. Here is what we found - 37% decrease in students choosing the car, 12% decrease in public transport, 19% increase in walking and a whopping 277% increase in choosing the bike or scooter to school. At the end of the day, our admin team took their posts at the racks to ensure the smooth transition of bikes and scooters from the racks to the outside school footpaths. Students conducted themselves with great responsibility by walking their bikes and scooters in a respectful manner to the school perimeters. To follow up the day our classroom teacher will also be recapping bike safety at our next values assemblies. We will also be congratulating our winners in our Your Move newsletter column.
This story is related to National Ride2School Day
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Wow - Team Your Move Lakelands - what an impressive summary of your day! And what an outstanding increase in cycling - 277%. Is that a "triplet and twin" scooter stunt team I also spot in the photos? Your big day has earned you 40 points, plus 20 for the dress up event, and a final 30 point bonus for the outstanding level of detail you have shared. Thanks!
Hi James- Yes that would be triplets you have spotted in our pictures. It was also great to see students who are unable to ride or scoot, dressed up their wheel chairs. It was a fantastic day had by all.
So great to see the wonderful student designed banner on display! Congratulations on such a successful day.
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1) If I want to see myself grow, I’ve got to be willing to risk failure. I have to be willing to venture into the unknown, to walk away from all my familiar surroundings.
2) For years, I have been adamant that I wouldn’t believe in God because God was just another “parent figure” to make me feel unheard, unseen, and abandoned. As far as I was concerned God was never there in my pain. Maybe scripture says I am forgiven but I don’t know if God should be.
Okay, you’re probably wondering how these revelations, or epiphanies, came about. On Christmas Eve my cousin told me about this group of people who meet and worship and then go have beer afterwards. He told me they were really liberal and accepting and that they don’t see God or religion the way we grew up seeing those things. Being the outcast, black sheep, religious reject of the family, I was intrigued. So, that night I took a leap and went to the worship service. And I’ve got to say… something about those people felt like home. I’m not one to easily discount something like that, so I went back tonight to see if there was any validity to what I felt before. Maybe there is… but that isn’t what this blog is really about. This blog is about how taking that leap and then taking it again led me to tonight’s message on retreat. That is what has inspired this blog.
As I listened to the various members of this group talk tonight I thought about another leap I took just yesterday. And how that leap felt so daunting in the moment. It felt impossible. It made me feel like I had cast myself adrift in some vast chasm with no tether to bring me back. It made me feel like I was being led into the unknown. But, it was good. It was a good leap.
Monday my therapist asked me if I would be willing to throw away my razors, right then and there. I hesitated. I think my pregnant pause was pregnant with pause, the silence and contemplation lasted for so long. How could this woman, this trained professional really be asking me to give up the one thing that feels constant in my life right now? How could this woman, who cannot guarantee that I’ll be able to regulate my emotions ask me to give up the one thing that never fails to bring me back? How could this woman be asking me to risk almost certain failure? I’d like to say she asked because she cares. I think she cares enough to want to help me make this journey, to encourage me to jump into the unknown. I chose to trust her but at that point it was a blind trust. I handed my blades over because she holds onto hope for me when I am drowning in a sea of darkness and she reminds me that people survive, that I can survive. I trusted her then without knowing the lessons that today would bring.
Now, I feel that trust has taken a different form. I can see that, giving up my razors, as one step toward something potentially amazing. I can see that the cutting has been my home, my safe place, my place of familiarity. But, I think that I’ve been so immersed in this life, this pain, this struggle that I’ve stopped seeing the magic of all the other things around me. I think we often get so caught up in our day to day struggles that we just disconnect, put ourselves on autopilot and lose the motivation to witness the wonder around us. We stumble from one familiar place inside ourselves to another, being sure to keep the blinders on the whole way. I’ve been living that blind life. I’ve become so focused on just making it from point A to point B that I have failed to appreciate the journey. And, shit, I know it’s cliche but maybe it really is about the journey.
Right, so, that second point of realization. I have literally no idea where it came from. I was driving home from the worship thing tonight and the thought just hit me: God is another parent to emotionally abandon you. This is something I’ve grappled with for years and years and years. I prayed when men made a conquest of my body. I prayed when I couldn’t see the light anymore. I prayed when the church and my mother told me I was an abomination. I prayed when I realized I didn’t love the way I was supposed to love. I prayed and I fucking prayed and I received no answer. There was no solace, no peace, no love. There was a dark, empty silence. A big, fat nothing. A gaping hole in my heart. A crater where my soul should be. There was no one. I don’t know how to move past that but part of me wonders… is there any way to marry these two revelations? Can I risk a belief? Is it that simple? Surely not. Surely I can’t just decide: I’m walking into the unknown and that unknown is a belief in God. Nope. That’s not it; that’s not me. But, what?
Do I let myself believe in all the moments I felt like I hadn’t been abandoned but that my mother assured me weren’t real or valid? Like the time right after I tried to kill myself. I went to some church thing with my youth group, to see a guest preacher. This guy stopped mid-sermon. He swore as he walked down the aisle that he had never done this before but that God was laying something heavy on his heart that he had to get out. When he reached my row he looked me squarely in the eyes and said, “you are here for a reason. I know you’re hurting but God has plans for you. You’re going to do great things. You’ll be a witness. Your story will change lives.” In that moment there was literally no doubt in my mind that God was talking to me through that stranger. I felt “saved” that night. But when I relayed the story to my mother she said, “you’re not special. That was probably all an act. You haven’t been saved.” I felt so belittled, so small, so ignorant and naive. I have never been able to remember that experience with the same fierce conviction as I had before. The warmth, the love, the goosebumps… gone. Just like that, the moment meant nothing. So, maybe that’s the place where I have to start taking back my power. Not even necessarily just where it pertains to religion but in everything. Maybe I start by taking back my memories and my experiences. I wanted the unconditional love of a mother so badly that I was willing to burn myself at the stake for it; I was willing to disavow everything I thought to be true just for a morsel of that love. I sacrificed myself. So maybe that’s where the two revelations converge. Maybe I am the unknown. Maybe I have to start by taking myself back, one memory at a time, one feeling at a time, one intimacy at a time.
Related
January 10, 2018 at 5:53 am
OH my God your mother…. that is just wrong, KD.. Reading this post made me feel a lightening inside me. I think you are really ready to trust this therapist. I think that is why the issue of the fear of being abandoned by your higher power is coming up now. I know it may be hard to believe but there is a force in you that is whole and seeks your growth. It has the capacity to contain your wounded hurting parts. Dont listen to that voice of your mother. She was just diminishing you and she was not speaking the truth. True none of us is ‘special’ but we also are, if that makes any sense and every single one of us deserves love. I am here cheering you on. I think recognising you have been living in a darknes where any light or good was eclipsed is a huge realisation and shows you are ready to start to deal with and get out of that darkness. Love to you, Deborah
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KD says:
January 10, 2018 at 6:28 am
I feel like I probably make my mother out to be awful. She did do a lot of damage but she was hurting. She was just one hurt person, hurting people. I get the irony of me defending her here after having literally just said I’d be taking myself back. This is maybe the self-sabotage thing I’ve been talking about with my therapist. And the whole, “I’ve got boatloads of compassion for everyone except myself” thing.
This therapist is good at what she does… the trust thing is still touch and go though. I let her in and then other parts of me self-destruct and try to obliterate that closeness. So… who knows… but I hope you’re right. I hope it does mean I’m ready to seek new terrain.
January 10, 2018 at 9:24 am
That push pull dynamic will probably be something you struggle with for a long time. I also used to defend my own mother because I knew the scars and deficits which led her to emotionally abandon me at times. That said a symptom of not having enough validation is just what you wrote as well as evidence of high compassion. Its also self protective in a way because dealing with the real core feelings is hard.
KD says:
January 10, 2018 at 11:32 am
January 10, 2018 at 6:38 am
you can do it. i struggle with my faith too. a lot. well done for giving those razors to your therapist. xoxox
KD says:
January 10, 2018 at 3:34 pm
Thank you, love. Faith is hard.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 10, 2018 at 2:51 pm
That’s such a huge step handing over your razors. That’s such a great way to dive right in to new learning and new skills that are hard to really devote yourself to when the safety net of the razors is readily available.
KD says:
January 10, 2018 at 3:33 pm
Thank you for your kind words. It’s scary. I really feel certain I will fail. I just have to remember to be kind to myself when that happens.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 10, 2018 at 6:24 pm
Congratulations on taking one of the most difficult steps in your life hugs to you
KD says:
January 10, 2018 at 6:26 pm
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 11, 2018 at 6:32 pm
easetheride says:
January 10, 2018 at 8:20 pm
I think it takes a lot of strength to let go of your razors. A leap of blind faith, like you said. Although perhaps not as blind as you think because you know yourself better than anyone and you know your own resilience. I also loved what you said about taking a moment to really absorb life. In many societies, people (myself included) really do not take the time to appreciate what’s around them because we are all trying to get by and survive. I have a pin of a firefly jar that when I see it, it helps me take a step back and get perspective because last summer I was thinking about how I hadn’t seen any fireflies yet. I wondered where they were and why they weren’t around. But when I took a second to observe that night instead of breezing in from my car to my house, I saw them. Clear as day. They’d been there all along but I’d never stopped to pay attention. Such a good message in your post to remind us of that. Keep up the awesome choices and hard work!
KD says:
January 10, 2018 at 8:26 pm
I love your story about the fireflies. Thank you for sharing that with me. And thank you for your encouraging, kind words about letting go of my razors.
Kalyn Courier says:
January 10, 2018 at 9:05 pm
Hi, thanks for the follow I read what you wrote here, and I just wanted to share something with you.
I hated being alive. I saw no point, there was no will to live, and I wished I were never born. My parents dont sound so bad when you written about yours, but I don’t agree with my parents and their method of parenting. How they’d make me feel, I never felt like I could tell them anything. I had abandonment and trust issues, friends and family would die or leave or cause me pain, so I found myself alone one day. I had no job, no money, an addiction to cigarettes that was terrible and hard to break free of. I thought I’d end up on the street homeless or something someday.
It was when God was all that I had, I saw that nothing and no one in this whole world compares to Him.
Instead of seeing my life as an utter mess and failure with no hope, I saw it as a blessing in disguise. Because I know how these struggles feel like, and many people have struggles like these.
I don’t know you, what exactly your story or struggles are, but I want you to know that it’s satan who has it out for you, not God. And I hope you can use all that satan ever hoped to destroy you with, for some good and light in this world.
I used to cut, i used to strangle myself, i used to think of thousands of ways to die, and I almost have many times. I’ve had a broken heart, multiple times, friends betrayed me, and people died.
I saw that its satan who throws all these bad things into our lives, since its his job, he does not want us to think God exists, and that He is good and loves us.
The battle of the mind and heart is the hardest. I had read books by Joyce Meyer, she knows what’s up.
I was just touched and moved by your post, it reminded me of the doubtful girl I used to be, until I found this song, and God had come to teach me.
If you ever have any questions, doubts, or if you ever feel like you just need a kind friend, feel free to contact me.
My name’s Kalyn btw, nice to meet you I hope you will stay alive, and I hope you’ll find peace in your life. Church and Christianity and all that, it’s not a place to go on Sundays, it starts with you, and I just hope you would know that God does love you. He wants to have a relationship like none other with us, and we all have a choice to say yes.
Take care okay, and God bless
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KD says:
January 10, 2018 at 11:53 pm
Thank you, Kalyn, for taking the time to read and to respond. I really appreciate you reaching out and sharing some of your story with me here. It means a lot to be able to connect with people who’ve experienced and felt similar things and who are so willing to be open with their experiences.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 11, 2018 at 5:23 pm
I’m sorry that you’ve been belittled and taken advantage of in the past. I know how painful it can be to not have the support or proper love you expect from a parent. From your epiphany though, it’s easy to see how strong and resilient you really are. I believe God has been looking out for you and is ready to welcome you back with open arms. Remember, one day at a time. Xo
KD says:
January 11, 2018 at 5:24 pm
Thank you so much for this. I really needed these words today.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 11, 2018 at 5:41 pm
LB says:
January 13, 2018 at 8:34 pm
Your mom and dad sound so similar to my father. He always used to say, “who in the world do you think cares about your ass?” I’m convinced that instead of cutting with a physical object, I’ve long been cutting by repeating the things he used to say to me and still believing them.
I’m a huge fun of this therapist of yours, by the way. How has it been without the razors?
KD says:
January 13, 2018 at 8:58 pm
I think it’s pretty normal for us to hold onto those voices and repeat the negative messages to ourselves, in a way perpetuating the punishment we have come to believe we deserve (at least on some level).
As for my therapist, she is pretty great. She has been endlessly patient with me. About the razors, it’s been okay. It sucked at first. And I’m sure it will suck again. But for now I’m not thinking much about it.
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Don’t just survive finals, THRIVE through them! Offices across UNL want to help you do just that, so swing by the Nebraska Union Ballroom to pick up your FREE Finals Thriving Kit. These kits will include stress relievers, snacks for studying, and more! 250 kits will be available on a first-come first-serve basis.
Facial coverings will be required and physical distancing practices will be in place.
Download this event to my calendar
This event originated in Student Leadership, Involvement, & Community Engagement.
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This application is a product of the Digital Experience Group at Nebraska. DXG is a partnership of University Communication and Information Technology Services.
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(I wrote this in a particularly snarky frame of mind, so if you aren’t in a good mood or are a Yankees fan, please back away from the computer and save reading this for another time. :-))
I know I spend way too much money at Amazon MP3…but I’ve been addicted to music since I first started developing my own collection. (Prior to that my tastes were my father’s…basically adult contemporary. It’s still music I enjoy and have great respect for, but at some point…with a 70’s teen…Olivia Newton John and Englebert Humperdink had to give way to Kansas and Journey—after a short detour into The Village People. Come on, you gotta admit “Y.M.C.A” and “Macho Man” are catchy!)
Either way, I check out Amazon MP3 at least once every 24 hours to see what their MP3 Daily Deal is. More often than not it is a genre I have little interest in (it’s often indie coffee-house type stuff), but it does mean that during each visit Amazon’s whizz-bang computer gets a shot at enticing me to buy something else I don’t really need, and it knows from my buying history I’m a pretty big fan of Christmas music. (If you check out my “Christmas Album ‘Must Haves’ (2011 Version)” you’ll see I am a traditionalist…give me the old standards sung by people who could have been my grandparents or great-grandparents.) One recent time when their page refreshed Amazon MP3 shocked me by suggesting “A Very Gaga Holiday” by…well…that’s pretty obvious.
Posted on December 24, 2011 January 12, 2012 Categories Pastoral, Random, ThoughtsTags Christmas, Culture, Snarky, SocietyLeave a comment on Going Gaga Over Christmas
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Esta L. (Bosworth) Redinbaugh age 94, of Sioux City, Iowa formerly of Logan, Iowa passed away on Monday, April 29, 2019 at Community Memorial Hospital in Missouri Valley, Iowa. Esta was born December 24, 1924 in Logan, Iowa to Everett E. and Rena H. (Kleen) Bosworth. Esta grew up and attended school in Logan, graduating from Logan High School in 1942. In 1946, she moved with her husband George to Sioux City, IA where daughter Janice was born. She worked outside of the home in retail, ending her career with 15 years in college registrar administration retiring in 1989. Her real passion was flower and vegetable gardening under the watchful eye of Penny the family terrier. Esta and George took many memorable vacations with their daughter (mostly to the western states) before George’s death in 1972. In the years since, her vacations were fewer and not as far away as she enjoyed being home with her poodle Peaches. Every Christmas was kicked off on Christmas Eve with a celebration of her birthday. Esta enjoyed her family as well as many friends.
Esta is preceded in death by her parents, husband George, brothers: Lyle, Verle, LeRoy, Glen, four nieces and one nephew.
Esta is survived by her daughter Janice Kensler and husband Vic of Omaha, Nebraska; grandchildren: Todd Kensler of Benbrook, Texas, Megan Holmstedt and husband Lee of Omaha, Nebraska; sister-in-law Ardithe Bosworth of Logan, Iowa; nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held Thursday from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at Logan Memorial Chapel in Logan, Iowa.
Family invites everyone to lunch and fellowship at the Methodist Church in Logan, Iowa following the committal service at the cemetery.
Esta requested that memorials be directed to the Logan Volunteer Fire and Rescue.
Kermitt Cox Posted May 14, 2019 5:02 pm
Vic/Janice, I am saddened to read of Esta’s passing. I was browsing thru the on-line version of the Missouri Valley paper and found the obituary. She certainly lived a nice long life. Our best regards.
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I wanted to take a moment and thank you again for the very nice service you performed for John's memorial. I had several people come up to me to say "what a wonderful funeral". It was a nice tribute to him."
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“Boys Adrift” is a very interesting book discussing case studies and Dr. Sax’s theories on why so many young men and boys have little to no drive in life and in school. Dr. Sax discusses ADHD and ADD, behavioral drugs, environment effects, teaching methods and even video games.
While I do agree with the ideas and premise behind Dr. Sax’s book, since many of the things he discusses are things I’ve observed and argued throughout my life, there are several things that he places too much weight on in the book. Dr. Sax places heavy blame on video games during the book, devoting an entire chapter on it and then constantly referring back to his negative view on video games. But, I believe that this is a blind spot and not an undoing for what Dr. Sax does have to say. While those that know me will know that I’m an avid gamer, even though I’ve had very little time to play over the last 6 years or so, and I’ve always been a gamer. I grew up with the game consoles. I grew up with nearly every major console in my house, and I spent several hours a week playing video games growing up. My favorites were role playing games, but I enjoyed all genres and would spend much of my money renting and buying video games. This does not me that I never went out to play. I spent an equal amount of time tearing up the neighborhood during elementary and middle school. Never have I considered video games real, nor have I committed more than 60% of my waking free time to playing games. Video games were far more tempting and entertaining than the homework I had to do and the chores that had to be done, but I still got them done.
Until the eighth grade I was a straight ‘A’ student the majority of the time with only the occasional ‘B’. But video games never interfered with my school work, or my drive. In fact it is because of video games that I started programming with I was eight. It is because of video games that I strove to improve my creative drive, my creative abilities and increased my technical knowledge. For many “geeks” this is the case.
The point is, video games are not a cause or even a contributor to the problem, “addiction” to video games is a symptom of the problem. Every generation has had the “devil” product that is eating the minds of our children. It was reading fantasy and fiction books in the 1800s, then it was radio, then it was alcohol again, then it was jazz music, then it was the motion picture, then it was the TV and rock n’ roll, then it was the freedom movement, and now it’s video games, and most recently the internet. Yes, without discipline these things do become problems, but they are not the cause of the problem. Every new thing has its positives and negatives. Everything. Even reading. Dr. Sax is blind to the fact that there has always been a scapegoat, and every single on of them has had research to prove how horribly destructive it is. Well, there have been scientific studies that also support that capitalism, democracy and faith are destructive and counter-productive for society, but those studies are wrong too.
Yes, I agree that there is an increasing problem with the male gender in the United States, and I do agree that action needs to be taken, but this isn’t a new problem. This has been a growing problem since the 40s, it’s a slow deterioration of moral and family foundation of this country. The side part is, is that it is so infected with rot that is impacts immigrating families within a generation of coming to the states. the family unit is no longer the foundation and priority of the American. Everyone has become too selfish and too busy to actually raise their family. Especially the upper end middle class American. Both parents are working, the children are over schooled, over worked, under played and under loved. I’m surprised the dogs don’t have more psychological issues now also.
Dr. Sax’s book is definitely worth a read, and it is very interesting, but I find it more difficult to acknowledge the validity of his other arguments after dumping so much of the problem on video games. Doctors did the same thing with comic books in the 50s and 60s. Even more doctors will begin to pick up on the Internet and social networking in the next 10 years. The time consumers and mind numbing activities are not the causes, but the symptoms of much deeper and scary issues within the family units, society, our school systems, and how vastly explosive technology has dug into our lives.
So many of the things that Dr. Sax discusses as contributors to the dilemma have their roots in our societies instant satisfaction and constant running mentality. Environmental pollution, too many plastic bottles, too much stress, too much to do, too little time and too little love. It is all the result of our inability to discipline ourselves and our children, and our inability to say no. Maybe the financial “crisis” will cause people to care for themselves and each other, spend some time with each other, and live with one another instead of work nonstop to pay for things we’ve already bought so that we can supply our children with things instead of love.
This title can be a good financial “crisis” escape, since it’s only $10.85 on Amazon, so go pick it up.
Tags: boys, family, add/adhd, video games, school
About the author
Benjamin is a software developer in the DFW area. He spends his free time playing video games, programming, doing graphics design and photography, and reading.
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True intelligence helps society by teaching what the most important subjects are to be intelligent about.
Israel May 18, 2018 February 13, 2019
Dreams, Theories, and Theses: Is the best outcome at this point war?
May 15th, 2018 – Jerusalem, Old City
More or less, I am not a philosopher, I am a theorist. “I have a theory…”
Last night I talked to Joe about an “idea”. It seemed if people were actually trying to “mess up” the world to such an extent that God would come down to the world so they could “capture” him here. What if this has already happened? Perhaps it was done a long time ago, and they trapped him somewhere in this world so he could no longer “intervene” like he once did. This idea came to me when I was exploring the tunnels underneath and next to the Western Wall. Perhaps if they did capture God they used this “complex” as a prison and eventually as a tomb. Crazy? This was the message I was receiving when I was there.
Seems to me perhaps “God” was here, “aliens” or the “entity” came and found him and put him in this “tomb/prison” and perhaps left someone in charge of keeping him here. Perhaps the Crusaders knew this, they came to “break him out”, whether it was Jesus or another, but when they came he was no longer living? They mentioned on our tour that the tunnels leading into the Temple mount platform had been dug out by the Crusaders and replaced again after they left. Do the Jews and Muslims have a secret agreement not to excavate there further or have they already fully excavated there, but are keeping it a secret?
“A man with nothing to lose is a dangerous man indeed.”
I heard a theory that some believe that Petra was actually the original Mecca in the Koran. That the first mosques all pointed towards Petra. That is deep. Makes plenty of sense to me. That would make Amman the original Medina. I need to research this more. Why would they lie about it? Very interesting. Research more on Charles Warren and Josephus Flavius.
May 16th, 2018 8:00 am
Wow. Amazing dreams. I woke up at 3:45 and had breakfast with Kaiser and Laura, my new friend from Pittsburgh who had to return to the US today. She was a sweetie. Went back to sleep at 4:30 and didn’t see Kaiser afterwards.
My dreams were pretty wild, although I don’t remember all of them. I’ll start from end. I’m pretty sure I woke up talking in my sleep, “Please get me out of this place.” Strange it was right after I was thinking that God or Jesus was buried under the Temple Mount. What does it mean when I talk in my sleep and why are these seemingly important messages I’m receiving always end my dreams and start with “please”?
I know that some aspects of early dreams were sexual and I remember being with a younger skinny African-American woman. As I needed to pee in the night and didn’t go, once again my dreams became less sexual and more vivid and meaningful. What is super meaningful is that I had a lot of similar stuff that I have now in my possession like my backpack, books, and certain DVDs. The streets were also similar to Jerusalem, I remember walking and always coming back to my things, and somethings were stolen or completely different. And messages were scrawled on the backs and CD cases. For example, on the DVD case, DS was missing, but the word “Afraid” was scratched on the surface. Later, the scratched in part was filled with white tape or paper. At the moment these are the most “important” things I remember.
Ramadan has officially started. Going to take it easy today and read. To do: translate “Co-exist or don’t exist” into Arabic and Hebrew for scarf for Citadel post. Bike around Jerusalem mountains. Watch Shia Lebouf and Sia video with Ana. Research Greek Kurios. Read a lot.
1:30 PM
Buy small olive oil, dates, potatoes, extra bread. Make tonight tomato-potato gumbo soup with rice and bread.
Been very hungry all day, but that’s about it. Reading a very simple fiction book, knitting the scarf, going to some churches to read.
May 17th, 2018 – 1:00 AM
Woke up after lots of dreams, but hard to remember. Had to pee badly and thought if I held it I would pee my pants. Point is I have to find a place where it is ok if I do pee pants, in order to get further into dream world. Carry the water. It is an unnatural feeling to not pee in the night if we have to.
Write blog posts on “Do Nukes actually exists and what would that mean to world if they didn’t?” and “Is God locked in the Temple Mount?”
Wild dreams. Try to work though them. I was in a big zombie world. First time I saw people act human and “turn in front of my eyes.” They didn’t change much except they were running very fast. Before this I saw a huge pit with a fence around it. It looked like some sort of “Coney Island area” except not near water, and dark all around. Nighttime. There were all sorts of birds and bats. Millions. Small and big. I somehow peaked over the fence somehow without really moving, and I saw tons of bodies and blood, but they were more like white mannequins that you see in storefronts. I never saw the center of the pit so I can’t tell if it was a hole or just a deeply dug “grave.”
As soon as I started looking, people started to “turn” and came running after me. This is first time I was scared and I was running, looking behind me, and I couldn’t outrun them, but they also couldn’t catch me. I finally found a long building maybe 50 meters across and it was dark behind, like a chain linked fence with dark covers or something. There were people there who helped me get up and surrounded the building. I think I was up top alone but cannot be sure. I also think I saw lots of Muslim women there. Somehow the men or “zombies” stopped or could not go further.
Then I was in a new place. Like a movie cut or dream cut. I remember there was a war. I feel I was on one side and I had a gun, but can’t remember what type. I was behind a pillar or defensive area. Our area was overrun but the soldiers didn’t hurt me. Somehow they gave me a new gun and it was like an old WW1 single shot, but the gun shot “metal capsules” full of some sort of water. I shot one time at a light in the roof above us, there were many lights. I just did it to test the weapon and not to extinguish the light and the light was not extinguished.
Cut to: Lots of dreams here but I forgot. Last thing I think I remember is someone talking about “taking 30 Jewish families” and I seem to remember it saying either “defiling them”, but also could have been “converting them…” That is pretty much last I remember.
Lots more dreams. Last thing I remember is my brother and I were at a restaurant with lots of women and he is talking to the waitress and he is like, “Who likes new money?!”, and pulls out a big wad of cash.
I remember last night after breaking the fast being upset with Einstein. I think he was somehow the reason “this” has all occurred. I think that he “wanted world peace” and thus they created “the greatest illusion” that nuclear weapons existed. But actually they do not and never did. This “great deception” was what Hitler knew when he said,
“If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.”
Perhaps, in some ways this “lie” has helped in the world, but if truly looked at objectively and from a further perspective, it has hurt the world in much much deeper ways. I would say a supra-majority of the world’s fear comes from nuclear annihilation or holocaust, something that doesn’t even exist.
Essentially, there must always be some outlets for warriors or members of the Kshatriya caste of the world to fight. Members of the other castes conspired after WW1 or before to figure out a way to stop war and they came up with the nuclear bomb to scare men from fighting. Furthermore, they pushed physical sport as much as possible so members of this caste would in some way “feel fulfilled”, when only true confrontation and war can do this. This is one of the greatest travesties that the other castes have ever committed against the Kshatriya caste. This is in fact the root of all problems. Now, if this extended “fake peace” had not occurred, we would not have the huge stockpiles and extremely advanced weapons that currently exist (Or perhaps, following the great lie that is nuclear weapons, all major powers lie about what weapons they have. I would not doubt this either. Putin and Russia’s announcements lately would be total LOL-worthy and Kim Jung Un getting in on the “great lie” is also classic.)
The only outcome is a major conventional war where someone eventually wins and rebuilds order from this point. It will be crazy, but the strong, the intelligent, the just, and perhaps divinely-inspired will win. Who will this be? No matter who wins, removing the lie of nuclear weapons will be worth however many die for generations or eternity to come.
After this thought came, I had a nice dinner of vegetarian gumbo with Logan, the brother of Laura, and we discussed these issues. I think all “relative truth” should be told. The greatest sin to me is lying, for any reason. Thus if this is a lie it should be exposed. I also thought this morning that the dream world is Heaven and we go there after death and stay until we are born again. More or less somehow we are given the chance to come back or the chance to retire forever or for an extended period of time. The world is not in a place I would be comfortable leaving it for an extended period of time. If the dream world is actually Heaven or Hell, it is a scary and chaotic place. Being stuck there, not able to remember “normal life,” and not waking up would be “Hell”. Can it be cleansed? Are the people there “real”? Can they be helped?
Thank you for your continual guidance, support in all of its ways, love, and strength. Thank you for continually showing me “a way” without saying surely it is “the way”. I believe I am slowly understanding the reality of the world a bit more each day. Perhaps what has happened to it. Perhaps something to do. I know I can be completely wrong, and maybe I should do nothing, but I do feel your pull as well. If I do stray, if I do go down the wrong route, I ask forgiveness ahead of time. I cannot help the messages or theories that come my way. I am getting better though at not considering anything definite, or certain, or that are easily suggestible. For I believe “idea implantation” exists in whatever form, whether spiritually or religious (perhaps through demons), digitally or technology wise (as in directly), or verbally (through the written or spoken word). Thus I believe these are the roots of my issues. Thank you for helping me through this time and keeping me going. In your name I pray, Amen
New theory: I need to track all suggestions back further. Although I see potential, I would never convert. What if I have been suggested to come to Israel specifically because some”thing” is trying to get me to convert to Islam/Judaism (which I consider to be completely allied) to bring it back and spread it in the USA? Wouldn’t that be a hoot! Trace the suggestions! I am OK with a reforming Islam. I am not OK with an intolerant Islam that is psychotic and any entity that supports absolute extremism. Maybe through this “purification” of Ramadan I am seeing a bit more clearly?
May 18th, 2018 – 5-6 AM
I dreamt I was playing Monopoly with my brother. Said in dream and maybe out loud: “I was waiting for you to pay me, but you never paid me.”
I sort of developed what I might consider to be a “grand theory” last night. I will outline the main elements below.
God doesn’t interfere on a ‘grand scale’, if He did what would be the point? Thus it is up to individual humans to interfere, usually on ‘behalf of God’, rather than God directly. If God does have to interfere directly, we have failed as individuals.
A “great lie” was told with the “invention” of the nuclear weapon in the early 1940s. This was to spread fear of nuclear annihilation or mutual self-destruction across the world to stop or prevent war. I would say this was done by an alliance of the merchant and religious castes against the warrior caste. Scientists can perhaps be seen as a mixture of the two, not understanding the needs or reasons for war. The raging alcoholic Robert Oppenheimer, after lying about the invention of the nuclear weapon, said:
“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds” and “We knew the world would not be the same,” he later recalled. “A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent.”
The true meaning of this quote is that he knew that he was going to literally “destroy the world” by building this lie and destroying the natural balance of life that war provided.
The varna/caste system is a metaphysical truth or system where war and conflict is a natural and necessary part of the world. That by removing it, or preventing natural empire-building or empire-destruction, which has occurred since the beginning of time, and guarantees stability, with the strong leading the weak, rather than our current system of the weak leading the strong, they upset the entire balance of the world. The first decades or centuries of “new empires” is often enough for a necessary world-restructuring to occur.
More or less, we have been lied to, people who are born to fight or confront are not allowed to because the “common enemy” has entrenched itself, it is everywhere, and “hiding in plain sight”. Our warriors, who would have naturally become leaders through war, have been “brainwashed” by the media, video-games, drugs, sports, crime, prison, etc.
This long term “fake peace” by the “greatest lie” has directly led to the enormous wealth discrepancy between the rich and the poor, as war always naturally redistributes the wealth. What good is a country’s money if they lose the war? Thus if the rich don’t fight or share all that they have, their money will be taken by the masses. The markets are all shams caused by the “fake peace”. Value means nothing these days. The long term “fake peace” has indirectly led to every single problem affecting the USA and world. What is sad is because of this “great lie”, which had led to huge military increases in technology and a huge armaments build up, which in actuality would not have occurred in a “natural system” where the “great lie” was not told, the only way out of this situation is a truly massive world-wide total conventional war. Since nukes don’t exist, the battlefield will be leveled tremendously, as it always should have been.
So many people will die, but this MUST happen for us to come back to balance and to get back on track. It is the only way. Since people do not have anything worth dying for, they have nothing to live for. Lastly, this war will redraw the boundaries and alliances of the entire world. It will not be country versus country, but small to medium sized groups of people surviving against others.
In this process, the malevolent “entity” and the wicked shall not last. Those who are righteous, God-fearing, and “worthy” will survive and build anew; as has always been done. I am not upset with this if this is the way it must be. And if this is the way it must always be in this reality, whatever it is called: Earth, Heaven, or Hell.
“For on the day of the harvest the weeds will be conspicuous, and will be pulled up and burned.”
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Amidst the lush green surroundings, Fort Collins provides families and couples a wonderful locality to settle into. The real estate and value of property was in a decline but gradually the prices have picked up again; causing several sellers and buyers to enter the market. The Fort Collins real estate market situation has also considerably improved despite a continued presence of distressed properties. These distressed properties are foreclosures and short sales. The overall Fort Collins property market has increased slightly with a 1% increase since June 2013. The prospect buyers can either choose a condo/apartment or a single family home for themselves. The market price of houses in Fort Collins has a less dramatic real estate drop than other areas of the state and country. This implies that the price of Fort Collins property will also show lesser gradual recovery because of the lesser drop to recover from initially. The current market statistics for Fort Collins real estate are:
Average Listing Price: $273,251
Median Listing Price: $235,200, up 3% from 2010
Recently sold: 402
Distressed: 1
The right to invest is NOW
If we observe the first half of 2011, we will notice that there have been 5,617 sales in that period which in comparison to 2010 were 5991. This shows a 6% decrease in Fort Collins property sales. If we consider the inflated sales due to the tax credit in the spring of 2010 then this fall is instead a healthy improvement. Without such artificial enticements, the market has remained strong and grown to almost equal levels this year. The median listing price in Fort Collins went down from June to July. There were a total of 28 price increases and 147 price decreases. The final conclusion is that it is a great time to invest in Fort Collins property.
Fort Collins real estate listings are available online for buyers to browse through and hunt for houses as per their requirements. These listings are constantly updated so that any house up for the sale in the market is immediately added in the database. The real estate market is always considered a buyer’s market especially after the aftermath of the national mortgage crash and the economic turndown. If you are looking to buy property in Fort Collins then you need to adjust your practices accordingly.
Thanks to the improving situation in real estate, the buyer’s market is now a seller’s market. According to the real estate experts, the shift of market trends is a process that is caused by several buyers and sellers when they are practically indulging in the buying and selling of property. If you are hunting for a house then you should prequalify for financing. It is most likely that you will be competing for same property against people who have enough money in their hand. The Fort Collins real estate market is fast-moving with sellers inclined to accept an offer on the contingency that the buyer can round up the necessary funds.
If you have already made up your mind to purchase a home then you should be willing to immediately put up an offer and pay upfront because the house may not be available in the market for a long-time. Experts say that the days of making low-ball offers are over as low interest rates on home loans and pent-up demand are driving speedy sales. The buyers who have been sitting on the fence for past couple of years would be happy to know that Fort Collins real estate market situation is constantly improving.
This statement is further backed by the number of sales made during this year. Fort Collins has not experienced valleys and peaks as dramatic as other areas in the boom and bust times for the market. The last decade witnessed loose lending practices to steer the mortgage industry off a cliff. However, this time around, the real estate industry is all set on a sustained rebound. Lenders are scrutinizing the prospective buyers while the buyers are making more informed and practical choices. All these factors contribute to the fact that real estate situation has picked up and confirms to be a fast moving market for buyers and sellers. A laid back attitude in making a valid offer for a house can end you up on losing out on your dream house as there are plenty of buyers willing to make viable offers to the sellers.
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The present real estate market is acting just as it should on the heels of the greatest real estate boom in the last 40 years. There is a long way to fall to get back to “normal”. This falling back into a normal market, coupled with the contraction of the sub-prime mortgage market has the real estate consumer, and many homeowners in a state of fear. The various media continue to depict a very grim picture of the markets in general without distinguishing between the national market and local markets, such as the Arizona real estate market, with factors unique in the ways of population growth and investor activity. I have seen numerous articles referring to the sub-prime debacle as a global crisis. That may be taking it just a bit too far.
The truth is, there is no geopolitical significance to recent events in the U.S. real estate market and the sub-prime crisis. To rise to a level of significance, an event — economic, political, or military — must result in a decisive change in the international system, or at least, a fundamental change in the behavior of a nation. The Japanese banking crisis of the early 1990s was a geopolitically significant event. Japan, the second-largest economy in the world, changed its behavior in important ways, leaving room for China to move into the niche Japan had previously owned as the world’s export dynamo. On the other hand, the dot-com meltdown was not geopolitically significant. The U.S. economy had been expanding for about nine years, a remarkably long time, and was due for a recession. Inefficiencies had become rampant in the system, nowhere more so than in the dot-com bubble. That sector was demolished and life went on.
In contrast to real estate holdings, the dot-com companies often consisted of no real property, no real chattel, and in many cases very little intellectual property. It really was a bubble. There was virtually, (pun intended), no substance to many of the companies unsuspecting investors were dumping money into as those stocks rallied and later collapsed. There was nothing left of those companies in the aftermath because there was nothing to them when they were raising money through their publicly offered stocks. So, just like when you blew bubbles as a little kid, when the bubble popped, there was absolutely nothing left. Not so with real estate, which by definition, is real property. There is no real estate bubble! Real estate ownership in the United States continues to be coveted the world over and local markets will thrive with the Arizona Real Estate market leading the way, as the country’s leader in percent population growth, through the year 2030.
As for the sub-prime “crisis”, we have to take a look at the bigger picture of the national real estate market. To begin with, remember that mortgage delinquency problems affect only people with outstanding loans, and more than one out of three homeowners own their properties debt-free. Of those who have mortgages, approximately 20% are sub-prime. 14.5% of those are delinquent. Sub-prime loans in default make up only about 2.9% of the entire mortgage market. Now, consider that only 2/3 of homeowners have a mortgage, and the total percentage of homeowners in default on their sub-prime loans stands at around 1.9%. The remaining two-thirds of all homeowners with active mortgage prime loans that are 30 days past due or more constitute just 2.6% of all loans nationwide. In other words, among mortgages made to borrowers with good credit at application, 97.4% are continuing to be paid on time.
As for the record jumps in new foreclosure filings, again, you’ve got to look closely at the hard data. In 34 states, the rate of new foreclosures actually decreased. In most other states, the increases were minor — except in the California, Florida, Nevada, and Arizona real estate markets. These increases were attributable in part to investors walking away from condos, second homes, and rental houses they bought during the boom years.
Doug Duncan, chief economist for the Mortgage Bankers Association, says that without the foreclosure spikes in those states, “we would have seen a nationwide drop in the rate of foreclosure filings.” In Nevada, for instance, non-owner-occupied (investor) loans accounted for 32% of all serious delinquencies and new foreclosure actions. In Florida, the investor share of serious delinquencies was 25%; in Arizona, 26%; and in California, 21%. That compares with a rate of 13% for the rest of the country. This makes for some great buys for the savvy Arizona real estate investor in the area of short sales, foreclosures, and wholesale properties.
Bottom line: Those nasty foreclosure and delinquency rates you’re hearing about are for real. But they’re highly concentrated among loan types, local and regional economies, and investors who got their foot caught in the door at the end of the “boom” and are just walking away from those poorly performing properties. Most of those investors still have homes to live in, maybe more than one.
In the wake of the boom years, we now have a high inventory of homes on the market, Investors and speculators who quickly bought up homes dumped them just as quickly back on the market in hopes of a fast return. The frenzy of investors purchasing homes put pressure on inventories and drove prices up, further increasing investor activity. Then, as if all at once, many of those investors put their properties on the market, creating an imbalance in the reverse direction. With so many homes on the market, prices began to stall and then fell. Prices will continue to fall until demand chews up excess inventories.
With investors no longer a big part of housing demand, primary homeowners are slowly chipping away at the existing inventory. The Las Vegas housing market will rebound in March 2008, according to the largest and most respected appraisal firm locally. The main contributing factor to the sooner than later rebound of this southwestern city is a growing population and thriving local economy.
Arizona and Nevada are expected to lead the country in percentage population growth for the next 20-25 years. The population of Arizona is expected to approximately double during that time so we can expect a strong housing demand going forward. Normal inventory levels for Phoenix real estate are about 6-8 months. Current inventory is about 10-12 months. So, we are not far above “normal” inventories in Phoenix. There are, however, outlying cities in this large metropolis that have inventories in excess of 1 year. Queen Creek real estate inventory is the worst with approximately a 2-3 year surplus of homes on the market, mostly due to the large percentage of new homes purchased by investors and then quickly flipped back onto the resale market. Surprise and Peoria real estate markets have a 1-2 year inventory for largely the same reason. We are already seeing some Scottsdale real estate and Paradise Valley real estate prices increase in value. Billions of dollars are being poured into the local economy in the way of commercial development from the downtown area to Northeast Phoenix and Scottsdale.
The demand for Arizona homes will remain strong in years ahead as new populations create the need. The demand for housing across our great nation will remain strong as this next generation of young debutantes steps onto the home buying stage. Interest rates are still at historic lows and the lending institutions will continue to offer creative financing options. Sure, some hedge funds lost the air in their tires, but financing sub-prime loans is a high stakes game for the super rich and is not of geopolitical significance. They will find other ways to lend their billions for huge profits in the wake of this sub-prime debacle. Let’s not be gripped in the fear created by reports from all media types trying to “make news”. Let’s face it, the real numbers are not that bloody exciting. Ask yourself, is this an Arizona real estate crisis, or the perfect time to buy an affordable Arizona home? Proper timing and negotiating techniques make all the difference in the current Arizona real estate market. When choosing an Arizona realtor, trust the expertise and experience of Equity Alliance Properties.
I attended Wichita State University from 1979 through 1983 majoring in Chemistry. Enlisted the U.S. Navy in June of 1983, specializing in intelligence gathering and dissemination and tactical operations. Served onboard the U.S.S. W.S. Sims FF-1059 through April of 1987 working in Electronics Warfare in the Combat Information Center. Attended the University of the State of New York, majoring in Electronics Technologies while on Active duty. After 4 years of active duty, continued service for 2 more years in the U.S. Naval Reserves through June of 1989.
With an interest in real estate since I was just a young lad, I decided to get my real estate license in 1995, prompted by the allure of investment opportunities in this fast growing city I had found myself surrounded in. For years I helped others invest in their dream homes or make smart gains in the properties they bought and sold. I also helped my colleagues who came to this country to work from overseas find a home for their families.
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There are essentially 5 steps to being successful in real estate marketing. Before we go into the 5 steps of real estate marketing, I want to encourage you to become a student of marketing. The moment that you are able to find your own deals – on demand – the more money you will make! It’s a direct correlation.
When I started out in real estate, I didn’t understand how to “really” market for deals. I was depending upon real estate agents, local real estate investing groups, etc. I did a lot of deals, but I realized I wasn’t making the kind of money I knew I could in estate.
Follow these five steps to successful real estate marketing and you’ll be on your way to filling your own funnel full of five-figure deals.
Define Your Target Market: You must be focused; If you run in too many directions, focusing on too many real estate markets, you’ll always be skipping around, never getting ahead. You need to learn overcome objections; you need to know how to handle the different situations that arise. Once you master one market, then you can duplicate your system across market after market. For instance, you may choose to start working with foreclosures or out of state owners. Once you get the real estate marketing system in place for one, add the other. Then, you can simply duplicate it over and over again! The single most important thing to remember is that you MUST target motivated sellers… PERIOD.
Execute your plan: It has been said that successful real estate investors have three things: specialized knowledge, ability to take action, and consistency. It’s not enough to have the knowledge. You have to act on that knowledge. Let’s say your real estate marketing strategy involves bandit signs. You need to have a system for distributing signs on a consistent basis, a consistent method for filtering leads, and a bullet-proof follow up system. If you’re going to execute a direct mail campaign, make sure you have a system for sending out the whole series. For instance, our foreclosure direct mail system consists of 6 sequential postcards. It doesn’t do you any good to come off the starting block at 100mph if you don’t have the ability to sustain that pace or the have tools to fulfill the plan. If you only have the resources to send the first postcard, don’t bother wasting your money. Find another real estate marketing strategy.
Pre-screen your leads: Scribbling notes on the back of an envelope while you’re driving is not a system! We actually send our leads to a separate voicemail line or a call center depending on the marketing campaign. Our students and staff have been trained to do this because it takes emotion out of the system. If I’m having a bad day or sitting in traffic, I can’t focus on that call from the motivated seller, so all of the calls are fed through the system. We request that the seller leave certain information on the line or with the operator. We then take that information and do our basic due diligence before we even have our first conversation with the seller to find out if, in fact, he/she is a motivated seller.
Make your offer: By following a specific real estate marketing system, you’ll be prepared to make an initial offer during the first phone call. By asking the right questions and having a pre-screening sheet in front of you, you’ll quickly learn if they are a motivated seller or simply just wasting time! If your real estate marketing system has this component in place, you’ll know what the property is worth, have a ballpark idea of what the repair costs are, and will know if the seller is motivated. Consequently, you will know at what price you should make your first offer.
Contract/Exit Strategy: Once the seller has accepted our verbal offer, or is close thereto, it’s time to put the purchase offer in writing. We include 3 contingencies – or escape clauses – into the contract. – Inspection – In the event of buyer’s default, the deposit is the sole remedy – Subject to property appraisal
Based on this due diligence, we are then able to decide which exit strategy is most appropriate. All of this follows a basic flow chart process. There’s no thinking! It’s like when you call in for technical support on your computer. They ask you a question, and based on your answer… they go to the next step. This is how you want to run the marketing division of your real estate business.
Keep in mind that your real estate marketing efforts should be in concert with the types of deals you’re looking to do. For instance, if you want to flip properties, your marketing system might target motivated sellers facing foreclosure. On another note, if you’re looking to build a rental portfolio, then you might consider building a real estate marketing plan to target landlords filing evictions.
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Paper! We are besieged by bills, junk mail, school notices, insurance policies, magazines, catalogs, invitations, correspondence, warranties, receipts and bank statements. Our lives, work, home and families can require us to deal with enormous amounts of paper. It can very easily get out of hand when it’s not clear what papers to keep, where to put them and how long to keep them.
Going paperless is not the solution for everyone; nor for every type of paper coming into our homes. Fortunately, there are simple guidelines that make managing paper much less overwhelming. Taking the time to determine what type of paperwork you are keeping and where it should live is the first step.
Learn to file your reference papers
For most of us, the papers that require a dedicated space are reference documents. These documents are best for filing, so you can retrieve them efficiently. Some papers you will need to access often and others won’t be looked at for years; but when you need them you will want to be able to put your hands on them quickly. This does not mean you will need a filing cabinet. Depending on your space configuration and personal preference, there are many options to hold files.
Sort your reference documents into categories such as legal, tax records, insurance policies for property, life and auto. Label these files with titles that are meaningful to you. If you are looking for the insurance policy for your car, would it be found under Auto or Insurance? Don’t forget to include often overlooked categories in your filing, such as receipts for large purchases, warranties and manuals.
Where to keep those critically important documents
We all have some papers that would be difficult or expensive to replace. We rarely need to look at these important documents but we usually need to hold onto them for a long time. The ideal location for MOST of these documents is a safe deposit box or fire-rated safe. A safe deposit box is highly secure; a home safe is more convenient and can be accessed twenty-four hours a day. It is essential that someone you trust is aware of the contents and has access to your safe deposit box or home safe, so they can retrieve necessary documents if you’re unable to do so. Some of these critically important documents include:
marriage / death certificate
Divorce and separation agreements
Adoption and custody agreements
Settlement agreements
Social security card
Will original (signed)
Property deeds and settlement papers
Motor vehicles title and bill of sale
Proof of purchase for stocks
Mutual funds and other investments
Inventory of household
List of insurance policies
Note: There are certain documents that may seem like they belong in the safe deposit box; actually, the original should be held by the person you have assigned as the agent in these documents. These include your power of attorney, health care proxy, living will and funeral instructions.
The safest means of keeping your will is to file it with the Probate Court for the county in which you live. Your signed original will could also be stored in your safe deposit box or with your attorney. Be sure others are aware of your arrangements.
Taxes
The general assumption for taxes is seven years. BUT… if the government can prove fraud, they can audit you as far back as they wish. In the event of an audit, it is your responsibility to have all of the documentation that was used in preparation of your returns. Check with your CPA or the IRS to find out what documents are applicable to your situation and how long you need to keep them.
Anything that will need your attention shortly should be held in an easy to access location. A location in close proximity to where the mail enters the house could be convenient. Use a letter tray on a desk, a basket on your kitchen counter or a drawer as an in-box.
Be diligent about putting all paper that requires action here. Bills to pay, correspondence to write, dates that need to be added to your schedule, invitations that need response. Then act on this paper in a timely fashion. Developing these habits will take some time, so be patient. If after working with your in-box, you generate paper that needs to be saved for reference, file it immediately. This area can easily get out of control, so be strict about what gets saved here. Be careful not to use this area as a holding station for papers you haven’t given a home to.
Learn to let go!
A good part of any pile of paper can usually be thrown away or recycled. Ask yourself why you are keeping something. Could you replace it if you needed to? Is the information current? Could you get the same information somewhere else? A lot of information is available on the internet. Often schools, bookstores and civic and community organizations post schedules and other information on their web sites. Most catalogs are available on-line.
It’s important to purge your files regularly. As with all organizing, implementing routines and maintenance for paper will help keep the piles manageable. Many people hold onto years of utility and credit card bills, bank statements, receipts and cancelled checks. More often than not, this is completely unnecessary. Learn what you need to keep and for how long. When you no longer need something in a file – toss it!
Shred any paper with personal or financial information on it.
Although it is best to have most of your reference materials in one place, you may find that a different method for some other types of paper will work better. For example, designate a specific spot, maybe a nice box, for memorabilia to be held until you can organize it further. This can include photos, announcements, birthday cards, children’s art work, and letters. Resist the urge to keep everything, only hold onto those items with the most meaning and importance for you.
We often have difficulty with the last few papers in the pile because we are avoiding the decisions or the actions they require. Once you determine why you keeping something, it will be easier to decide where it should go and to locate it when you need it.
How would it feel to take control of all the paper in your life?
End the expense and frustration of lost papers and bring order and control back to your life. Making peace with the flow of paper through your home will provide you a tremendous sense of accomplishment. I can work with you to create a system that allows you to easily find what you need, when you need it!
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Today there are two certainties when shopping for almost any kind of insurance coverage; It will always be too expensive and you never seem to have enough when there is a loss. After the events of September 11th and a protracted recessionary economy insurance costs have sky rocketed in virtually every business sector.
Here are some Insurance Saving Tips – Insurance Saving Techniques that may help to reduce your insurance costs. Some of them can significantly lower your premium or even eliminate the need for a particular type of coverage. Remember that the effectiveness of any risk management technique will vary with the type of risk, size of premium and your own tolerance for risk retention.
The insurance industry is cyclical. Hard and soft markets are as certain as death and taxes. Unfortunately, the onset and duration of any new cycle is unpredictable. During a “hard market” insurance companies are desperately trying to keep their ratings up and stockholders happy by improving their bottom line. This re-underwriting process requires rate increases and the culling of unprofitable lines of business. Since the insurer is dealing with thousands of renewal policy deadlines underwriting surgery is usually performed with a machete rather than a scalpel.
If you are unfortunate enough to have experienced several claims over the past two or three years you may receive a cancellation notice instead of an offer to renew. You will then be among the ranks of those shopping for new insurance with a “bad loss ratio” in a “hard market”. Making matters worse your new potential companies are being swamped with thousands of business submissions at the time when they are re-underwriting their own book of business.
Given this information, you and your broker must present your account in the best possible light. Remember, the underwriter looking at your submission is buried in work and will make his decision in a matter of minutes. The application and supporting documentation must be complete and accurate. The claims history section of an insurance application only asks for a date of loss, type of claim and amounts paid. If you have had losses, include a good description of the loss and what you have done to eliminate the cause and prevent a re-occurrence. This alone will move you to the head of the class.
An obvious maneuver to lower your insurance cost is to raise the deductibles. Always be sure to check the premium savings versus deductible cost before making a final decision. The size of the deductible and it’s discount credit are not always proportionate. A one thousand dollar deductible may provide a 12% premium credit while a five thousand dollar deductible will result in a 15% discount. The higher amount may not be cost effective unless your property premium is in the tens of thousands of dollars. Most small businesses do not find “mega-deductibles” to be very cost effective.
Building Construction and Fire Protection:
A big piece of your property insurance premium is determined by:
the construction of the building you occupy
the type of occupancy
the age and condition of the property
the protection class or effectiveness of the fire department in your area
Surprisingly, an alarm system does not usually have a great deal of effect on your premium calculation. That does not mean you don’t have to have one. Most of the large insurers are now making an alarm system a requirement of coverage. When buying or renting a property keep these items in mind when making a final location choice.
When the economy is in a tailspin I generally counsel clients to maintain their current liability limits or even explore higher limits. Why you ask? I have found that when others are in financial trouble they often go looking for deep pockets to solve their problems.
You can however, reduce auto premiums by increasing comprehensive and collision deductibles. You can also consider an alternative to comprehensive coverage called “fire, theft and combined additional perils”. This option can result in significant savings on higher valued vehicles and you are generally just sacrificing your glass coverage.
Medical payments coverage should also be evaluated. Commercial medical rates are often disproportionately high for the amount of coverage provided. You have the option to designate which vehicles will have medical payment coverage. Questions to ask when evaluating this coverage item are:
Are the drivers and passengers in the vehicle covered under my workman’s compensation policy when they are injured?
Are members of the general public in the vehicle on a regular basis?
Are the passengers covered under any other accident or major medial policy?
Is this an essential coverage for my insurance portfolio?
Bad drivers equal bad rates. Make it clear to your employees that their tickets and at fault accidents cost you money. Always call your agent for a driving record before hiring a new employee.
Liability insurance is the stickiest and most uncertain line of coverage for your insurance carrier to write.Casualty losses for other lines of insurance are far more statistically predictable. If your building burns down the dollar loss is easily determined but when a customer is injured on your premises your financial fate is often in the hands of a jury.
Insurance companies generally charge premiums for specific activities conducted by your business. If your business offers a variety of goods and services be sure to compare the premiums being charged to your commensurate income. Very often the existence of one single exposure will prevent access to the most competitive market. For example, ABC Equestrian Center offers boarding, training, riding instruction and guided trail rides. They gross $450,000 per year of which $25,000 is generated by the trail rides. Their renewal premium increased from $8,000 to $21,000 because of the trail ride exposure and the limited number of insurers offering that type of coverage. The renewal premium could be written through another provider for $11,000 if the trail riding was discontinued.
If the equestrian facility eliminated the rental activity entirely they would probably profit by the lower premium and reduced operating costs. This risk management technique is called Avoidance. If ABC were to subcontract the trail rides to an insured sub-contractor they could continue to offer the service and still obtain the lower premium. This technique is referred to as Transference.
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Wikipedia defines a gap analysis as something that involves the comparison of actual performance with potential or desired performance. According to Searchcio, a gap analysis is a method of assessing the differences in performance between a business’ information systems or software applications to determine whether business requirements are being met and, if not, what steps should be taken to ensure they are met successfully. Put more simply, Gap refers to the space between “where we are” (the present state) and “where we want to be” (the target state). A gap analysis may also be referred to as a needs analysis, needs assessment or need – gap analysis.
No matter how you define it, essentially it is looking at where you are and where you ideally want to be, the target.
In my mind and experience, there are three phases:
Assessment – present state, where are we today
Implementation – getting started
Re-assessment – target state, what is the end goal
I will liken the process of a gap analysis to that of building a puzzle. Not a small puzzle like 10 pieces, but to that of 2,000 pieces, as those are the ones I like to build. Most gap analyses, in whatever industry it is applied (and I do it in healthcare), are typically complicated processes. As stated above in the definition, it starts with where you are and ends with where you want to be. In puzzle language it starts with the pieces and ends with the final picture/product:
Gap analysis is essentially building a Puzzle
Can you imagine taking 2,000 pieces and putting them together without knowing what the final picture is? It reminds me of an old expression that has to do with goal setting. “If you don’t know where you are going, you won’t know when you get there” (Author unknown). Usually, with a process, the end point to achieve is a best practice.
There are many ways to build a puzzle, how to start, and, three come to mind:
Put the edges together first, the outline – Most common method
Put all of the pieces out on the table face up – Least common and most difficult in my opinion
Build sections at a time and then assimilate into the big picture – Best way to get started, again in my opinion
Throughout the entire process there is one thought that must persist throughout, to get to the final picture – what are and where are the missing pieces?
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A relationship with the right referral partner could be a game changer for any BEDB company. So what if you could reverse engineer these relationships at a moment's notice, start a podcast, invite potential referral partners to be guests on your show and grow your referral network faster than ever? Learn more at sweet fish Mediacom. You're listening to the be tob growth show, a podcast dedicated to helping be to be executives achieve explosive growth. Whether you're looking for techniques and strategies or tools and resources, you've come to the right place. I'm James Carberry and I'm Jonathan Green. Let's get into the show. Welcome back to the B tob growth show. We are here today with Ellie Merman. She is the CMO of Crayon. Ellie, how you doing today? I'm doing great. Thanks much for having me. I'm excited to chat with you, Ellie. We're going to be talking about how your competitors can help you improve your...
...marketing. So it's it's a really interesting topic and when you mentioned it I thought, man, this is going to be a really fun conversation. Before we get into that, Ellie I'd love for you to explain to our listeners, just a loaded crayon and what you and your team are up to over there. Short thing. So, crown is a market intelligence company. We help companies track and, doesn't act on, everything happening in their market. So what that means is we have a platform for automated competitive intelligence as well as competitive analysis tools, so that you can find insights to help improve your business. I love it. I love it, and so, obviously, with you guys, with you guys living and breathing, in this case, it makes perfect sense why you are the person to talk about how your competitors can help you improve your marketing. So, as we're talking about this idea leading into this conversation, Ellie, you mentioned this idea of shortcutting best practices. Could you elaborate on on that idea bit and and tie it back to how that helps us use our competitors to make our marketing better? Yes,...
...absolutely so. You know, if we think a step back and think about why we even need to bother looking at our competitors, certainly no business operates in a vacuum and your marketing efforts Ye for the same attention as the for the prospects that your competitors are going after. But that's not actually a bad thing. Having your competitors there and your their marketing campaigns available to you can help you improve your own campaigns and shortcutting best practices is a great way to do that. You know, by looking at what your competitors are doing on their websites, with their landing pages, with their SEO efforts, what they're a be testing on their sites, can be a great way for you to almost expand the the size and the bandwidth of your own team to learn from their own tests. So Great. Example, we have a customer in the Waste Management Space and there are a small team. Waste Management is this giant industry with national companies and they've been monitoring their big national rivals and those rivals...
00:03:06 - 00:04:00
...honestly have more resources, they have bigger budgets, they have bigger teams, they just have more bandwidth to run more campaigns and do more testing. And so what they've been doing is looking at what they're testing, looking at their lighting page tests, looking at the SEO work that they're doing on their site and saying, Oh wait, what are they doing there? They're, you know, changing this thing about the Metadata of the page. Let me see how I comply those same learnings to my site so that I don't need this bigger team to take advantage of these best practices. Yeah, that makes perfect sense. I've heard of folks you kind of signing up for their competitors email list go through their funnel and see what emails they're sending when. But it makes perfect sense, if you've got the technology that's going to enable to you to do it, to see, okay, what are they be testing? What are the you know, what are they changing from an Seo Perspective on their site? So that makes perfect sense and I love how you explained that.
00:04:00 - 00:05:01
It really expand and it's almost like expanding your team into theirs by being able to leverage, you know, what their team is doing to improve what they're you know how they're going to market in that and the marketing efforts that they're deploying. The next thing you talked about offline, Ellie, was this idea of finding white space in your market. Can you talk to us about that idea? Yeah, absolutely so. I especially think about the white space as it relates to really popular marketing strategies like content marketing. Certainly every business has a blog. Now everyone's doing those, taking this content marketing approach, which means it's that much harder to stand out with that right. If you rewind a decade, you know, if you had a blow, you were instantly the best marketer in your industry. Yes, not really the case anymore, and so looking at where your competitors are investing can help you figure out, all right, how do I differentiate my marketing approach so that I can...
00:05:01 - 00:06:01
...stand out, so we're not all just writing the same blog post every single week and promoting it on the same channels. How do I figure out where that white space is and so that can apply to channels, you know, whether it's twitter versus facebook, versus medium, versus Youtube, what have you. Media formats, you know, do you do short or form, long form, video, multi media? And then also topics. I think that one of the things that a lot of competitive industries resultant is everybody's kind of rephrasing the same idea over and over again and it's really hard for prospects to tell the difference between what what all of them are really push record. So looking at that can really help you figure out, all right, they're not none of our competitors are investing in long form ebook content. Maybe that's a way for us to stand out. And so actually there was a company in the staffing and recruiting space, cource, very crowded lot of companies in the same thing. They did exactly that. They looked at the content formats,...
...they looked at the topics that their competitors were using and weren't using, and they started to invest in those, those white space areas, and they saw more social engagement because it was really unique content. They saw more website traffic as a result because, hey, there were the only ones really producing that, and they also got more third party coverage. Is that it have an interesting angle for some of that differentiated content marketing. You can get more news coverage and more people writing about what you're doing because you're being unique in your protect yeah, so it's a not just capitalizing on what your competition is doing by trying to emulate what they're doing, but but also looking at what they're not doing, and it really really pressing into that why space makes makes a whole lot sense. This last one that we're going to talk about, Ellie, is societea of inspiring new approaches tell us about this one. Yeah, so one of my favorite things about our competitive intelligence approach is not just looking...
...at your direct competitors. I think a lot of folks when they think about monitoring their competitors, they think about the people they go head tohead with in every sales conversation, but you can actually learn a lot from less direct competitors, whether it's, you know, even partners or your customers as well. And what I also consider or what I call aspirational competitors to these are companies that are not really people that come up in a sales process. You don't go head tohead with them, but there is some amount of overlap in the types of customers that you go after and the the product approach or there's just some sort of overlap in and what you're offering, and so I love monitoring those companies as something that I actually do. I look at companies that are not really doing market intelligence, but they do like deep data in different parts of the marketing sphere, and so it's really fascinating to see how they approach marketing because we have in some ways similar products and similar customers, but they've...
00:08:03 - 00:09:03
...been around a lot longer, they have much bigger teams as a similar to the kind of shortcutting the best practices. There's an opportunity to get inspired by them. So I love looking at them for pr ideas seeing what they what they use to get coverage, looking at unique marketing campaigns to say, you know, I don't have the same amount of bandwidth as they do, but maybe there are unique things that are working for them that would also work for us and it wouldn't be competitive. And then even looking at things like positioning. If we have a similar product as it relates to data and insights, how did they position that? How do they write case studies around it? Think that there's a lot of great inspiration that comes from looking at these less direct competitive folks. That's that's fantastic, allie. This is this has been incredible. You've given me a ton of ideas. If there's somebody listening to this, they want to stay connected with you or they want to learn more about Crayon and how you guys can come alongside their marketing efforts and help them...
00:09:03 - 00:10:05
...do a lot of what we just talked about. What's the best way for them to go about doing both of those things? Yeah, so feel free to check out our website. That's Crayon DOTCO. We have lots of information, lots of educational content and a couple of free products as well, so you can kind of dabble in that and see what we're all about. I love it. I love it and and they can. I was just looking around on your website side. If you if you go around and check out their team, you'll see you'll see la and and where she's living on Linkedin, and so would and would encourage everyone to make sure and stay connected with her, follow her on Linkedin and make sure that you stay up to date on everything they've got going on. La, this has been incredible. Again, thank you so much for your time. Thank you. There are lots of ways to build a community and we've chosen to build the BEDB growth community through this podcast. But because of the way podcasts work, it's really hard to engage with our listeners and without engagement it's tough to build a great community.
00:10:07 - 00:10:41
So here's what we've decided to do. We're organizing small dinners across the country with our listeners and guests. No sales pitches, no agenda, just great conversations with likeminded people. Will Talk Business will talk family, will talk goals and dreams, will build friendships. So if you'd like to be a part of a BEDB growth dinner in a sitting near you, go to be to be growth dinnerscom. That's be toob growth dinnerscom. Thank you so much for listening. Until next time.
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In this episode we hear from Michaela Alexis, President of Grade A Digital.
In this episode we talk to Meghan Bamford, Content Writer at Primal Tribe.
527: 7 Steps Teams Can Take to Do Big Things w/ Craig Ross
In this episode we talk to Craig Ross, CEO of Verus Global and Author of Do Big Things.
Description: In this episode we talk to Rachel Krug, Director of Product Marketing at Right Networks.
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Business Companies 03 Oct 2018 Innovations for festive sales help build capabilities for future: Flipkart
Business, Companies
Innovations for festive sales help build capabilities for future: Flipkart
Flipkart, which will host its Big Billion Days (BBD) sale from October 10-14 this year, has doubled its warehousing capacity.
The company has also expanded its network of delivery hubs from 600 to over 900 this year to enable 1.8X delivery capability per day.
New Delhi: Flipkart has significantly expanded its infrastructure and delivery operations ahead of the festive sale, an investment that the Walmart-backed company believes will help further strengthen its capabilities in the long-term.
Flipkart, which will host its Big Billion Days (BBD) sale from October 10-14 this year, has doubled its warehousing capacity and now has over 65 fulfilment centres and more than 60 'mother hubs' that will cater to the expected spike in demand during the festive sale.
"BBD pushes us to innovate in every area, including supply and logistics. It helps us build capabilities for long-term. Each BBD is bigger than the previous one and sets a new normal -- for both business and innovation -- for the future," Flipkart Senior Vice President of Engineering (Supply Chain) Krishna Raghavan told PTI.
"We have been working multiple months in advance and have doubled our storage capacity this year. This not only helps in speedier delivery to customers but also enables sellers to stock and better plan their inventory in advance," he said but declined to comment on investment details.
Raghavan added that the cumulative capacity now stands at about 9.5 million sq ft.
The company has also expanded its network of delivery hubs from 600 to over 900 this year to enable 1.8X delivery capability per day compared to a normal day. Besides, about 30,000 new delivery staff have been added over the past many weeks, including freelance workers who are part timers. These personnel were inducted after a proper background screening and given training for 1-4 weeks.
"While the hiring number does see a ramp-up ahead of BBD, it is also important to note that we have been expanding 'Fquick' or the freelance network, which now has affiliates from 40 cities...This provides us capacity flexibility at our last mile delivery hubs, leading to spillage reduction and cost efficiency -- not only during sale period but beyond that as well," he said.
He also cited an example of geo-coding of addresses using machine learning, artificial intelligence and data science to ensure faster and effective delivery even in remote parts of the country.
Raghavan said the focus of all these initiatives is to ensure fast and efficient delivery across categories, be it large appliances or grocery. The network has also been strengthen to support Flipkart's product exchange programme that has been expanded aggressively, especially in tier II cities and beyond.
About 20 million people are expected to shop on various e-commerce platforms during the festive sale next month, translating into sales of around USD 3 billion for players like Amazon and Flipkart, according to a report by research firm RedSeer. Flipkart's rival Amazon India will kick off its festive sale from October 10-15.
The RedSeer report states that the share of items like electronics and furniture during the sale could be higher this year due to various affordability initiatives being undertaken by the e-commerce players. Mobile phones currently account for a lion's share of sales on the two leading e-commerce platforms.
Like in offline retail, e-commerce companies see a significant jump in sales during Dussehra and Diwali. The September-November period typically generates a majority of the annual sales of these companies, which prepare months in advance for the sale event.
The festive sale not only brings in discounts and deals for customers but is also an annual showdown of sorts between the two largest players -- Flipkart and Amazon India. The competition between Flipkart and US-based Amazon this year is expected to be even fiercer as both companies have invested significantly through the year to ramp up product offerings as well as logistics infrastructure to ensure speedier delivery.
While Flipkart now has the backing of US retail giant Walmart (via a USD 16 billion deal signed earlier this year), Amazon India too has received funding through the year from the US parent across operations like marketplace and payments.
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The term “cash backed guarantee” can be misleading. When a bank issues a Bank Guarantee it is always a promise to pay (cash) in accordance with the specific verbiage (terms) contained within the format. The issuing bank will honour their obligation despite any underlying security they have obtained from the provider.
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We can introduce you to boutique finance companies that specialise in delivering corporate funding.
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We have a range of useful documents and information to assist you with gaining finance for your projector company.
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We answer your questions in relation to Bank Guarantees. Click here to get the answers you need to make an informed decision.
The term “cash backed” when used in conjunction with a bank guarantees is a complete irrelevance. When a bank issues a bank guarantee it is a promise to pay in accordance with verbiage contained within the format, and will accordingly honour their obligation despite any underlying security they have obtained from the provider.
The term cash-backed is usually used by those individuals or companies who may not have full knowledge of the bank guarantee market and seek to simplify the terms in order to sell the concept to clients more easily. Where this is the case this should be warning to potential clients that the company or individual they are consulting may not have the necessary expertise.
If upfront payments are requested before any compliance procedure, or indicative offer has ben made this should be a cause for concern. If you wish to know more details about bank guarantees, please get in contact with one of our experts.
If you have any further questions on this or any other subject related to bank guarantees, then you can search our frequently asked questions where you will hopefully find the answer you are looking for. Alternatively you can ask us a question and we will answer it for you.
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Posted in Gospel of Marcion, Marcion, The first century, The second century Tagged docetism permalink
The prior posts in this series have alerted us to the dual meanings of “gospel” in antiquity, and also to the argument—apparently broached here for the first time—that Tertullian (the primary ancient witness to Marcion’s “gospel”) never had a text of the arch-heretic in mind at all.
In support of this view one can point to the astonishing fact that in all of Tertullian’s five books Against Marcion (AM), one nowhere encounters a clear citation from a text that we could call the “Gospel of Marcion” (see below). This is damning, for it is impossible that the Church Father would critique a text while never offering a quotation from that text! Who critiques a text without repeatedly citing it? After all, such a citation would be very easy to pen: “Marcion writes [such-and-such]…” With the arguable exception of the Antitheses, however (see AM IV.1), Tertullian never communicates that Marcion has written anything. We do not encounter the locution “According to what Marcion writes…” or equivalent language. Instead (over and over!) we encounter statements such as: “The heretic of Pontus introduces two Gods…” (I.2), “how arrogantly do the Marcionites build up their stupid system” (I.8), and so on. Now, “introducing” and “building up” are Tertullian’s opinion. They do not allow us to conclude that Marcion wrote anything. Even less do they allow us to speculate on the wording of such alleged writing by the arch-heretic.
We see from myriad such citations in his Against Marcion that Tertullian is critiquing something far more fundamental and dangerous than a single text. He is in a death combat against nothing less than a subtle and profound “system.” The Church Father is fighting against an entire theology! This helps explain his five massive volumes. It is wrong to suppose (as does modern scholarship) that the Church Father expends so much ink parsing and correcting a single text that he never even quotes.
The high ground of priority
Furthermore—and this must have been particularly galling to the Roman Church—Marcion’s system was first. It predated orthodoxy. We know this from the three stages of christology set out in another post:
Stage 1: Jesus is the purely abstract gnosis [GThomas]
Stage 3: Jesus, and he alone, is at once man and God [Canonical gospels]
From reading the several Church Fathers’ attacks on Marcion’s theology (particularly those of Tertullian) it is clear that the arch-heretic’s christology belonged to Stage 2 above. For Marcion, “Jesus” was a spirit that indwells the saint. Like Paul, then, Marcion was a docetist: the saving aspect of the Godhead is not fleshly, but spiritual. Marcion, however, seems to have gone one step further than Paul—he proposed two Gods: one (superior) of the spirit, the other (inferior) of the material creation.
The figure ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ as we have seen, belongs to Stage 3. That figure is late—clearly a second century development. Thus, we see that Marcion’s incisive theology predated that of the Great Church. In this sense, Marcion’s “gospel” indeed predated the canonical gospels (as Vinzent and Klinghardt maintain). The problem, however, is that Marcion’s “gospel” was never the text that modern scholarship has, for over a hundred years, attempted to reconstruct word-for-word and verse-by-verse.
We can now appreciate the massive challenge facing Tertullian. The incipient Roman Church—with its new figure Jesus of Nazareth—had to combat a deep theology that was already on the ground in many places and was well developed. So it is that Tertullian uses the most potent weapons at his disposal: the recently written canonical Gospels with their fabulous new hero and savior, Jesus of Nazareth. Tertullian uses those texts (not only the Gospel of Luke) against Marcion’s whole theology.
In order to combat the priority of Marcion, Tertullian attempts to reverse the order of history. He accuses Marcion of having theologically (not textually!) “mutilated” the Gospel of Luke—thus making Marcion second. At the same time, the Church Father claims that all four canonical gospels came down from the twelve apostles themselves (AM IV.5)—thus, attempting to establish an unbroken chain of authority back to “Jesus of Nazareth” himself. Of course, we know that those apostles were themselves creations of the canonical gospels (as also was Jesus of Nazareth). This is just another circular argument—so typical of Tertullian.
However, knowing that Marcion’s theology was in fact first, we can use Tertullian’s own words against himself: “… a late date is the mark of forgers, and that authority of churches which lends support to the tradition of the apostles; because truth must needs precede the forgery, and proceed straight from those by whom it has been handed on” (AM IV.5). This is correct, but according to Tertullian’s logic it is Marcion’s theology that receives the palm of “truth,” while Tertullian’s theology must be branded “forgery.”
For his rebuttal against Marcion’s theology, Tertullian may have arbitrarily selected the Gospel of Luke because the third gospel was the latest of the synoptics (see AM IV.2). Thus, if the Church Father could convince his readers that Marcion’s theology postdated Luke, then he would also have convinced them that Marcion’s theology postdated the entire synoptic tradition. One of Tertullian’s main goals was to convince readers that ‘Marcion is late. Jesus of Nazareth (as known from the canonical gospels) is early.’
Tertullian was familiar with the doctrine (he calls it “gospel”) of Marcion principally through the Antitheses, a fairly short “dower” (the word used in the Roberts-Donaldson translation) of Marcion’s theology. The Church Father writes:
Every opinion and the whole scheme the impious and sacrilegious Marcion we now bring to the test of that very gospel [read: doctrine] which, by his process of interpolation [read: mutilation], he has made his own. To encourage a belief of this gospel he has actually devised for it a sort of dower, in a work composed of contrary statements, and compiled with a view to such a severance of the law from the gospel as should divide the deity into two, nay, diverse, gods—one for each instrument, or testament as it is more usual to call it; that by such means he might also patronize belief in “the gospel according to the Antitheses.” (AM IV.1)
Tertullian here explicitly states that Marcion’s “gospel” is encompassed in the work called Antitheses. By “dower,” then, we should understand a summary of the heretic’s theology/gospel in the form of “contrary statements.” It is probable that Marcion himself communicated his theology in the form of effective, pithy antitheses. Whether he wrote them down, however, is not certain. This task may even have been accomplished by Tertullian himself, who may have penned a list of the heretic’s antitheses as a ready reference for rebuttal. So, we can infer that the Antitheses were definitely a theology and probably also (at some point in time) a written text. They encompassed the “gospel” of Marcion. It becomes clear that the five books Against Marcion penned by Tertullian are essentially against the Antitheses. In this light, the following passage is revealing:
What, if [the Marcionites] have denied that [Marcion] held the primitive faith among ourselves, in the face even of his own letter? What, if they do not acknowledge the letter? They, at any rate, receive his Antitheses; and more than that, they make ostentatious use of them. Proof out of these is enough for me. For if the gospel [read: “doctrine”], said to be Luke’s which is current among us (we shall see whether it be also current with Marcion), is the very one which, as Marcion argues in his Antitheses… (AM IV.4, emphases added.)
Here Tertullian is explicit: the “gospel” that he refutes is “the very one” that Marcion “argues in his Antitheses.” Nothing could be clearer. The Church Father combats the theology found there, particularly the theology of two gods and the theology of the docetic Jesus. He writes: “The principal, and indeed the whole, contention [of Marcion] lies in the point of number: whether two Gods may be admitted…” (AM I.3); “In the first place, how arrogantly do the Marcionites build up their stupid system, bringing forward a new god…” (AM I.8); etc. Many additional citations could be mustered to show that Tertullian is combating a theology, one summarized in the Antitheses (whether written or not) of Marcion.
To understand the concept of docetism it is first necessary to understand what was meant by “Jesus.” In the first christological stage noted above, “Jesus” was not identified with materiality, nor with the flesh, nor with any person—“Jesus” was the saving gnosis.
In Stage 2 the saving gnosis indwelled one or more human beings. In this stage, however, “Jesus” was emphatically not the same as the fleshly human vessel(s). “Jesus” was, rather, the saving spiritual entity. According to this christology, flesh/materiality was of no account. When we understand this concept, we can see how pointing at a person and saying “There is [the] Jesus” is not directing the attention to a human being at all, but to the divine element inside that person.
There exists a misconception today, one fostered by the malicious Church Fathers of ancient times. It lies at the very root of the word “docetism” (from Gk. dokein, “to seem”). The docetists never thought that Jesus “seemed” to have a body. For the believers in the christological Stage 2, the divine spiritual Jesus was entirely separate from the flesh which, as we have noted, was of no account. Jesus was not a phantom. He was not a spirit walking about without a body. “It” was a spirit using a body to walk about, but separate from that body. We today might call this ‘spirit possession’—but with divine, rather than demonic overtones. This was Marcion’s christology, Paul’s christology and, it would appear, the christology that dominated in the first century CE.
With the foregoing in mind we can understand some of Tertullian’s accusations against Marcion. The Church Father writes that “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius (for such is Marcion’s proposition) [Jesus] ‘came down to the Galilean city of Capernaum'” (AM IV.7). If Tertullian was accurate here regarding Marcion’s views, this means that the heretic held that the divine spirit ( = Jesus) came down from heaven and indwelled a human being, one who lived during the reign of Tiberius and in the town of Capernaum (the hometown of Jesus according to the Gospel of Mark). I have some doubt that the reference to Capernaum and the “reign of Tiberius” actually go back to Marcion—I suspect that Tertullian is imputing elements of the orthodox Jesus story to the heretic. Be that as it may—and putting aside all notions from the later canonical gospels (admittedly difficult for most of us to do)—there is nothing in Marcion’s belief here that limits Jesus to one person, or that identifies “Jesus” with the flesh of any man.
Tertullian is elsewhere more explicit on Marcion’s christology: “Marcion has laid down the position that Christ—who in the days of Tiberius was by a previously unknown god revealed for the salvation of all nations—is a different being from him who was ordained by God the creator…” (AM IV.6). Here Tertullian is simply explaining the Stage 2 christology in Marcionite terms: the “Christ” Jesus was the spiritual entity (come from the unknown god) which indwelled a human being (fashioned by the creator god) “for the salvation of all nations.”
We will see in the next and final post in this series on the “Gospel of Marcion” that Tertullian was engaged not in combating a text, but in a major struggle between christologies: the figure “Jesus of Nazareth” (Stage 3) against the docetic conception of Jesus as a divine spirit indwelling multiple hostile bodies of flesh (Stage 2).
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René Salm is the author of two books on New Testament archeology and manages the companion website www.NazarethMyth.info.
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Comments
You say T never communicates that Marcion wrote anything with “arguable exception of the Antitheses”.
I think it is more than merely “arguable” that T says M wrote something. In I.19, T seems very clearly to say Marcionites had a document known as the “Anti-theses” or possibly known as “Marcion’s Gospel” (I suppose, though, who wrote it is another matter). Thus:
“The separation of Law and Gospel is the primary and principal exploit of Marcion. His disciples cannot deny this, which stands at the head of their document, that document by which they are inducted, into and confirmed in this heresy. For such are Marcion’s Anti-theses, or Contrary Oppositions, which are designed to show the conflict and disagreement of the Gospel and the Law, so that from the diversity of principles between those two documents [Gospel/Anti-theses and Law?] they may argue further for a diversity of gods.” Adv Mar I.19
Thanks. I’ve tried to leave open the question of whether the Antitheses was written, and who wrote it. If the citation you furnish (AM I.19) is an accurate translation, it indeed describes a written document—furthermore, one “by which [Marcionites] are inducted” (baptismal?). I find it a bit maddening trying to extract solid evidence from what T writes, given his wide latitude for dissembling and his extreme partisanship. IMO, everything he writes must be treated with caution.
Agree, and further, his 5 volume treatise was apparently completed in 207CE, by which date he had already joined with the Montanists–so what benefit would Tertullian have derived, by arguing against Marcion? Why would he publish such a text? Was Tertullian really a believer in Trinitarianism, and also a believer in the superiority of the Paraclete, who Montanus claimed, spoke directly to adherents? Seems to me, that Tertullian must have rejected Trinitarianism, in favor of the ecstasy of Montanus.
I am puzzled why Hippolytus of Rome, who wrote, in Greek, against both Marcion and Montanism, seems to have not mentioned Tertullian’s compositions on these same two subjects, though Hippolytus (Philosophumena) had written just a decade or two after Tertullian’s death. Did any author cite Tertullian, before Eusebius and his son, Jerome? How do we know, with any conviction, that the entire corpus of Tertullian is not fabricated, whole cloth, decades after his death?
Klaus Schilling on 06/13/2018 at 1:06 am said:
According to Stuart Waugh, almost all patristic writings have been manipulated or fabricated after the time of the Decian proscription in the middle of the third century.
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These pint-sized humans are full of sass and dirt, and know exactly how to push your buttons to try and get their way. Allison is no exception; she’s a sweet girl, but try and change something in her routine, and she goes insane. Mornings are the worst; have you ever tried to get a toddler ready that didn’t want to get ready? Yeah. I feel for you. I’ve had to work to figure out how to get her to listen and make mornings, and the whole day, go more smoothly. Luckily, I found someone that Allison looks up to, that will actually make her stop and pay attention.
His name is Daniel Tiger.
I’ve written a few posts on Daniel before (See: Potty training and how Daniel Tiger changed the way I parent my toddler), but really, his shows are a staple in this household. He’s encouraged Allison to try new foods, to work together, to keep trying, and now to help transition into new activities. The magic happens in the episode with the song, “It’s almost time to stop, so choose one more thing to do!” Instead of just telling her to get up to get ready (Which causes major fits), I leave some extra time in there to help her transition. Is it tedious? Sometimes, but it works.
It causes less tears
Allison’s such a delicate little flower. At the first sign of a firm or raised voice, she freaks out and gets that lower lip pout, and once that starts, it’s all over. You can forget about leaving on time, because she turns into a bawling pile of mush screaming about “I don’t want to go anywhere!” or “I don’t want to do anything, ever again!” And this used to happen just about every time we got ready to leave.
But with One More Thing, she realizes, “Hey, I still have some time to play!” And she’ll happily choose the last thing she wants to do. If you have a sensitive toddler like I do, I feel for you, because it’s tough. But One More Thing really has changed Allison’s temperament in the mornings, and I’ll continue doing this as long as it works!
As a mom, you know that toddlers thrive on routine. If one thing gets thrown off, their world comes crashing down and there’s no getting them back up again. One example, for us, is at dinnertime. I’m that mom that lets my daughter play with her tablet for 40+ minutes while I cook, every day, because it’s easy and keeps her happy. If something changes- like we get home late and all I have to do is make a 2-minute sandwich for us- and she doesn’t have time to play with her tablet, she explodes, throwing herself on the ground because she ALWAYS plays with her tablet before dinner. But it’s the strangest thing: Let her play with it, even for just the 5 minutes it takes to throw dinner together, and she’s perfectly fine.
It’s that routine that makes a toddler’s world go round, and I aim to keep that routine in place as much as possible. If I try to tell Allison we don’t have time for one more thing, it just doesn’t work now. It’ll take longer to calm her down enough to get ready than it will to just let her do one more thing; so it’s all on me to make sure I leave plenty of time to help transition.
It lets her know who’s in charge
I know a lot of what I said above makes it sound like Allison rules our lives, but it’s really the opposite. Allowing her to do one more thing still puts me in charge, because after that thing is done, I’m strict about letting her know it’s time to get ready. Sometimes there are still tears, but a rule is a rule. If I bend even a little, she’ll try the same thing again, every single time. Toddlers are smart, and they learn really quickly how to play you. Just keep at it and make sure that routine stays in place!
With all this being said, keep in mind that this probably won’t work all the time. Of course not, because we have toddlers that are unpredictable and will throw fits even if what comes next is what they WANT to do. But consistency is key, and even if it doesn’t work all the time, One More Thing is a sure-fire way to create a routine and help your toddler transition. Thanks, Daniel Tiger, for once again helping moms everywhere with creating pleasant toddlers!
Do you, or did you, also suffer from helping move your kids along during the day? Feel free to post suggestions in the comments; I know we need all the help we can get!
By Author Jaime
Posted on Last updated: July 7, 2017
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Sunday 9th of July 2017
I found your blog from the OAD Facebook group. My singleton is 8 now, but I did something similar-just worded differently. I refused to fight with a toddler, sometimes tricking him into thinking he got his way made things easier. Then I'm the end we would still do what I needed to do.
My husband worked nights until my son was 7 1/2, so I had to do what I could to survive.
Sunday 9th of July 2017
Sometimes tricking your kids is what you've gotta do! =) I've been known to do that too. Making Allison think she's in charge has saved me from a ton of headaches.
Friday 7th of July 2017
I do something kind of similar for nap time I do a count down starting about 15 minutes from nap time and then count down every 5 minutes letting them know how much longer they have to play and then I give them a 2 and 1 minute count down. It really seems to help alot with the transition from play time to nap time!
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UNCASVILLE, Conn. (February 20, 2022) – #5-Logan Storley (13-1) defeated #4-Neiman Gracie (11-3) via unanimous decision (48-47, 50-45, 49-46)
Logan Storley following his win: “That fight right there, I had to dig deep. That’s those farm roots. That’s Midwest. Figuring out who you are in the fourth round and coming back.
“I was stung for a little bit but I was playing and moving. And then he started wearing himself out and I landed it. I’m a fighter now. That proved it right there. Any doubt I ever had about taking a punch, fighting the best guys – that’s the No. 4 guy in the world – and I just beat him. It was 25 minutes on the feet. That was the most fun I’ve ever had competing in my life.
“I want the belt. That’s why I got in this business. I didn’t get it done at the NCAA level and that drives me today. To be the best in the world. Once I’m the best in the world, then it’s time to go do something else. I want to be the best in the world and I want the title next.”
#9-Andrey Koreshkov (25-4) defeated Chance Rencountre (16-5) via TKO (body kick) at :38 of round one
Andrey Koreshkov returns with a vengeance: ““It’s what we prepared for. The spinning back-kick is like a tradition for Storm School. Hey BELLATOR, I know you prepare many tournaments in Europe. And I know one guy – Paul Daley – I want to kick his ass. He doesn’t like wrestling just like me. We will show a great stand-up fight and I will knock him out.”
Adam Piccolotti (13-4) defeated Georgi Karakhanyan (31-13-1, 1 NC) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Adam Piccolotti continues his winning ways: “I’d give myself a B+. My jiujitsu was an A. My jiujitsu was on point. My wrestling felt really strong. My striking was a little hesitant. It was a mixture. It was me being a little hesitant but it was also me having a ton of respect for Georgi. I knew Georgi was ready to come in and have a firefight. He was ready to wait for me to make any sort of opening or any sort of mistake. He was going to try to make it a dogfight which is the opposite fight of what I wanted to have tonight. It was a strong B+.
“I want somebody in the top five. I don’t care. There’s a lot of good guys in my division right now but there’s no one better than me.”
Brennan Ward (15-6) defeated Brandon Bell (10-11) via TKO (punches) at 0:32 of round two
Brennan Ward after his return to BELLATOR: “Everybody who came out, thank you. I got support from every aspect of my life. I know I got my Union brothers in here. I got my two coaches right there. They’ve been with me throughout this whole rollercoaster. And my family, my girl, my daughter, my parents, my sister, everybody – I came here tonight for myself and I came here tonight to show the world that you can go to hell and you can come back. You can come back.
“A lot of days away. Brandon Bell took some shots. I thought I was going to knock him out. He’s a tough guy, man. It felt good. It felt good to be back. I’ve got a lot more to show. And I got more to come. You know that you’re going to have to see me face a top 10 guy next. You know it. You know I have to.”
“I see a lot of these dudes in the top 10 I respect. I know Scott Coker is going to pick me out somebody good. Test one of these young guys that you got. Test one of these young guys like I used to get tested when I was a young guy coming up. I’m the gatekeeper now. Test one of these young boys against me!”
#8-Davion Franklin (5-0) defeated#9–Said Sowma (8-3) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Davion Franklin had this to say following his win: ““I was just trying to get him off me. I knew he wanted to hold me against the fence and try to tire me out. It didn’t work so I knew I needed to figure something out to get him off me. I would like to fight Linton Vassell next sometime over the summer. That would give me enough time to continue to correct some errors I made tonight.”
Nick Browne (13-1) defeated Mandel Nallo (8-2, 1 NC) via TKO (punches) at 2:20 of round two
Jaylon Bates (5-0) defeated Chris Disonell (6-5) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 0:00 of round three
Bobby King (11-4) defeated #9–Aviv Gozali (6-1) via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of round one
#7-DeAnna Bennett (12-7-1) defeated Justine Kish (7-5) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Jordan Newman (4-0) defeated Cody Herbert (2-1) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Justin Montalvo (5-0) defeated Corey Samuels (3-3) via TKO (punches) at 2:43 of round one
Isaiah Hokit (1-1) defeated Theodore Macuka (1-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:59 of round one
Jonathan Di Lorenzo (2-0) defeated Orlando Mendoza (0-2) via submission (D’arce Choke) at 1:07 of round one
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Syracuse Fire Department members use their ladder truck to rescue a female from Highway Overpass on I-81 on the edge of Hiawatha Boulevard bridge, Sept. 17, 2022.
Fire officials are warning city leaders that supply chain challenges could delay the shipment of much needed replacement vehicles unless orders are placed well ahead of time.
The city's fire engines don't get much rest between calls, and that means plenty of wear and tear during their 15-year lifespan. Fire officials usually plan well ahead for the purchase of new rigs, but Executive Deputy Fire Chief Rick Kisselstein told Syracuse Common Councilors that they need to place orders earlier than normal, especially because of supply and demand issues.
"The longer we wait to get in line to ask for these to be put into their queue to be built, the longer that we need to wait for them to come to us. Normally about 14 months for a build, and now they're out to about three years," Kisselstein said.
All fire apparatuses are custom-built to the specifications of each municipality, so that means fire engines aren't sitting around ready to be shipped at a moment's notice.
Consequently, the need to place an order so early creates some budget headaches for the city. Fire officials are asking the councilor's permission at Monday's meeting to issue $2.6 million in bonds for two fire engines, even though the rigs likely won't be finished until 2025.
Syracuse Budget Director Tim Rudd said the vendor just needs a guarantee the city is ready and able to pay up when the time comes.
"We're not going to bond now. We're just getting permission to bond because we don't pay now. We're going to pay when they deliver it," Rudd said
This issue is likely to come before the council in the future. Syracuse Chief Administrative Officer Frank Caliva said placing orders early will likely be the norm for a while.
"In the case of large items like this, that's very likely until the supply chain smooths out," Caliva. "But for the foreseeable future, I would say that the fleet manager is likely to start coming earlier, asking for permission earlier to bond."
City fire and budget officials said chances are very slim that the orders will be filled early, forcing the city to issue bonds sooner than expected. Councilors are expected to act on the fire department's request during its Monday meeting.
Scott Willis covers politics, local government, transportation, and arts and culture for WAER. He came to Syracuse from Detroit in 2001, where he began his career in radio as an intern and freelance reporter. Scott is honored and privileged to bring the day’s news and in-depth feature reporting to WAER’s dedicated and generous listeners. You can find him on twitter @swillisWAER and email him at srwillis@syr.edu.
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There are plenty of aspects which can have an effect on the cost of your vehicle insurance coverage quality. Driving safely and securely and responsibly might help reduce your insurance coverage expenditures. Acquire into account the make and model of your vehicle, its benefit and how it can be utilised. It is more very likely that you just get into a mishap if you travel for extended distances. Obtaining the best plan for you is the best way to decrease your coverage charges.
Address
The cost of coverage can differ from $1,one hundred to up to $5,000 for the normal car operator. It is vital to recognize that fees vary from 1 condition and Yet another. In specified states, the complete coverage may Value much more given that the bare minimum coverage. Here are a few strategies to find the most benefit. In sure states, a minimum amount liability Restrict just isn’t required. The complete protection normally provides a $five hundred deductible.
Since specified motor vehicles cost greater than Other people so choosing the most effective motor vehicle is vital. On top of that, some autos tend to be more expensive to repair and replace, And so the insurance plan prices are generally bigger. A thoroughly clean driving record is more likely to get lower rates. Premiums can also be motivated In accordance with gender and. Youthful drivers are typically viewed as far more risky than drivers that are more senior. Coverage providers can use credit history scores in an effort to calculate insurance policies rates. Some states have legal guidelines prohibiting using credit scores.
Different types and kinds of automobile insurance policies
You will discover 6 varieties for auto coverage. It is possible to personalize your plan to meet numerous situations by including this protection. You will also want to ensure that you’ve got liability insurance policies. In most states the necessity for legal responsibility insurance policies is Obligatory. On the other hand you could choose a special kind if you favor. Liability insurance plan covers the driver of your respective automobile so you during the occasion you are at fault for an accident. It pays for the injuries of Other individuals and damages, as well medical fees.
A normal policy will contain many varieties of protection, which includes legal responsibility, collision, in depth, uninsured/underinsured motorist, and health-related payments. They are all vital and it is best to ensure that you’ve got enough of them. These coverages could possibly be essential in certain states. Some states may not demand. Freeway Insurance coverage will help you to select the most effective protection to satisfy your specifications. It will assist you to conserve time and cash by delivering a number of insurance policies alternatives.
Specifications for automobile coverage
Every single condition has its possess bare minimum vehicle coverage prerequisites. The regulation is broken down into three numbers. In California, one example is, you will be required to carry at the very least 15/30/5 in bodily harm liability insurance coverage, and 30/50/5 during the property destruction legal responsibility. The quantities may well range widely, so it is best to examine your condition’s needs just before driving. Despite the fact that substitute insurance can be possible, it is not generally a really perfect selection.
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Irrespective of whether you have collision coverage on your car insurance policy is contingent to the circumstances. Although You aren’t required to have it by legislation, lenders may perhaps demand it If the intention is to finance your auto. The lender may additionally demand collision insurance policies whenever you get out a loan, which suggests that you need to invest in total protection vehicle insurance plan. This insurance policies is necessary by virtually all people that finance a new or made use of vehicle.
Collision insurance policies covers the total worth of your motor vehicle while in the celebration it can be ruined or wrecked. Although the insurance company will address for all repairs, it might not be plenty of to replace your automobile in the event that it receives stolen or destroyed. The car could also have to have you to pay personalized resources. Make certain you read and comprehend all terms and conditions ahead of acquiring insurance coverage for your vehicle. Realizing the deductible is important.
Ways to get Automobile Insurance plan
Purchasing for auto insurance policies is hard. There are a selection of features to consider into consideration. Particular states contain the minimal benchmarks for Residence and Uninsured Motorist coverage. This pays the difference between your costs, as well as policy Restrict for the driving force at fault. Certain states tend not to have to have protection for underinsured motorists. Here are several recommendations that will help you locate the ideal insurance policy decide to satisfy your preferences. These guidelines could make the process of purchasing for coverage quite a bit much easier and will preserve you dollars.
Car Insurance Companies
Protection to cover liability
Automobile insurance plan plan have to include things like liability insurance plan to safeguard your personal residence so you from promises for harm or destruction. Should you be observed to be at fault in a collision, this coverage can pay for the costs of settlement or protection. There are various varieties and amounts of coverage. To prevent any unpleasant surprises, it is important to grasp the discrepancies. Condition Farm gives A selection of coverage ranges at fair expenses. A moderate coverage amount may very well be the best choice.
Auto insurance policies coverage
Many states need that you just involve legal responsibility insurance policy with your coverage. It covers damages into the property of Some others along with accidents to other people. The coverage protects you just in case inside the event of collision with One more driver. This kind of insurance is recommended by a lot of nations around the world for motorists. It’s the norm plan in the vast majority of states. But, legal responsibility insurance policy restrictions differ from one particular state to the subsequent. The quantity you have to purchase damages are going to be contingent within the legal responsibility Restrict you may have set.
Insurance coverage protection for home
It can be illegal in Nearly all states to drive without legal responsibility insurance policies. This incorporates the legal responsibility for home destruction. Liability protection pays for the repairs and damages you are doing to your house of A further. But, your coverage coverage will never protect the damages towards your car. You might have to verify your policy prior to getting it. It is important to obtain assets insurance coverage to be certain fiscal security. It can help you avoid getting left with large insurance policies costs should you result in a collision.
Your coverage policy must have an insurance plan plan that includes some form of property destruction insurance policy to address you in the case of an accident. The protection will address any damage you need to do towards the car or truck of another and incorporates repairs. It also handles the price of cleaning the debris remaining at the rear of by an accident. A few numbers are generally employed for house protection. This covers bodily injury protection per unique and also assets destruction insurance plan per person. Larger restrictions however deliver additional protection. Check with your agent for virtually any exemptions or restrictions.
Uninsured motorist coverage is accessible in The big apple if one other driver doesn’t have sufficient insurance plan to protect the collision. Such a coverage is offered in the event that the motive force who brought about the collision can’t be recognized as well as the incident was a success-and–run. The Insurance plan Law SS 5217 delivers that uninsured motorist protection is just out there from the function of the physical collision. Nonetheless, courts have interpreted this provision to get only relevant to physical accidents.
Whilst uninsured and underinsured motorist protection is not really essential in particular states, you happen to be required to be included in other states. Equally coverages could be blended to supply further defense in the event of health care costs or other expenses. Uninsured motorist insurance coverage can support in the mend of the vehicle left from the uninsured. Although this coverage will not be demanded, it’s a good idea to have at a minimal the minimum liability insurance.
Reductions
Car insurance policies discounts are an incredible selection to save money even though remaining eco-friendly. You are able to decrease your Charge by buying a car or truck with basic safety characteristics like airbags and antilock brakes. Other security features, like daytime running lights and alarms against theft will assist you to get savings. The concerns of the regular monthly payment will vanish When your quality is paid out in whole each and every year. Around half of coverage organizations give a reduction for this technique of payment.
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Do you think you’re a brand new driver searching for car insurance policies low-cost rates? There are a variety of belongings you can do to economize on auto insurance plan. These solutions can save you hundreds of hundreds annually on the auto coverage. These ideas could also help you to get the bottom premiums. Continue on looking at to learn more. You will be delighted for it.
Like a young driver How do you get inexpensive auto insurance policy
Young drivers can cut down on the cost of car insurance policy by driving safer, driving less and permitting the insurance provider monitor their driving conduct. You may as well lower your rates by procuring all around for auto insurance plan. A great deal of insurance coverage firms have larger fees for motorists who will be young, so it’s important to shop all around. This is certainly made uncomplicated because of the absolutely free on-line estimate Instrument for comparison. Supplemental Positive aspects consist of the chance to request discounts after you possess several cars or are covered by one insurance provider.
Discover several quotations to determine probably the most reasonably priced price and best quality whenever you are seeking a policy. Also, you are able to hunt for an insurance policies agent who will adapt to your preferences and enable you to modify your policy as your driving record variations. Evaluating policies that have similar coverage may be a big variable. Deductibles and limits may make a giant impression. If you’re an aspiring driver, It’s also advisable to get sufficient protection to avoid money catastrophe.
Conserving dollars on your own insurance rates can be done if you can get an insurance policies low cost that does not require statements on the vehicle insurance policies. It would be worthwhile to question the insurance company what they can do to receive it. Dependant upon the insurance provider the discounted could range between thirty% to 65 % in the initial yr, and up to sixty five% in five years. You will get rid of your two-yr no claims reward in the occasion of a mishap. Moreover the numerous statements could erase all your no statements reward. It truly is necessary to notify your insurer promptly of any accidents that you’ve, as failure to inform them could bring about future promises might be denied.
Loads of coverage providers offer you no-claims reductions for any selling price all over PS25. It helps you to make the essential level of statements each and every year, without having to worry about the cost of your insurance rising. Should you have a no-promises bonus you can insert this to a new plan. Chances are you’ll transfer your no-claims discounted to an insurance provider of one’s choice should you so drive. To keep the no statements discount, you’ll want to look at switching providers on a yearly basis or each and every two years.
To acquire a lessen motor vehicle insurance policies quality, you may boost your deductibles. Enhance your deductibles to avoid wasting 15%-30% in your premium, in accordance particular estimates. These cost savings will range determined by how you generate, your driving document, and the legal guidelines inside your condition. A better deductible may help decreased your yearly premium as many as 40%
Even though it may not be ideal for everybody, growing your deductible may help you save thousands of pounds over the long term. Authorities suggest you preserve at minimal two months of your respective costs for residing, no matter how Substantially you choose to raise your deductible. Also, you might see a reduction in the cost of your insurance plan. If you ever file a assert, you might help you save an important level of sums of money.
Obtain a coverage with your local insurer
Acquiring a policy using a regional insurance company may be advantageous for drivers which have a nasty credit history history. It can preserve you dollars every month on the price of your regular insurance coverage, as well as offering exceptional customer service and Unique discounts. It can be done to obtain the coverage in all fifty states. It’s also possible to Assess charges throughout states to determine quite possibly the most economical Price tag. It is actually essential to note that it might have a several months to boost your credit rating score. Also, some drivers by using a inadequate credit history rating can be required to pay out a lot more than $four hundred per year.
Erie Insurance policy delivers very affordable automobile insurance plan. This Pennsylvania-centered insurance company was Launched in 1925. Erie delivers car insurance policies, life and home insurance. Erie provides protection only in some states, but Furthermore, it has more than 13,000 unbiased insurance policies agents all throughout the United States. You could elect to hire an agent or go directly to an insurance provider in a region according to what you may need. It is important to read the smaller print prior to creating a a decision.
It is necessary to take a look at insurance policy quotes for prime risk motorists to locate the lowest coverage. It’s also truly worth checking the protection supplied in your local space, to find out If you’re qualified for any decrease fee. It might be more economical to get a lot more protection if you have reduce possibility or if you choose for bigger deductible. It truly is all depending on what you may need. There are a number of solutions.
Most affordable auto insurance policy for high-hazard drivers
If You are looking for the cheapest fees on vehicle insurance for drivers that are superior threat, you’re in good palms. A handful of clicks online can assist you Find one particular. The net offers a number of prices which will supply protection at a fraction than common insurance for vehicles. Signing up for insurance policies is a lot easier thanks to the World wide web. Complete the form on the internet, spend your quality and you also are accomplished. As proof of the insurance plan coverage the insurer will problem you a certification and you should have a policy.
A lot of insurance corporations take into account you a large-danger driver When you have inadequate credit. This is because you are more likely to file an insurance policy declare than a person who has great credit rating. Credit score rating performs a big impact on how insurance policies businesses perspective you. A past DUI/DWI can improve your cost by as much as 65%. This quantities to an additional $477 for your plan that lasts six months. Driving historical past is yet another aspect that insurers acquire into consideration. A DUI/DWI could raise your insurance quality to up to $174. Although a speeding violation may result in a further forty five % increase in your premium..
It is possible for getting auto insurance at a cheaper price if you have a DUI. Some providers like Progressive, American Spouse and children and Point out Farm offer small premiums for prime risk drivers. Your credit rating score is likewise taken into consideration when pinpointing your insurance plan Price tag. These variables are considered by insurers in deciding the amount you will have to pay for for your coverage. The expense of insurance coverage can increase drastically when you are not creditworthy. This is often why It is really crucial to be familiar with your credit rating score prior to making a decision.
Motorists get the ideal car insurance
There are numerous components to consider when deciding on The most affordable car coverage for drivers who are young. Your age and marital standing are considerable in your vehicle insurance plan charges. Your premium could also rely on what type of vehicle you personal. Superior-efficiency autos which have been insured are usually dearer than These with low effectiveness. So the first step to obtaining the bottom Charge insurance for motorists who’re young is to find a automobile which has a number of security measures.
Examine Auto Insurance coverage Prices
In order to lessen the cost of insurance plan for drivers who will be youthful You could lessen the protection. You could potentially be described as a pupil or in driver teaching and get a reduction from your insurer. Within the occasion of a mishap, you could potentially incur substantial fees should you reduce your insurance. So, be sure to evaluate the potential hazard of the decision cautiously, and generally be in the route of acquiring better price.
Adolescents often have difficulty obtaining cheap automobile insurance plan. Though a plan for any sixteen 12 months previous driver will Price tag multiple that is for an adult, the cost may be decreased when you insert a teen to an current plan. Although this will raise the cost by a median of $1461 per year nonetheless, it’s usually cheaper than purchasing a separate coverage policy. Also, youthful motorists could get discount rates as well as other bargains.
Most economical car insurance policy for low-risk motorists
The cost of motor vehicle insurance is a lot determined by your individual profile. This might mean that you have to store all over for the cheapest insurance policy for lower-danger drivers. Insurers consider numerous factors when deciding on the top insurance plan program, for instance your driving heritage, demographics, and All round risk amount. Here are five essential factors to think about when comparing insurance coverage offers. There isn’t any ought to sacrifice high quality as you are shelling out a lot less for insurance policy.
For starters, contemplate your zip code. Increased premiums will probably be for people living in spots with higher crime. Insurance organizations also keep in mind the volume of targeted visitors. You should also Be certain that you do not have any accidents or studies, that can increase the expense of your insurance policy. To stop overpaying, Evaluate your premiums every single six-months. It’s also a good idea to think about a multi-policy price reduction if you’ve more than one policy with a particular insurance company.
Whilst credit scores are not lawfully used by insurance policies corporations in sure states, they’re nevertheless critical when evaluating automobile insurance coverage costs. Hawaii’s motorists with bad credit rating are required to be billed 168% more than All those with great credit. Massachusetts superior-danger motorists gain thirty p.c over ordinary motorists. Motorists who will be new into the point out are more possible pay out greater fees for speeding tickets, DUIs and lousy credit history. You should definitely get by far the most rates possible prior to making your remaining conclusion.
Auto Insurance policies Close to me – Factors that Have an affect on the Cost of Vehicle Insurance coverage
The cost of insurance policies is contingent on where you reside. If you live in a place with large criminal offense and accident costs it is possible to pay for far more for insurance plan quotations. Insurance coverage expenditures can be influenced by elements including the volume of traffic or record of incidents. Insurance policy companies typically consider the driving history of the driver to determine what fee They are going to be charging for his or her insurance coverage. Drivers which have inadequate driving report are charged more than Those people with clear driving data.
Auto coverage: What is the Price?
On account of soaring healthcare expenses, automobile insurance policies rates have risen $fifty-a hundred between 2005 and 2010. The motorists may also be needed to have PIP and uninsured insurance coverage, which happens to be above ordinary point out demands. The regulation in Ny needs motorists to obtain equally detailed and liability insurance policies. That is in distinction to all kinds of other states which only involve this. These additional coverages can add to the price of coverage and will bring about the next Value. Last but not least, motorists need to examine the limits of their protection. Specified procedures offer you an lower minimum amount degree of safety than other procedures.
New Yorkers pay a median of 2.eight p.c of their earnings for insurance plan on their own vehicles. This is certainly marginally lower than the median countrywide fee of two.40%. The typical cost is less for people who are inside their 50s, 40s, and 30s. The more mature aged team is likely to pay for additional fees than those with reduced driving expertise. Although rates will probably be slightly greater for married partners Nonetheless they’re continue to reduced than solitary persons.
In combination with a lessen cost, drivers may choose defensive driving courses. These lessons past three hours and give attention to the attitudes of drivers and also site visitors regulations. They teach defensive driving methods that may enormously lower the cost of insurance policy. They also guide in supporting make improvements to their driving document by completing a class, that may decrease the cost of a vehicle insurance plan estimate. The Insurance Details Institute will help you determine the quantity of amount of coverage you require.
Expense of car or truck coverage in different states
Costs for fuel can differ from a person state to the following, but car insurance policies offers in other states may very well be extra high priced or much less pricey than yours. Selected components could be accountable for this, together with The proportion of uninsured drivers, state coverage laws, and the rate of theft. Also, the incidence of negative temperature can transform the price of coverage throughout states. The desk underneath illustrates common car-insurance policy rates in every condition. These estimates are based mostly upon an analysis of point out insurance needs.
Missouri is definitely the the very least expensive state to purchase entire protection vehicle insurance plan. It costs $944 considerably less per person than Louisiana. Missouri can be rated fifth in Value-of-living, and has one among most affordable insurance policies fees per capita. Texas drivers pay out 33% in their earnings on automobile insurance. This discrepancy might be as a result of significant range of motorists who will be not insured and the many lawsuits.
The normal national cost of whole protection auto insurance policies in America is $one,771 for each annum. Louisiana would be the point out with best insurance rates, which has a $2,839 premium. This represents a 19% increase from 2020. Conversely, Maine’s average insurance cost is simply $858. It is because insurance premiums in no-fault countries are greater. You might see that the cost of insurance coverage for your automobile in a distinct point out is substantially greater than it truly is right here. Consider into consideration all factors such as the guidelines of your respective state regarding insurance.
Large-risk motorists are needed to spend more for coverage on their automobiles.
It is feasible to Track down reduced-Price insurance policies for top hazard motorists in your area Should you be hunting for significant-possibility automobile insurance plan. Higher-threat drivers are inclined to own greater coverage rates that standard motorists. This is due to they have a tendency to own more accidents or violations on their documents. The Restrict could be both 3 or five years, with regards to the point out. Specific states let you get discounts for having an instructor-led driver safety system.
Even though the national averages of superior-danger driver insurance plan in my spot are rather reliable, you will discover which the prices change substantially from a person condition to an other. A great deal of firms change their rates in accordance with the state They can be in. If you live in one point out, you may discover that one particular business delivers one of the most protection for A cost-effective Price. Essentially the most reasonably priced significant-hazard driver auto insurance in the vicinity of me comes from Condition Farm, which has a longtime popularity for offering superb assistance.
It is easy to Identify large-threat driver coverage in my region. Simply enter your zip code and compare charges. While the cost of substantial-risk insurance plan on vehicles around me could vary by condition, virtually all main insurance policies businesses offer this kind of protection. They may be specialists in high-possibility insurance, for instance National Standard. It can be done to get a decrease Value policy Should your grades are outstanding and you personal an vehicle that is certainly reduced threat.
Evaluating Motor vehicle Coverage Firms is often a Reward
Comparing diverse car insurance policy providers can have several pros. On this post, we are going to discuss many of The key facets, including scores reductions, customer service. The very best coverage policy you can find is important for your security and protection, so make sure you be sure to Assess the various procedures from many corporations. By the time you finish looking through this short article, you’ll need an notion of which insurance company provides by far the most thorough coverage for the most reasonably priced Price. Here are several methods to select which one is the best for your requirements:
Comparison of various automobile insurance coverage providers
You are able to Review quotes from different corporations to find out the most competitive car or truck insurance charges. Insurance plan providers look at many elements when selecting the cost of your insurance plan. You must determine your own personal requirements and Examine selling prices from various vendors. By way of example sports activities vehicles could possibly be costlier to insure than common vehicles. Fees can also be influenced by your driving document and where you reside. It is possible to compare fees and come across the bottom value with the exact protection and the exact same deductibles employing a Software for comparison.
Auto Insurance coverage Quote
Insurance plan premiums can be extremely distinctive, so it is critical to know how Every single coverage performs. The cost of coverage are afflicted by your the driving history, age and credit history heritage. You may also examine which organizations provide perks like roadside assistance or incident forgiveness. It’s not quick To guage rates from different suppliers so that you can select the best a single. Here are a few recommendations to obtain you begun.
J.D. is an efficient place to start any time you are seeking automobile insurance plan corporations to check. Ratings of energy vehicle insurance coverage companies. The ratings are calculated based on shopper satisfaction surveys that were done by numerous vehicle insurer clients from through the nation. These scores are then transformed into numerical scores that signify the normal satisfaction rating. The rankings are produced every yearly. Gold medals Visit the major-rated car or truck insurance policies providers in Every class. But How will you explain to if these firms are worth your time and efforts?
There are a number of variables which might be used to evaluate the economic strength of vehicle-insurance companies. To begin with, you could Test the AM Greatest insurance company ranking, which supplies scores of monetary steadiness for insurance coverage firms which offer car insurance policy. You’ll want to Learn how steady the car insurance company is before signing up for a policy. This is a vital component to The client assistance. Prior to deciding to generate a choice, be sure to endure every one of the evaluations and compact aspects.
Several different discounts are offered by motor vehicle coverage companies. Many of those bargains will not be available to Absolutely everyone, so it is vital to visit the web site of the corporate to be sure you qualify to the discount rates that use for you. There are a selection of discount rates supplied by businesses. Talk to your insurance plan agent to discover if they offer discount rates precise to you personally. The procedure is easy and frequently will consider a lot less than an hour or so. Beneath are a few examples of motor vehicle insurance policies reductions.
Legacy Reductions: Drivers who are new might get a discount whenever they obtain insurance policy through their mom and dad. The low cost usually is around 10 per cent. This can be a terrific way to reveal towards your moms and dads simply how much you appreciate their assist all through the years. This may also save you the cost of your vehicle insurance policies. There are lots of providers which provide legacy bargains for youthful motorists. You should question your insurance provider if they supply a person. You can also examine the guidelines supplied by American Family, Farmers, or USAA.
Particular organizations are popular for their Fantastic customer support. Esurance was among the 5 firms to attain 4 out five during the J.D. For customer service, Esurance scored four stars out of five while in the J.D. Energy rankings. That is a exceptional rating for a company whose mother or father would not. The organization scored a lot better than its rivals such as pricing and policies in addition to the top quality of company and client care provided by its Web page and call Middle brokers. (individualized assistance)
Though coverage is most critical for those who invest in insurance policy for their car, the customer service is just as crucial. Prospects count on prompt, courteous assistance after they Speak to their insurers. Buyers anticipate to get a prompt response to e-mail and mobile phone phone calls. And Additionally they want to speak to an agent who’s attentive for their fears and provides remedies. When all insurance plan businesses for autos give good customer care, there are several that excel. (Rideshare insurance) (just a couple clicks).
Insurance policies premiums for vehicles might be afflicted by several components. Two of these consist of age and driving document. The rates are better for drivers with very poor driving records or lousy credit history scores. The price of residing in the area you live in will likely impact the premiums. That is why it is crucial to compare premiums of different insurance coverage companies to ascertain the 1 that could go well with your spending budget and driving practices. There are some solutions to lessen the price of insurance coverage, like reducing protection or taking a defensive driving course. You may also decide to fork out in advance for the whole calendar year’s coverage. (bill on-line),(personnel Reductions)(at the fault of Incident)(coated Accident)
In addition to the components which were mentioned before There are a myriad of other good reasons that would improve your Price. Should you’ve experienced any assert or been within a targeted traffic violation, your insurance provider will revise your top quality. For those who’ve completed an insurance coverage-approved Safe and sound driving system and they are eligible, you could potentially be suitable for a reduction. Insurance corporations proceed to boost their charges. It is likely that you’re going to see an increase in your rates Even though you haven’t altered your driving record. (use-centered insurance) (rental automobiles);(car repairs);(Secure driver price reduction).
Comparing motor vehicle insurance coverage can assist you Spend less
It can be done to compare insurance policies quotations and stay clear of responsible providers. Lower prices from a person insurance coverage provider could possibly be deceiving, For illustration The truth that they do not address sure coverages or make Bogus assumptions regarding your driving background. Come across the bottom-priced insurance vendors in your town by looking at their rankings and also a.M. Most effective ratings. Study the ways that car insurance coverage comparisons could help you save funds. Then Evaluate estimates with the top rated providers and find out which one particular is very best in your case. (accident cost-free)
Premiums are based on insurance coverage scores based upon credit rating
Your rating on your insurance coverage’s credit score can be an indicator of risk that you might consider, nevertheless it should not figure out your premiums. Insurance coverage companies are not able to take advantage of your credit history historical past to improve the expense of coverage, According to the federal govt. Nonetheless, states such as California, Massachusetts, Oregon, Utah, and Vermont have laws set up which prohibit insurance policies businesses from utilizing your credit score record to determine insurance policies costs. (could help you save)(new car)(auto declare)
But, this sort of insurance policy isn’t relevant to all states. Therefore, customers simply cannot figure out if a firm makes use of their credit history score to find out exactly how much to bill them. Particular states, like California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan Have got a ban on credit-based mostly insurance. Some states have stricter regulations about credit-centered insurance coverage. In the end, you have got to choose all by yourself whether or not your insurance coverage score depending on credit history is well suited for your requirements. (motorcycle insurance plan),(roadside support protection),(bundling vehicle)(pet insurance coverage),(true worth of income price),(superior assert support) (yacht coverage).
Age has an effect on charges
The expense of motor vehicle insurance plan reductions is influenced by a range of facets, including the age of the driver. Your age has an important impact on your insurance plan rate. In a few states, drivers who are youthful are going to be charged 4 periods the amount of an older driver. Inexperience is another element. More youthful motorists are more likely to go into a mishap. Knowledge the components that have an effect on your coverage premiums will assist you in negotiating decrease fees. Under are a few strategies the age of one’s car or truck can influence your insurance plan.
Generally speaking the more youthful you will be the reduce your insurance coverage rates are going to be. Nevertheless, when you are male, your age will have an effect on the price of vehicle insurance plan. Whilst more youthful male drivers are more affordable than older counterparts, the premiums for motorists that are inside their sixties and seventies skyrocket. Statistically, males are about two and also a fifty percent occasions a lot more more likely to be linked to an automobile accident than girls, which means the gender gap decreases with age. (protection alternatives)(homeowners insurance policies)
Gender has an effect on prices
It’s not astonishing that a male is more likely to buy car insurance policy than a feminine. Loads of Adult men make poor selections when driving, which can lead to far more incident and assert. There are plenty of elements which make it more expensive for males to have insurance policies. Here i will discuss the very best factors. Learn more details on which things have an affect on the expense of car insurance policies in accordance with gender. Here are several tactics to lower your premiums, if you are still not apparent. (vehicle insurance policies)(car coverage estimate)(motor vehicle insurance policies amount)
Oregon Division of economic Regulation instructed automobile insurance plan organizations to just accept clients who Do not declare their gender. Insurance plan corporations will have to report prices for non-binary motorists beginning in January 2019, whenever they’re accused of unfair discrimination. The prices may be greater than charges for male and woman drivers. Provided that they don’t seem to be also superior, women can lower your expenses. Don’t be concerned regarding the “non-binary” amount for young drivers. (motor vehicle coverage)(gap insurance policies)
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The International police, Interpol, is looking for a past chairman of the company Nissan named Carlos Ghosn. Ghosn was under house arrest in Japan because of financial problems, but he escaped to Lebanon.
Interpol sent a Red Notice to Lebanon, which is a request to arrest a person who committed a crime. Local authorities can arrest this person and return him or her to the country where he or she committed the crime.
Lebanon wants to respect the notice, but Ghosn came to Lebanon with a legal passport, so Lebanon does not have any charges against him.
Turkish police arrested several people to find out how Ghosn escaped to Lebanon because he got there through Turkey.
Difficult words: house arrest (the state when a person is in home as a prisoner), respect (to follow, to listen), charge (a formal statement that someone committed a crime).
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There is more strain put on the home air conditioning unit during the summer than in any other season. Air conditioners have to work hard to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature during the hot summer months! Homeowners can do their part to keep the air conditioning running this summer with these three professional AC maintenance tips.
Keep the area around the HVAC unit clean
Hire an AC technician for maintenance and repairs
Doing annual or bi-annual maintenance on the air conditioner can help to improve the longevity of the system and prevent unnecessary repairs. Fixing small problems with the AC early on will help to prevent a total system breakdown. During maintenance appointments, the technician will have a chance to inspect the air conditioner and fix any small problems before they worsen.
Homeowners are typically responsible for changing their air filters. This process usually takes five to ten minutes altogether, and one can find air filters at local hardware stores. Some people, such as the elderly, rely on AC technicians to change the air filter on time. The air filter needs to be swapped out for a clean one every 1-3 months.
Homeowners who smoke inside, have pets, or live with a large family should change their air filters more often. Air filters are a mesh screen placed over the HVAC unit's air intake to filter out airborne particles of dust, dirt, and animal hair.
Without a clean air filter, the air conditioner can become clogged up with debris until the system breaks down. Failing to change the air filter on time can also cause a spike in power bills because of the inefficient performance of the dirty HVAC system. During the summer heat, the AC is running all the time, so it might be beneficial to change the filter more than usual.
It is important to keep the area around the HVAC unit clean, both outside and inside. One should never cover the air intake of the HVAC unit. Keeping the area around the outdoor portion of the HVAC unit clear is important for preventing problems with the AC during the summer.
Leaves and outdoor sticks could become lodged in the outdoor HVAC unit and cause problems. It is best to keep the areas around the HVAC unit as clean and tidy as possible. Grime and dirt from outdoor plant growth around the unit could also contribute to dirty air conditioner coils, causing an increase in the cost of cooling because of inefficient performance.
Having a professional air conditioning technician do regular maintenance checks on the AC has many benefits, including improving the air conditioner's longevity and lowering power bills. HVAC units are a significant financial investment, and without regular maintenance, homeowners may end up with a total system breakdown.
Doing routine maintenance with an AC technician protects homeowners' investment in their HVAC system. During maintenance appointments, the air conditioner technician will have a chance to open up the air conditioner to clean the evaporator coils and check for broken parts.
Air Comfort Service, Inc. prides itself on providing its neighbors in St. Peters, MO with hassle-free appointment scheduling for comprehensive HVAC services. Their team of experienced HVAC technicians is fully licensed and insured to get the job done right the first time. Give Air Comfort Service, Inc. a call today to schedule AC maintenance with an experienced AC technician in St. Peters, MO!
Kara S. and Jacob B. both exemplified the utmost professionalism. Kara was excellent at scheduling and confirming that the scheduled time frame was convenient for me. Furthermore, Jacob B., the Service Pro, was kind, proficient, and highly meticulous. Air Comfort is a first-rate, first-class company that my family not only trusts but is a blueprint for other businesses and is the “gold standard” in air conditioning and heating services.
Been using Air Comfort since our home was new built in 2005. John P has been coming into our home twice a year for the past 6-7 years. He is trustworthy, the consummate professional as he is always polite during his interactions with me or my family members. John has a vast knowledge of home mechanics on top of his excellent customer interaction skills. He can be counted upon to explain all options should maintenance to our HVAC system become necessary. The company as a whole is very easy to do business with, from calling the office to set an appointment for scheduled maintenance; to the technician (John P) knocking on your door. After all, you could call anybody for service... remember that's who'll you get showing up at your door, anybody. Air Comfort Service, the professionals you can trust.
I have been dealing with Air Comfort for a few years now. I like their service plans. Their Service Pro, John is so knowledgeable. He will stay on the problem until it is completed and is correct. He is always willing to take the time to answer any questions I have so that a novice can understand them. Thank you John.
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Wish I could take credit for this one. Julia Kriz — designer at Landscape Projects, Inc. in Bethesda , MD, and a former classmate of mine at GW — created this nifty visual to illustrate how Landscape Designers are perceived by others:
My favorite image is definitely “What I think I do.” Even though the egos of Landscape Designers pale in comparison to, say, the egos of architects, let’s face it: the installation of a garden that began in your mind’s eye, that you tweaked and nudged and coaxed to perfection, has gotta give you quite a rush, a bit of a divine high, right? God may have created the skies and waters and beasts and such, but that pink-and-chartreuse themed perennial border — that’s all me, baby!
Plus, the Eddie Izzard/Stonehenge image is a total scream. While I’ve never had the pleasure of directing a crew, I can only imagine that Julia has perfectly captured the crew’s impression of the designer as some strange, eccentric perfectionist, whose instructions must seem utterly capricious at times.
Be warned, ya’ll. I think Julia Kriz is one to watch. She was one of the youngest, but most talented, of all my classmates in the GW design program. She possesses an uncommon array of talents that pretty much guarantee a promising career as a designer — she’s artistic, intellectual, original, tech-savvy, and most importantly, she’s got an incredible knowledge of and passion for plants.
Oh, wait, plus she can make funny landscape design cartoons. Watch out for this one!
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This entry was posted in landscape design, people and tagged designer what I think I do, Eddie Izzard, Julia Kriz, landscape designer meme, landscape what I think I do, what I actually do landscape architect, what others think i do by Mary Gray. Bookmark the permalink.
39 thoughts on “How Are Landscape Designers Perceived?”
susan harris on February 15, 2012 at 9:12 am said:
Fabulous! Though I was surprised by the What people I meet think I do. I’d think that image would be perceived as urban planning – the opposite of “landscape design”.
blackwalnutdispatch on February 15, 2012 at 2:28 pm said:
Susan, another commenter made the same remark — that others see landscape designers as lawn mowers and leaf-blowers.
Julia Kriz on February 16, 2012 at 1:08 am said:
Ha! Yes, I was torn between representing “What people I meet think I do” with an urban planning picture or a ditch-digging picture, since I’ve had friends that have gotten both kinds of impression. This image was a real contender for the latter: http://www.davidmcelroy.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Digging-ditches.jpg
Maureen Decombe on February 16, 2012 at 3:40 am said:
Perhaps you could do a split screen… People probably think you dig ditches during the day, and then draw those urban planning pictures at night to pay for your ditch digging habit.
blackwalnutdispatch on February 17, 2012 at 7:55 am said:
Or that you dig ditches to pay for your urban planning habit. Either way.
Cindy @ enclos*ure on February 15, 2012 at 9:16 am said:
Very funny! On something of the same subject, you might want to check out Studio G’s recent post on her response to an ASLA commentary (http://www.studiogblog.com/reference-history/an-asla-rant/).
blackwalnutdispatch on February 15, 2012 at 5:10 pm said:
Cindy, I read that ASLA article, too, and had the same thought when I came across that passage. God forbid a landsape architect be mistaken for a garden designer, or — GASP! — a horticulturist!
John Wyer on February 15, 2012 at 9:33 am said:
Sadly the one that rings truest (as I sit in front of my screen here in the UK) is ‘what I actually do’. I went to a party just before Christmas last year. When I asked another guest what he ‘did’ he answered
“I answer emails and make telephone calls. Oh, and sometimes I go to meetings”
blackwalnutdispatch on February 15, 2012 at 2:25 pm said:
John, Pretty sad that so many jobs have been reduced to this. The meetings and phone calls are definitely the worst. On the computer, at least you get to surf around and read cool blogs like mine. Ha-ha. :o)
Mira Courpas on February 21, 2012 at 5:10 pm said:
LOL at John Wyer’s comment! I am now officially using this quote next time I’m asked what I do! I think I will also suggest my lawyer husband use it too!
Heather on February 15, 2012 at 9:56 am said:
The “what people think I do” should be me pushing a lawn mower or backpack blowing. I wish they thought “city planning” which I did study in school. The Eddie Izzard is true if you haven’t worked with that crew before but after they “get” what I am trying to accomplish they really get into it and are quite helpful! Working with a good crew is a vreat feeling. Thanks for sharing!
blackwalnutdispatch on February 15, 2012 at 2:22 pm said:
True….probably many people think Landscape Designer is just code word for Mulch Spreader. I know that good crews are highly prized by designers — it must be a real treat to work with a crew that understands you and that you’ve got a great rapport with.
Julia Kriz on February 16, 2012 at 2:08 am said:
I love stone in the landscape, so I end up saying that phrase a lot, even while laughing at myself. Our wonderful crews have been most obliging about it all, though we’ll see how it goes if I ever manage to get my hands on some stones of hengian measurements!
caleone on February 15, 2012 at 10:40 am said:
HA! ‘The egos of architects!’ I could tell a story that would make steam come out of your ears. Love this whole thing.
blackwalnutdispatch on February 15, 2012 at 2:20 pm said:
Calvin, I’ve never understood why architects have such major egos…bigger than artists, athletes, and movie stars it seems. What gives? Designing landscape seems much more difficult than designing mere buildings!
Susanna Membrino on February 15, 2012 at 11:21 am said:
Just loved it.
blackwalnutdispatch on February 15, 2012 at 2:18 pm said:
Thanks! But gotta give credit to Julia for this one….
Thomas Rainer on February 15, 2012 at 11:53 am said:
Totally agree about Julia! Her future is wiiiiiiide open . . .
blackwalnutdispatch on February 15, 2012 at 2:17 pm said:
Yes. I also remember that during one of the Woody plants classes while everybody was furiously studying the plants and taking notes, Julia went and plucked fruit from a nearby Mulberry and ate it….I think maybe she already knew all the plants…
Julia Kriz on February 16, 2012 at 1:12 am said:
Thanks for stirring my memories of those wonderful classes. Most likely the impetus there was forgetting to eat breakfast. ^__^
Deb on February 15, 2012 at 11:59 am said:
Mary, this is hilarious in so many ways! (I love the pairing of Eddie Izzard and Stonehenge; actually, of course, I do work with contractors to move boulders that way — but I do in it work boots, not high heels…) Great post.
blackwalnutdispatch on February 15, 2012 at 2:14 pm said:
Laurrie on February 15, 2012 at 1:39 pm said:
I didn’t know landscape design could be so funny… but this is spot on! I don’t have a crew, but I have a husband who can relate to being asked to redesign Stonehenge. Ha.
(My son is a GW graduate ’02. We spent many fine weekends in Foggy Bottom and wandering the city. GW was a great experience for him, and for me too.)
blackwalnutdispatch on February 15, 2012 at 2:12 pm said:
Laurrie, My husband prefers watching my gardening labors through the kitchen window, but he cooks, so it’s all good!
Unfortunately I took most of my GW classes at their K Street “basement labyrinth” campus…didn’t have quite the atmosphere of Foggy Bottom, but excellent teachers!
Cindy @ enclos*ure on February 16, 2012 at 1:25 pm said:
I remember a couple of our teachers taking us out on a walkabout of the F.B. campus and pointing out all the landscape design errors. (Although on the whole, they use nice bulletproof plants. Students are rough clients.)
blackwalnutdispatch on February 17, 2012 at 7:52 am said:
Cindy, one of my favorite hobbies is walking around places and pointing out landscape design flaws to my companions. It’s not as fun when the companions aren’t into design and just quietly humor me, but I do it anyway. ha!
Julia Kriz on February 16, 2012 at 1:35 am said:
Mary, thanks for your kind praises and for sharing my little contribution to this meme! Now if only I could consistently be that funny, I could start a blog. Yours never fails to make me smile.
blackwalnutdispatch on February 17, 2012 at 7:57 am said:
I’m sure you could write a wonderful blog. I gotta say though, if I had a full time design job, I don’t think I could do the blog!
Dan Verner on February 16, 2012 at 8:41 am said:
This is wonderful! What are these things called, memes? Where’d that come from? I thought she was a character in “La Boheme.” Oh, well. Enjoyed this as always!
blackwalnutdispatch on February 17, 2012 at 7:55 am said:
I know. I had to look up “meme” on wikipedia and I was like, “ooooooooooooohhhhh……” Meme was a character in La Boheme? I thought she was the title character of that big musical. Har.
Serena Fossi on February 16, 2012 at 11:46 am said:
What a great visual capture of human thought. As a visual person, as likely many designers are, I really appreciate Julia’s images and will remember them later I am sure….so funny but that last one is so very sad. Really. At times I get to design gardens visually with very little insertion of the typed word….it is a direct artistry that is both humbling in the best sense (our media is soil and plants, sky and shade) and completely engrossing. The way that the computer can separate us from the dirt is more of a loss than we can really understand. Sorry, it is a grey and rainy day….
Thanks, Mary, for posting…and Julia, wonderful thinking there.
blackwalnutdispatch on February 17, 2012 at 7:53 am said:
True, Serena…but I guess time at the computer is an inevitability of pretty much every job these days…and it just makes the time we get to spend out in the fresh air all the sweeter!
Tom on February 16, 2012 at 6:54 pm said:
As someone who works as a/the crew for my company, I must say “what my crew thinks I do” AND “what my clients think I do” are both exactly how I feel! This is spot on!
Sarah Munroe on February 17, 2012 at 5:25 pm said:
Such a treat to peruse! And those pictures, Julia, do speak a few thousand words–you’re great! Mary, thanks for your graceful banter that gets conversations like this going.
gardenhaus@mac.com on February 18, 2012 at 11:01 am said:
I have a degree in Landscape Architecture and have been in the green industry for 40 years and instead of sitting in the ivory tower offering edicts to my minions and creating over planted, overpriced, specing hard to find 30, 8″ dia. matching ginkgos and designs that will never be installed for a variety of reasons, I prefer to be in my clients gardens getting my hands dirty.
gardenhaus@mac.com on February 18, 2012 at 11:06 am said:
in reference to a previous comment and to paraphrase a prior presidential candidate……..I know horticulturalists and LA’s will never be confused with a horticulturalist….fortunately for the horticulturalist because the two are sadly, most often mutually exclusive.
blackwalnutdispatch on February 18, 2012 at 2:20 pm said:
omg…you’re going way back! Was it Lloyd Benson who said that to Dan Quayle in like, 1991 or something?
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I‘M GOING TO begin by admitting my heart’s not in this post. That’s because it’s about two squalid, ridiculous human beings who deserve obscurity: V Stiviano and Donald Sterling.
Unfortunately you know who I’m talking about. I don’t even care about the NBA, and yet I now know all about the personal history of the Clipper’s owner. Everyone from the local newspaper editor to the President of the United States has had something to say about this shallow, materialistic couple.
Stiviano – that’s her last name as of 2010, and her first name since then has been V – is one half-century younger than Sterling. Both are careful to say she’s not a girlfriend: she’s an archivist. Part of her job is to record everything her, um, business associate Donald Sterling says. One of these many recordings came into the possession of someone at the celebrity gossip website TMZ, and the rest has been basketball history. Sterling in the days since has been shamed and denounced and banned for life from the sport.
As many have noted, there are no revelations in the recording. For years Sterlings views have been well-known throughout the league. He’s been in court numerous times over the years, in cases that have to do with discrimination as well as his other indiscretions. Sterling is married, but he’s been having affairs for well over a decade. His wife is battling his “archivist” mistress, and his mistress is battling his wife, and it looks now as if Sterling is battling Stiviano and Stiviano is battling Sterling and both are battling Shelly Sterling. What a stupid, stupid bunch of irrelevant, useless tripe.
Honestly, this couple sounds like the most dull brand of LA trash. Stiviano describes herself as an “artist, lover, writer, chef, poet, stylist and philanthropist.” Mrs. Sterling’s characterization – she’s a “gold digger” – is more credible. The old man has furnished her several luxury automobiles, a $1.8 million house, and wads of cash. She’s so awful that even Donald Trump looks down on her.
So why am I writing about it? Well, there are a couple reasons. The first is that some people are trying to make this into a broader discussion about race, when the Stiviano-Sterling drama is really about a nasty and tawdry couple. It’s not about the state of race in America, or even the state of basketball. It’s interesting to see back room, old school racism leak into the public square, as it does from time to time. People exposed in this way don’t fare well. That’s a certain indication that the world is changing. Things are far from perfect, but it’s not 1950, either. This case proves that.
Maybe I’m contradicting myself here, but the Sterling episode does suggest a broader rot. This guy’s many indiscretions and offences were tolerated and even rewarded for years, because he has wads of money and has used it strategically to buy himself a moral indiscretions pass. The race discussion in America hasn’t kept up with the fact of economic and social class. The President weighed in on race, but what does he think about the sharp divisions of rich and poor. Do you think maybe President Obama has a lot more in common with middle and upper class white folks than he does with poor blacks? Is it possible that the inherited privileges of his children will counteract any disadvantages adhering to the color of their skin? I hope the Obama children do transcend the racial prejudice of earlier generations, and I think they will – because they now belong to a privileged class.
Leave it to the media to leap on the obvious, and to open the wrong conversation. This is a story about a rich guy who was able to buy everything: a virtual plantation of poor black athletes, sex, a get out of jail card, and a rubber stamp of approval from the NAAACP, who was one of the beneficiaries of his cynical and manipulative largesse. Sterling is no different from the sharks who infest the US Congress, and indeed every centre of political and economic power. He’s a racist version of the Koch brothers, just another rich dude pissing on everything and passing out the dollar bills to make certain his selfish behavior goes unnoticed. This story is about money, not race, and the only remarkable thing is that for once it appears Sterling’s money isn’t going save him.
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April 29, 2014 at 11:07 pm
Don’t kid yourself. It is about power, money, and greed, as well as racism, misogyny, invasion of privacy, objectifying others, and stupidity. And it’s about technology. I long for the days before the internet was invented. Enjoyed reading your post, though.
April 29, 2014 at 3:12 pm
I’ll have a look! Thanks.
dishnerdevin says:
April 29, 2014 at 3:02 pm
Great piece on a highly controversial issue! I loved reading your piece. I would love to hear your thoughts on my Donald Sterling Analysis called Clipping the Fat! You can find it here,
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Imagine a home without a bathroom is impossible because it is the most important part of the entire house. A bathroom is a place that provides us solace and solitude, helps us get rid of our stress and tension with warm water shower and keeps us fresh. With something this important, it is out of the question that you should invest in its remodeling and giving it every sort of modern equipment that is required like lighting, floorings, and everything else. For his, you can contact a bathroom renovations company in Toronto.
A good pipeline fitting should be there in a good bathroom for the smooth passage of the water along with other odds flowing after being used. Pipes used in the fitting should be of good quality and broad in size. Pipes of good quality avert the risk of rupture.
A good bathroom is always spacious. Proper space should be given for the shower as well as a toilet. It should not be compact and make us feel life crowded. Just for a good start of the day, we start our every day from this place, and it must not be offending. It also saves us from any injury if by chance we slip accidentally.
When dusk falls and night is about to come, then the bathroom needs to glimmer with good lights for proper visibility. A bathroom is always slippery and one cannot enter without proper visibility, so it requires a good fitting of lights and lamps. At the time of winters, one requires hot water for almost all purposes, and a geyser is compulsory for a good bathroom.
Stands and Drawers
For towels and other clothes to keep, we need stands. Drawers would serve best for keeping cosmetics and other beauty products we use to groom ourselves. A mirror for better reflection should be accommodated for self-praise after getting ready.
Ventilators or windows must be made at the top of the bathroom cabin so that the foul smell can escape and the essence of the bathroom can remain intact. It also allows the natural air to come inside which acts as a natural purifier.
Excellent fitting of tiles and ceramics should be used of lucrative value, but it must support a user to use the bathroom without any damage which always happens after getting slipped. A good bathroom is user-friendly and helps in accessing it frequently.
Colour of the Walls
Walls inside a bathroom should be painted with good and attractive colour instead of dark, dull, and drab colour. It is said that if visual faculty is feeling good, then appreciation would be on your side.
A perfect lifestyle constitutes of many things, like pretty and lovely interiors inside a house and among all the bathroom creates the first impression on onlookers as well as the one who possesses it. When you’re looking for bathroom renovations in Toronto, look into all your needs beforehand and ask for structural recommendations, we can make our bathroom ready to serve without any flaw and other faults.
Why and how to maintain indoor air quality
Posted By: admin February 3, 2020 February 4, 2020
The ducts installed in our homes and offices to maintain airflow through the heating and cooling system can sometimes become the pathway as well as the sources for dust, dirt and biological containment particles to spread in your homes. In these cases getting your ducts cleaned to get rid of any dirt, mold or slimes is much more important than you realize. While some argue, that getting your ducts cleaned doesn’t significantly improve the dust level in your homes, it is never a bad idea to walk on the safer side and get it dusted once in a while.
Online duct cleaning services:
With the growing popularity of online businesses, many companies and organizations are pushing their business into the world of web. The ease and convenience for customers have significantly improved due to the online websites providing all kind of professional help and services. You can now request air duct cleaning services online, where a professional team of experts is sent to your registered location and get the work done for you. With the growing accessibility of the internet, online businesses have grown immensely making it a preferable option.
Signs you should get your ducts cleaned:
While it is important to get the vents cleaned on a regular basis, you can keep an eye out for certain signs that can help you know if your ducts need to be cleaned.
The air filter has not been changed for months.
The vent covers have a visible layer of dirt.
Inconsistent airflow across the rooms
Noises in your ducts.
Dirty ducts can cause some symptoms similar to sore throat, sneezing, coughing and allergic reactions. To avoid any such inconvenience it is recommended to request air duct cleaning services once in a while.
How to maintain quality air indoors?
By following some simple steps you can ensure better air quality inside your homes and prevent any kind of allergic reactions causing respiratory issues due to dust or any other contaminants. Some of the simple ways that can help you breathe in cleaner air are:
Vacuum on a regular basis: Carpets and mats usually have allergens trapped; to get rid of these particles vacuuming weekly at least twice is recommended. The filter used should be able to catch microscopic particles, so that maximum particles can be dealt with.
Taking shoes off outside: Shoes are the main source of mud, dust, other debris along with harmful pesticides that enter from the outside world into your homes. It not only causes allergic reactions, it even fouls up the air quality therefore shoe rack outside your home is highly recommended.
Control humidity: Damp and humid environment is the most preferable for any kind of microbes to grow. The heat helps them spread and infect your homes. It also causes airborne viruses to spread inside your homes causing viral infections.
Keep a check on your furniture: Furniture made up of varnishes and lacquer, can give off harmful chemicals especially when bought new. To avoid this, it is advised to store newly brought furniture in the garage house for a few days before bringing them inside.
Posted By: admin January 28, 2020 January 28, 2020
The thing about doors and windows is, when its time to change or replace them, you just know. There are certain tell-tale signs that give you a hint to the fact that this isn’t going to last anymore, and its time to say goodbye to them. You begin to notice the doors get too drafty and the windows stop from letting any light in.
Irrespective of the reason at hand, when you do begin on the replacement process, you start learning a lot about doors and windows in general as well as in detail that helps you realize how the two of them can actually help to revitalize a space.
Given below are certain guidelines you need to look out for, when thinking of hiring a windows and doors company in Toronto, with regards to windows:
When you are thinking of renovating your windows – Remember to chalk out your priorities as to why you wish to replace your windows. If you are aiming for an unobstructed view then it is suggested that you opt for a fixed picture-like window, that allows you to gaze peacefully, for hours. If you wish to have proper air circulations then opt for casement windows that can be opened fully.
Also, take into consideration how often or how rarely you wish to work on maintenance because wooden windows require scraping and repainting periodically whereas vinyl is maintenance-free. So, remember to discuss all this with any windows and doors company in Toronto, which you hire.
Be aware of the materials you are using –Make sure that you choose a window frame from any of these four materials – vinyl, clad, wood or aluminum. Each has its own set of benefits as well as negatives. Wood may match your interior trim with your baseboards and molding but it has a tendency to warp and may be susceptible to attack from wood-borne insects and can be expensive.
Clad windows which are usually wooden frames coated with either vinyl fiberglass or aluminum are comparatively better and don’t require re-painting. Aluminum is usually extremely lightweight and is mildew and rust-resistant, which is why they are usually preferred by most windows and doors company in Toronto.
Given below are certain guidelines you need to look out for, when thinking of hiring a windows and doors company in Toronto, with regards to doors:
In order to ensure proper fittings, make sure that you’ve already taken in measurements of the width, height, and thickness of your original door. Make sure to check whether you need certain modifications to be made – making the door larger or smaller or whether you would want sidelights.
When it comes to door type you’d only want to think of its maintenance. If you don’t mind putting fresh coats of paint now and then you can opt for a wooden door. If you want excellent insulation, opt for a fiberglass door. Steel can also be considered, but it tends to dent. Glass doors can also be considered a very good aesthetic option.
When you are looking to replace your doors and windows, make sure that you keep the above-mentioned factors in mind.
Posted By: admin November 5, 2019 December 17, 2019
Today, most car owners cannot afford a garage. After all, the number of secure garage parking cannot constantly grow. But even in this case, the garage needs reliable protection in the form of strong enclosing structures that will not yield to criminal encroachment. Unfortunately, hacking, wear and weather conditions can lead to their damage. And then urgent repair of the garage door is required. When choosing a master, carefully study his work and experience, because often one-day masters who not only do not fix the problem, but also charge you for your “activity”. Garage Door Repair Ottawa one of the best garage door repairs.
Of course, if you live outside the city, you feel more secure. A barrier and possibly an alarm will protect you from criminals. However, even in this situation; difficulties may arise due to ignorant installation or subsidence. Experience in such types of robots shows that welding when repairing garage doors is almost always required. And since few people have the necessary equipment, most often the work is performed by specialists who, even in the absence of electricity, go to the place with an electric generator. For example: Garage Door Repair Ottawa, repairs all types of door.
Trouble can overtake everyone. And often garage owners can’t even do anything to resolve the situation. An attempt to break in, corrosion – all this is not the fault of the owner. He just has to fix everything. The main reasons for repairing the garage door are:
Soil subsidence;
The need to change the dimensions of the opening;
Desire to strengthen the sash.
The main types of work
In each case, the master must come to the place of repair and evaluate the scale on his own. In addition, he will be able to determine what exactly needs to be done in this case to solve the problem. At the same time, a rough assessment of the work takes place. The most common ones are:
Reinforcement of hinges and frames;
Building up;
Replacement of locks.
Recovery is necessary in cases where an attempt was made to hack. With this development of events, in addition to correcting the canvas, it is also necessary to replace the locks, since they are broken first. Criminals are always in a hurry, so after the first useless attempt to break the lock, they are taken for bending the corners of the metal wings. Even if they were unable to get inside, then welding would be required to repair the gate and replace the locks.
To protect their property, many owners are trying to strengthen the hinges and frames. New stiffening ribs will make the structure stronger and exclude the possibility of skewing the wings. Strengthening the loops will eliminate the possibility of cutting them in an attempt to penetrate inside.
Trimming or building will help in cases where the wings are already having difficulty opening. Due to the subsidence of the soil, they can skew, so trimming the bottom of the canvas usually helps. If there are difficulties with old or poorly installed hinges, then they simply lift it, weld new hinges higher and hang each leaf.
Posted By: admin October 30, 2019
Here are 10 tips that will help you speed up your sale.
1. Set the right price right from the start is an important element. An overvalued starting price will discourage buyers who will not ask you to visit. Check the prices of your current neighborhood properties for sale as well as the prices of comparable properties sold in the last 6 months. This will help you to establish the right price and even a competitive price compared to other properties for sale in your area.
3. Flood the market. The idea is to reach as many buyers as possible. Showing yourself on one website is not enough. Not all buyers are on the same site, so you should place your ad on as many websites as possible. Also use social media to make sure everyone knows you’re selling.
4. Write your ads with popular text that outlines the benefits of your property. The attention and interest of buyers for a property being generated by the photos be sure to include photos to your ads. Without a photo, no buyer will be interested in your condo. In addition, your photos must be clear and bright and especially highlight your property.
5. A free tour and a “FOR SALE” sign can increase the visibility of your property to potential buyers. If you select for a free visit do not forget to advertise it on the Internet. Most sites specializing in real estate offers you this option with posting in a section reserved for free visits.
6. Since the important thing is to be seen, the ideal is to keep your aid at the top of the list to be seen by as many buyers as possible. On all aid sites, your property will glide quietly to the last pages of search results, reducing your visibility. Many websites offer a ” send-up ” option that allows you to keep your ad at the top of the list for more visibility. You can aid on website like condos for sale north york.
7. The first impression makes all the difference. A neat and clean exterior encourages people to request a visit. Inside, de-clutter by refining the decor and removing all personal items such as family photos. Visitors must be able to imagine living at home. Do the housework and leave the pets outside … some visitors might appreciate them less than you.
8. Most buyers are looking for a well-lit home or condo. So open the curtains and turn on all the lights, even those in the closets and basement. If essential, add lighting to make the place look brighter.
9. During a visit, stay away while remaining available to answer any questions from visitors. Store all valuables and let visitors visit at their own rate. They will be freer to share their impressions and comment on the property.
10. Prepare your documents in advance to be able to give a copy to potential buyers. Certificate of location, renovation bills, declaration of co-ownership, electricity and other charges will be required if visitors have an interest in your property.
Vinyl window replacement: The Pros and Cons
Posted By: admin August 9, 2019
Vinyl Windows, when you hear this term, unlike some people, if have not done proper research on window replacement, then nothing comes into your mind. In reality, if any person who did serious research on replacement windows should know exactly what a vinyl window is and they also know about the window styles, etc. The best thing about vinyl window replacement is that they are affordable, efficient, and suing the latest technology, you can create to your taste and liking.
Vinyl window replacement are the strongest products that are available in the market. However, the durability of Vinyl Windows make them suitable for contractors building a durable home, but it doesn’t mean that every homeowner can use Vinyl Window Toronto. There are several other materials also available for windows in the market other than Vinyl Windows. Here you can find some of the advantages and disadvantages of vinyl windows.
Smooth Operations: In earlier days, people don’t have many options for various window materials, and that is why you can see old homes with old windows look the same and won’t open properly. After some time, wooden windows became popular and it is believed that wood is more durable and it can be repainted as many times as you can. However, the wooden window is not easy to function smoothly.
On the other hand, vinyl windows are made of durable and smooth material that doesn’t wrap if it is constructed well. Because of the material and the techniques that are used make the vinyl windows blanked and they operate smoothly during their lifetime.
Survive the elements: Vinyl Windows are made to provide long-lasting windows to your home. These vinyl window replacement can survive temperature changes, snowy days, rainy days, and any drastic changes in the temperature. The material contracts and expands so simply so that homeowners don’t need to worry about their windows. From deserts of the Southwest and tundra of the Dakotas, Vinyl Windows are utilized in home construction. The mild winters and hot summers are not a concern for well-finished vinyl windows.
Energy-efficient: Because of the vinyl windows construction and the material is durable enough so it doesn’t change the shape of the window when the temperatures changes. The vinyl windows are good at keeping outside air out and inside air in. By saving energy, you will reduce your electricity or gas bill, and eventually, the energy-efficient vinyl window will cover its cost with these savings.
Disadvantages:
Not as customizable: Though vinyl windows can be made according to your style and liking, there are not many choices that you get from wood material due to the manufacturing procedure and the materials. If you want more than just a vinyl look, then you have to choose other options instead of vinyl.
Not-changeable: Though the latest technology is used in making the vinyl windows and you can easily get paintable vinyl, but you cannot paint the vinyl windows. They come in different colors, but once you fixed the window, then you have no choice to change the color forever. Vinyl windows may not be the right choice for people who like to see different colors on their windows during special occasions.
Posted By: admin June 14, 2019 November 12, 2019
Basement renovation in Toronto is gaining popularity because of the increase in the generation of the household. Getting an extra space in your home is of good advantage. By getting the basement renovated in Toronto you can increase the space of living in your house without expanding any footprint. Toronto basement renovations will help you in having good comfort in your home, it will also fix any safety issue with the basement. With proper basement renovation in Toronto, you can have extra space for or the functioning of the home.
The heating system
Do not mistake that the basement will be a cozy and a warm place. In most of the houses, the heating system is located upwards, which keeps your home warm and not the basement. The heat and the circulation of air are very essential at the lower level of your house, so you have to plan accordingly for Toronto basement renovation.
The lighting has to be planned even before you begin the renovation project. Ambient lighting is necessary for the basement if you want to renovate it and use that space as an extra room or a home theatre. Lighting is very essential for reading or playing games.
Large Windows are very important because it allows more natural light, and make the walls brighten up. And basement turns out to be a very dark place so larger Windows are a must.
In some basement the bathroom is already installed, also some homes have partially finished basement. A little update in the bathroom can make the room more appealing. So when you go for basement renovation, remember Consulting Toronto basement renovations, for the best ideas.
Your basement flooring may have simple concrete, which is good for foundation but if you want your family and guests to spend time there you need to have something else like carpet, synthetic wood or tile.
Before any planning process, check out if there are issues of leakage or water drip. Also, make sure that the ground is dry and there are no cracks on the wall. You should deal with any moisture problem if you want to convert it into a room for guest and children, if you need to be having any plumbing and electrical work done, make sure to take permission from the local municipality. Sometimes even after taking care of any moisture issues, the basements remain damp, you can add a vapor barrier
Add insulation to your basement
Insulation will help you to control the indoor temperature and also add a layer to prevent moisture.
Bottom Line: The value of the building also increases when you have a renovated basement. People consistently look for an upgrade in style, with the renovated home it will be a sign of sophistication and look more upscale, and upgrade your Living Style. So here are few things which must be kept in mind while Toronto basement renovation.
Posted By: admin June 4, 2019 June 11, 2019
Nowadays, kitchen planning is done in such a way so that they appear to be attractive and also have adequate spacing and light. The latest trend in the modern kitchen has become a place for a gathering of family and friends. Modern kitchens are also used for family meetings. If you want to rebuild your kitchen you must pay attention to kitchen cabinets as they are the latest trend. Modern kitchen cabinets are very efficient and functional.
If you want to rebuild your attention towards the flooring and the cabinets. Deciding the material of the kitchen cabinet is also very difficult as sometimes the construction of the cabinet can take a lot of space. The company you choose for buying the custom kitchen cabinets should provide you all the details and help you to select the best kitchen cabinet. Experienced custom kitchen cabinets makers can guide you to find the right cabinet at a pocket-friendly budget. If you get a satisfactory product within your budget, that will be the best deal you can get. There are many places in custom for kitchen cabinets that stores ready to assemble products for the modern-day kitchen. Kitchen cabinets are used to store a lot of things like pans, utensils and even collections of wine. Today various materials are used to make the finishing like, concrete, limestone, granite, butcher block, etc.
The kitchen is integrating as dining areas, cooking places and also sitting area all in one. People are developing a kitchen for conventional work activity between food preparation and gathering. The kitchen surfaces have got better using light and flooring. The cabinets which people prefer are usually durable and unique giving a pleasant aura of the place. Stones like quartz, granite, slate, and marble are used, at the last over a long period of time.
Kitchen cabinets play a role in the appearance of the kitchen, modern kitchen you will find everything arranged according to the comfort of the user. An unorganized kitchen makes it incomplete. The handles and the knobs should be matched according to the appearance of the kitchen. One should make the arrangement of the kitchen neat and organized. The right accessories must be used for making the cabinets, as they give a lot of space to the user giving it a distinctive look.
Modern cabinets are more spacious without compromising the space in your kitchen, deciding the color of the cabinet can be a very difficult task. The most popular choice of the users has been black due to its trendy look and white because of the sheer elegance. Deciding the color and the material of which the cabinet is made is a very important task. Many people get confused in selecting the right design so in that case, you can consult professional custom kitchen cabinet makers. The countertops and the cabinets make the kitchen look lively and spacious.
These days wooden cabinets are also making a huge comeback, the cabinets which are made of cherry, oak, bamboo or maple wood with effective pricing I have also come up so that they add value to the shopper. For more news, read here!
Posted By: admin March 27, 2019
Despite the best marketing efforts, are you struggling to get hold of the best engagement ring? Fret not, any seemingly impossible task can be done with the right set of mind and tactics. Of course, buying an engagement ring is no exception.
Living in the frenzy, people usually opt for diamond rings by spending exorbitant sum. However, going non-diamond can also give you much bling without spoiling the aesthetics. A custom engagement ring is the new age thing that perfectly blends sheer brilliance and bling of precious metals at once. This particular custom jewellery Toronto is doing the rounds for all good reasons.
Make your engagement unique and special by not following the trend of presumptive stones. Express your love and devotion in the most unconventional way by buying an engagement ring of custom jewellery Toronto origin.
However, when it comes to such custom-made rings, you are spoiled with a plethora of choices. So, here some exclusive tips for you to buy the best custom engagement ring.
Custom-made engagement rings are may not be as high-priced as diamond rings, but having a budget makes the process easier. Precisely, an upfront allocation makes the jeweler helps you to have the best possible options. Moreover, a pre-set budget will also stop you from going overboard. Always remember, an engagement ring is beyond the status symbol and so must not place yourself in a financial mess. Therefore, keeping a budget is important.
Choose the Route
A custom jewellery Toronto is typically made using multiple routes. For instance, some makers may sell rings that are completely personalized. On the other hand, a group may proffer rings that are market-ready. So, choose the style that suits your choice. Needless to say, both the routes exhibit exemplary craftsmanship of the makers.
Finding a reputable jeweler is perhaps another important step you should keep in mind. Make sure the jeweler has a stellar market reputation with years of proven track record. It is okay to be a little straightforward and ask necessary questions to assess the credentials. Ask for the certificates and license to evaluate the verity of his business.
You have the freedom to reinforce your creative inclinations while buying an engagement ring. You can research trendy designs and styles for your ring to make it one of a kind. Implement all your ideas by expressing them to the maker. A professional custom jewellery Toronto maker will take care of your requisites for making a bespoke engagement ring.
Stay Abreast on Warranty & Aftercare
Warranty and aftercare are the 2 primary factors related to the buying process of an engagement ring. Hence, getting every detail about the metal and stones on hard copy is crucial. You also need to get the ring insured for safety purpose. Keep an eye on the warranty and aftercare before completing the purchase.
With all these pragmatic tips, get the best engagement ring in town. Choose the correct size and shape to make a perfect purchase.
Posted By: admin March 8, 2019 March 8, 2019
Unlike money, gold coins are easy to store, portable and possess high investment value. In fact, gold bullion coins generally sell in millions in America. So, if you’re recently thinking to buy gold online for investment purposes, it’s a good option.
However, with the amount of theft and fraud companies online, buying gold can become a difficult endeavor. However, fret not! This blog has all the answers to buy gold coins virtually without being scammed.
Opt for North American Coins
When it comes to purity of gold coins, nothing beats Canadian Maple Leaf and American Eagle gold bullion coins. These are certified 24-karats and undoubtedly have good investment value even outside the United States.
Further, customer reports matter and the above-mentioned gold coins are also widely sold. Unlike their counterparts like the Austrian Vienna Philharmonic, and South African Krugerrand these coins are more popular.
So, to avoid scams go for these trusted brands especially if you’re opting to buy gold online.
Since your main motive to buy gold online, is an investment, go for 1-ounce gold coins. The American Eagle is available in 4 denominations:
Half-ounce
Now, as the fractional coins have higher premium value above spot prices it’s best to stick to 1-ounce coins.
For this use a gold dealer comparison tool online. Remember different dealers have different price ranges, but the genuine ones have a specified range. Don’t go for ones that are showing excessive low range as these might not offer genuine quality.
When you are looking to buy gold online, avoid rare coins. Two coins might resemble each other similarly; however, these rare coins have a different gradation. Even the slightest gradation can result in a thousand dollar difference. Thus, either hire a professional grading service and ensure that the coin has a certification of authenticity or avoid the endeavor of buying rare gold coins.
Lookout for Scam Signs
With the increasing number of scams online, it can be hard to find a dealer that offers genuine gold coins. Thus, when buying gold look out for tell-tale signs of scams. A dealer that offers an excessive discount, delayed delivery, free storage etc. might be selling you scammed materials.
Additionally, you can also try out a few gold tests, to ensure that you’re not being sold fake coins.
Authentic gold coins chime when struck with another coin. So, balance the coin at the tip of your finger and strike with another coin, if it chimes it is original. Further, other metal coins when struck will produce a duller tune with a shorter ring. One of gold will resonate a bit longer.
For this, you’ll require a strong magnet which you can get at any local hardware store. Take your gold and see if it’s attracted to the magnet. If it’s metal it’ll likely be attracted.
So, there you go, in such cases, you can charge your seller and ask him why he sold you fake gold. Well with these 2 tips, fortunately, you can prevent scams while looking to buy gold online.
Now, follow all the above tips and invest in peace!
We are custom furniture artisans. In order to create this unique piece for you, we prefer to have one on one contact with each and every person to ensure the highest level of service. Although we have our standard collection, all pieces are customizable and will be delt with on an individual basis to suit your needs.
We will respond within one business day to discuss your requirements so we can ensure you get the personal attention and the perfect piece you deserve.
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Yesterday, President Barack Obama was the first sitting U.S. President to visit Burma. There, he officially opened the USAID mission after a 24-year hiatus. “Today, I was proud to reestablish our USAID mission in this country, which is our lead development agency,” said President Obama. The President affirmed the United States’ partnership in helping Burma, “reestablish its capacity to feed its people and to care for its sick, and educate its children, and build its democratic institutions as you continue down the path of reform.”
To learn more about our efforts in Burma, visit www.usaid.gov/burma.
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While growing up I went to live with some family friends for the summer. They had a boy my age and he had two older sisters. One was a few years older than we were and the other was about eight years older than us. Both of the sisters were gorgeous. One even won some amateur modeling competitions locally.
The older sister had a room on the opposite side of the house as everyone else. She often left her door open no matter what she was doing. While most girls would slam their bedroom door and lock it while changing clothes or lounging around in their skivvies, this girl wasn’t modest at all.
One of the bathrooms of the house was located near her bedroom door. When my buddy used the other restroom I made it a point to use this one and glance inside his sister’s room to see if she was fully clothed or not.
On one occasion she was checking herself out in her full length mirror. She was wearing a tank top shirt and a pair of turquoise panties. They were thong panties. I had never seen a girl in real life wearing them. From what limited information I had at the time, girls in thong panties were total sluts. No ifs, ands or buts about it!
She hadn’t seen me so I positioned myself to be able to pear through the gap between her doorjamb and the door itself. It was only about 1/2 of an inch gap, but it allowed me to see her without her seeing me.
As I watched she performed some stripper moves as if she were dancing for a boyfriend. I was pretty sure she was wearing a thong for her first time and she was interested in seeing if her boyfriend would like it. As her dance progressed she removed her tank top and I got to see her naturally large breasts. They were the first full sized tits I had ever seen in real life.
By this time my cock was getting painfully hard. I wanted to jerk off, but I didn’t know how much longer she would dance for, or if somebody would come down the hallway. I decided to do some recon in the hallway first to make sure everybody else in the house was content in their current activities. Once I was sure they wouldn’t be stirring soon I headed back to the show.
She had put her shirt back on and now she was really working her moves. As I watched she did some pirouettes and threw her head around so her hair would move like a wild fire. This put her ass out in my direction and I started jerking my cock through my pajamas.
My cock started spitting out precum and I didn’t want my pajamas to be wet so I pulled it out of the hole in the front of them. As I jerked it she began playing with her boobs again. Sometimes she would pull on her panties so they dug into her pussy. She also teased them down a bit and it became apparent to me that she had shaved off her pussy hair.
I looked back down the hallway to make sure I wouldn’t be disturbed and when I looked back at my buddy’s sister…
She was staring right at me in the mirror. I guess she must have seen the movement of my hand beating my cock even though it was just barely noticeable through the gap in the door. My hand froze and tried to cover myself as she barged over to the door and swung it open.
At first her look was a mixture of shock and disgust. But then it quickly changed into a shrewd smile. She grabbed me by my arm and pulled me into her room. My heart was beating out of my chest as I tried to hide my cock from her.
My buddy’s sister hastily pushed me down onto her bed and began to grind her hips turned slowly in a circle. As I sat there on her bed she bent over once her ass was pointed at me. Next she put her hand between her legs and rubbed it teasingly over her ass cheeks and then over her pussy. As she did this she looked back at my crotch. I was way too embarrassed to do anything other than stare at her ass.
Not happy with the results of her display she spun around to face me and lifted her shirt up over her tits. At this point she began to grind her hips again while pulling her panties up into her crotch. My cock was begging me to jerk it, but I was more afraid that she would think my cock was too small or something then I was to masturbate in front of her.
To my surprise she started to jerk off as if she had a cock. She even made the funny faces that accompany masturbation. I couldn’t stand it anymore and I exposed my cock to her. She acted as if she put her hand around it and really started jerking it. She mouthed some ooo’s and aaah’s. I began to beat off in front of another person for the first time in my life and once I got started it seemed as if this was more natural than hiding it.
I sat there on her bed pumping my cock super fast since I had no idea how much longer we could do this uninterrupted. Right as I thought I was getting close to cumming I heard her mom call for her.
I bounded out of her room and into the bathroom. Once there I turned on the light and as quietly as I could I closed the door behind me. I didn’t lock it figuring her mom was probably within hearing distance by then and would possibly wonder about why I waiting so long to lock it, raising questions about why I was on that side of the house for so long.
If I thought my heart was pounding before, it was nothing compared to how hard it was beating right then. As I listened I heard her telling her mom I was in the bathroom complaining of a stomach ache. This put her mom into full-mother-mode. She came to the door asking if I needed anything. I told her I would be alright. I just needed some time. She responded by letting me know she hoped I would be alright.
While sitting on the toilet I heard the doorbell. It was the boyfriend of my buddy’s sister. They were going out for the night. Boy was he ever in for a surprise!
My cock was still pumped full of blood and I was contemplating what to do about that when a pair of panties suddenly slid under the bathroom door. I could tell by their size that they were my teasing dancer’s panties. These were satin and super soft. Did she know I was going to jerk off into them? What would her boyfriend think if he knew she was doing this?
The time for questions was over. I wrapped her silky panties around my cock and beat off into them. There was enough cum to completely soak them butt portion and most of the front as well. Now I needed to figure out what I was going to do with them.
There was no clothes hamper in this bathroom so I figured I would put them back in her room. I listened at the door and didn’t hear anything. So I slowly, quietly opened it and looked out into the hallway. It was empty. I then crept over to her room and saw she had a clothes hamper near the door. I put them inside right on top of her others clothes hoping she would see I had used them.
As time went on she danced for me on several more occasions. Once she even let me kiss her boobs. She never masturbated with me though. To this day I am unsure of whether or not she engages in the act. I do know one thing for sure though. I will never have an experience like that again!
For now the next best thing is to enjoy Scarlet on Total Super Cuties. She is almost identical to my old crush. So much so that I have to leave you now and find some of my current GF’s panties so I can relive the experience again!
We have all either taken a set of pictures like this of an old flame or we have always wanted to have taken a set of pictures like this of an old flame. I am one of those that did take the pics. God was I scared when I went to pick them up. I thought for sure there would be some cops there asking me question or something.
The lighting is never the best. The clarity is a bit off because of the lighting. She doesn’t know how to make those sultry faces the models do in Playboy. But you jerk off to those pics just the same. I finally had to get rid of my pics when I got married. Well, a few years into my marriage anyway. LOL
It is nice to have Total Super Cutie Becky pics to make me feel like I felt when I had them old pics. Not to mention that there are dozens of other girls there with similar sets. I love this site because of the girl next door feel of the girls and the photo sets!
My old flame wouldn’t let me take a pussy pic of her. That was alright though. I have a fetish for girls in panties anyway so it just made the old thing even hotter. She did let me snap a photo of her camel toe. She thought it was odd that guys liked that. Now it is all the rage and girls often try for camel toe instead of trying to stop it from happening. LOL
TotalSuperCuties.com has lots of pictures of Becky for you. Go enjoy them!
Not all porn is created equal. This lingerie set from Total Super Cuties hits the nail on the head. While Scarlet is not Playboy Bunny she is a super cute girl next door. The kind of girl you hope to marry and spread your roots with someday.
TotalSuperCuties.com got started as one man’s passion for the girl next door. As the site received more and more exposure over the years it developed a larger and larger fan base. It seemed there were thousands of guys out there that shared his passion for something different.
Coeds like Scarlett never thought there would be a market for themselves. Scarlet thought she wasn’t pretty enough to be a pinup model. How wrong she was. Scarlet is one of the most popular girls on the site!
Buck the system and find truly beautiful girls and college coeds with dreams of being a fantasy girl.
Total Super Cuties like Lana Brooke get a lot of love from their fans because they fit a certain niche. Lana covers a few niches. She has what I like to call grabby boobs. She has a body that was made for modeling panties. She is a girl next door which makes her an approachable coed you might actually have a chance with. And finally, Lana Brooke has a fun attitude.
For me Lana Brooke reminds me of a friend of mine’s older sister. She was in college and every one of us wanted to fuck her brains out. To other people in college she was just some girl with boobs. To us she was a goddess!
One night while she was hanging with two of us the conversation turned to strip poker. We were talking about games people play in college. Since I was a bit of a nerd I had all kinds of tips for her. She asked if we wanted to play a round and of course we were ready and willing.
After several hands of me winning I got the feeling she might end the game before actually getting naked and kick us out of her room. I decided to start losing enough to keep up with her losses. That way she would feel like somebody else was in the same boat as her. She even commented about how crappy I was for somebody that thought he was God’s gift to the poker world.
When it was time for her to lose her bra my buddy and I waited in bated anticipation. It was as if God were about the pull the sheet off of the inner workings of the world and we would know every secret. She noticed our attention and gave us a little teaser show.
"Wow, somebody is excited," she said pointing to the bulge in my undershorts. I didn’t fall for her attempt to make me feel embarrassed. I was too mesmerized by her boobs. They were huge when compared to anything I had ever seen in person. They were bigger than my moms!
On the next hand she was hoping to see the fruits of her teasing if I lost and had to strip completely naked, but ultimate she lost again. By then my cock was leaking juice all over my boxers. Her panties were starting to show a wet spot of their own.
The object of our desire stood up so that her crotch was face height for us and did some teasing with her panties like she did when it was time for her to lose her bra. She did things like turn around and pull the sides of her panties up her ass cheeks like a thong. She turned back around and pulled her panties up into her pussy lips. It was like the world’s greatest porn movie playing out for you in real life!
What she did next really threw us for a loop. She told us that nobody loses in strip poker. At the end of a college game everybody gets naked. By then my buddy and I didn’t care enough about dick sizes or anything like that. We just wanted to see this girls pussy no matter what it took. My friend stripped to his underwear in seconds and then we all tucked our thumbs in our waistlines ready to pull our undies down at the same time.
With a flourish two cocks bounced out of their confinements flinging precum onto her thighs while her panties slowly revealed the pink flower petals that were her pussy lips. A strand of oily goo clung between her panty crotch and her pussy until it finally snapped. We both mouthed the word "wow" at the same time unable to actually make a sound.
Lana suggested we keep playing poker and that the winners could do things to the loser in a progressive manner starting with touching her boobs. We nodded in agreement and the game resumed with us sitting Indian style in front of each other.
When Lana lost the first round she laid on her back while my buddy and I each coddled one of her big floppy titties kneeling on either side of her luscious body. Suddenly Lana informed us again that in college strip poker everybody wins and she started jerking us both off with both hands.
"We should have a tasting round," Lana offered and we both bent down to suck on her nipples.
After a bit she stated that it was her turn and we lifted back up. She bent over to my cock and put it into her mouth. The sensation was like nothing I had ever felt before. The softness of her mouth on my cock was simple amazing. She worked her tongue over the head of my cock and I felt like I was going to explode into her mouth.
Next it was my buddies turn and since I wasn’t all that interested in watching her blow him I decided to get first dips on her pussy. Up until then I had heard about clits, but never actually played with one. So at first I spent a lot of time licking her vulva. As I came up and went back down I noticed she responded more to that little button at the top so I worked it instead. Later on she would compliment me on my foreplay. She thought I was licking her vulva to go slow on purpose. LOL
My bro seemed content with his blowjob and I wanted to get my dick wet again so I put a pillow under her ass and plowed my cock inside her pussy. While she was tight, my dick slipped in without much work. She was extremely wet. As I banged her pussy she blew my friends cock. Eventually she started rubbing her own clit in a bid to cum along with us.
When I was time to blow I wondered if she was on the pill. I scanned her room and my eyes landed on her trash can. An expended blister pack of birth control pills was right on top. Sweet!
Lana Brooke started cumming and it made her pussy tighter than even before. This added sensation threw me over the edge as well. My spunk began to fill her insides and my buddy couldn’t hold back anymore. His first shot went into her mouth, but she needed more oxygen for her own orgasmic trip so she pulled his cock out of her mouth and let the spunk juice plaster her face and tits.
Like I said earlier, it was like watching a porno play out for you live!
Remind yourself of how awesome those olden days once were and how awesome they can remain with a pass to Lana.TotalSuperCuties.com. The site that takes a girl next door and puts her in your own bed.
This voluptuous figure belongs to the model Jordan from Total Super Cuties. She has a phat tushy with plenty of padding for when you are party rocking in the house. When she is on top she will smother you with her more than adequate rack of soft tits. Jordan has a face full of cute freckles and she even has a few of them on her arms, thighs and her butt!
You can download, view, or what ever it is you do with your porn. There are no digital rights management so even if you cancel you can keep enjoying the videos you download.
Jordan has twelve updates and she models panties in all of them. Her body is so fucking banging it is insane. You want to jump through your monitor into her room and spank that fucking ass!
Get all of the Total Super Cuties updates immediately available to you once you join.
Remember the first time you scored a girlfriend? I am not even talking about scoring with a girlfriend. I am only talking about getting one. You got all jazzed and did the whole Toyota jump/kick thing like in the commercials. What a fuck yeah moment, man!
You can have those kinds of moments all over again by hooking up with swinger girls. They aren’t going to be your steady or anything of that sort, but they will blow your cock a lot better than your first girlfriend did. And if that doesn’t excite you I don’t know what will!
Your cock needs a good wingman and if you are going to be one you are going to have to grow a set of nuts. It only takes a couple of minutes to fill out a profile and then the girls will often find you. Getting laid has never been easier than it is now.
Newsflash: If Lindsey Lohan didn’t do so much fucking coke she would look like Total Super Cuties Laura. No – I am being serious here!
You probably don’t remember it, but before Lindsey was getting arrested for stupid shit like driving under the influence and stealing jewelry she was actually pretty hot. She had some meat on her bones. She had full tits like Laura’s juicy melons are. By the way… Did you see the leaked Lindsey Lohan Playboy photos? She looks like a fucking train wreck. There isn’t enough makeup or airbrushing in the world to save that ho-bag!
Anyway… oh… wait… not anyway… Check out this photo of Lindsey from when she was still hot:
OK… She is probably a little coked out here too… Make that maxed out on coke…. But back then she could do a lot of coke because she still had some baby fat lying around. I bet she could fuck all night long…
Now that is a phat ass. I could stick my dick in there and feel pretty confident I won’t cut it on a chipped bone or some shit!
Where was I?
Oh yeah… Total Super Cuties has dozens of models and each model does several picture sets and videos. A few go hog-wild creating their own mini-sites in the members area. Skinny girls, chunky girls… girls in between, Total Super Cuties has it all!
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The story of Floral Farms' fight for environmental justice didn't end with Shingle Mountain being hauled off. Nor did it end when industry began operating shortly after those shingles were taken to the dump
By Bethany Erickson | July 29, 2022|4:03 pm
If you thought the neighbors who lived near Shingle Mountain would catch a break after the operator was forced out and the illegal dump was hauled away, you would be wrong. The mountain may be in the nearby McCommas Bluff Landfill, but neighbors in Floral Farms say plenty of issues still exist.
Take, for instance, Marsha Jackson’s neighbor. The infamous mountain of shingles sat on two lots bisected by a creek. The city acquired the larger lot and hauled off the shingles, but Almira Industrial, the Irving-based company that owns the second lot at 9505 S. Central Expressway, did its own remediation. That kept it out of the city’s litigation. And it started operating again quickly after the shingles were taken to the dump.
In May 2021, Almira applied for a certificate of occupancy and claimed it would use the land for, “Machinery, Heavy Equipment, or Truck Sales & Service.” It stated it planned to “sort out and separate Metals to supply to mills, trading companies and export.”
It’s the latter “sort out and separate” part that is the bone of contention. The land is zoned for industrial research, not metal salvage, and there is no specific use permit issued that would override that zoning.
Almira received a certificate of occupancy—which allows it to operate—in January 2022, but it specifically says that no recycling can happen on the site. However, neighbors say that the company is now operating as a metal salvage site, churning up a lot of dust and air pollution in the process.
Jackson, the neighbor directly next door, says it is not surprising to her that the company appears to not be complying with its CO. Blue Star Recycling, the creator of Shingle Mountain, had the exact same CO while it was piling up shingles. She had complained with the city early on about Almira, too.
“We went through this with them last year,” she said. “They gave them almost a whole year all the way up to, I think it was April when they gave them the CO—I don’t know why they did because they’re so close to the house. Ever since then, it has always been one thing after another, and I constantly tell the city that, you know, once y’all let these people in here, they’re gonna always stay in here.”
Jackson and her lawyers, Mike Daniels and Laura Beshara, point to Almira’s website, which lists their business address as 9515 S. Central Expressway, and its numerous references to metal salvage and recycling. It doesn’t mention anything about selling trucks or servicing them. “A license from the state is required for truck sales and Almira has no such license,” the two wrote in a letter to City Manager T.C. Broadnax. (Almira has never provided comment to the media, and that didn’t change on Friday.)
Jackson says she’s asked the city’s Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability to address the dust and traffic she says Almira is generating. We also reached out to the city’s development services department to find out the process that was followed to award the company its CO, but have not received a response.
Jackson, understandably, is frustrated. She said repeated calls to 311 to report the activity hasn’t worked well—often city staff will show up in the neighborhood to investigate and the entire operation will stop until staff leaves again.
“This is the issue that we see with the city of Dallas—this is also what happened with Shingle Mountain, when we kept calling and reporting,” she said. “And that’s the frustration I have with Almira, because I have videos of that dust, of them working over there and they (city staff) tell me that they have to see it themselves. They’ll never see it themselves because when they see the city car or an unmarked car, they stop working. I’m just frustrated and worried.”
Almira has been cited twice so far this summer, and has been given an Aug. 8 deadline for addressing the items they were cited for, a person familiar with the issue said on background.
Jackson and her neighbors are lobbying for a zoning change that would make it harder for operators like Almira to set up shop in their neighborhood, but that would require an authorized hearing. The city says the Floral Farms neighborhood is a priority, but not high on the list—it sat at No. 12 since the list was last created in January, and only moved up to the the ninth spot today, according to a council memo.
Almira listed the property for sale this week, priced at $1.86 million for the 2.66-acre lot. That could mean that the recycler plans on leaving the area for good, but without a zoning change, it’s unlikely that what moves in next will be any better, Jackson worries.
“I wish we could get somebody to come over and buy that place,” she said. “We have history down here. We’re not just Shingle Mountain. When we talk about Floral Farms, we’re talking about nurseries—there used to be three of them here.”
The neighborhood has high hopes for a park that has been designed by the pro bono arm of HKS. Those plans have a second phase that would extend to include the plot of land Almira operates from, which would also include a small museum, Jackson said. But first, the neighborhood will need to get the city to keep listening, and (literally) act to clear the air. Or some deep-pocketed philanthropist—or the city itself—might be so inclined to buy the property.
You can see a brief sampling of what Jackson is experiencing in this video she provided.
Dallas’ most important news stories of the week, delivered to your inbox each Sunday.
Author
Bethany Erickson is the senior digital editor for D Magazine. She's written about real estate, education policy, the stock market, and crime throughout her career, and sometimes all at the same time. She hates lima beans and 5 a.m. and takes SAT practice tests for fun.
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In American folklore, the hodag is a fearsome critter resembling a large bull-horned carnivore with a row of thick curved spines down its back. The hodag was said to be born from the ashes of cremated oxen, as the incarnation of the accumulation of abuse the animals had suffered at the hands of their masters.
The history of the hodag is strongly tied to the City of Rhinelander where it was claimed to have been discovered. The hodag has figured prominently in early Paul Bunyan stories
In 1893, newspapers reported the discovery of a hodag in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. The articles claimed the hodag had "the head of a frog, the grinning face of a giant elephant, thick short legs set off by huge claws, the back of a dinosaur, and a long tail with spears at the end". The reports were instigated by well-known Wisconsin land surveyor, timber cruiser and prankster Eugene Shepard,[1] who rounded up a group of local people to capture the animal.[2] The group reported that they needed to use dynamite to kill the beast.[3]
A photograph of the remains of the charred beast was released to the media. It was "the fiercest, strangest, most frightening monster ever to set razor sharp claws on the earth. It became extinct after its main food source, all white bulldogs, became scarce in the area."[3]
Shepard claimed to have captured another hodag in 1896, and this one was captured alive. According to Shepard's reports, he and several bear wrestlers placed chloroform on the end of a long pole, which they worked into the cave of the creature where it was overcome.
He displayed this hodag at the first Oneida County fair. Thousands of people came to see the hodag at the fair or at Shepard's display in a shanty at his house. Having connected wires to it, Shepard would occasionally move the creature, which would typically send the already-skittish viewers fleeing the display.
As newspapers locally, statewide, and then nationally began picking up the story of the apparently remarkable living creature, a small group of scientists from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. announced they would be traveling to Rhinelander to inspect the apparent discovery.[citation needed] Their mere announcement spelled the end, as Shepard was then forced to admit that the hodag was a hoax.
The hodag became the official symbol of Rhinelander, Wisconsin. It is the mascot of Rhinelander High School, and lends its name to numerous Rhinelander area businesses and organizations, including the annual music festival, Hodag Country Festival. The city of Rhinelander's web site calls Rhinelander "The Home of the Hodag".[5] A larger-than-life fiberglass sculpture of a hodag, created by a local artist,[6] resides on the grounds of the Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce where it draws thousands of visitors each year. Rhinelander Ice Arena houses two hodags, one a full body creature just inside the entrance, and the other one an oversized head that blows smoke and has red eyes that light up, located in the corner just off the ice and which was created by the same artist who designed and built the Chamber Hodag.[7]
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| 4,477 |
I wanted to take the time and write about how excellent Dr. Sherman was in my care. I suffered a traumatic injury to my face (my right upper lips and tissue around it almost fell off) and I met Dr Sherman in the emergency room at Weill Cornell Medical Center. I was terrified, but he showed up and immediately managed the emergent situation with his excellent bedside manner and his great and precise surgical skills. He kindly followed up with me again in 36 hours to check on the surgical site and today I am going to remove the stitches!! I am so happy with the exceptional care I received from him and his team. Facial trauma can be a life long mental trauma, but with Dr. Sherman and his team’s care I am confident that I can recover fully. I highly recommend Dr Sherman for anyone looking for great care and skilled work.
by Sun Y.
5.0 stars - Written on July 12, 2021
Dr. Sherman is the best. I have complete trust in him as a plastic surgeon, doctor, and person. Jenny in his office is amazing and on top of all details to ensure that everything leading up to surgery went smoothly. Dr. Iwamasa, his anesthesiologist, made me very calm and comfortable.
My nose came out amazing. It looks so natural, and the bruising and swelling was minimal following his instructions. The pain was much less than I expected it to be, just minor headaches for 2 days. I couldn’t be happier with the end result. Forever grateful for my experience here with Dr. Sherman!
by Meghan O.
Dr. Sherman is the best!!!!
5.0 stars - Written on July 4, 2021
Dr. Sherman is the best!!!! My experience was so great. From Doctor Sherman to all the staff to the anesthesiologist to the nurses they were absolutely professional and sweet such a great team the location was very much clean sanitized and overall very comfortable my services was breast augmentation and tummy tuck and I’m so thankful and proud that I went to Dr Sherman I would 100% recommend to everyone
5.0 stars - Written on June 7, 2021
I recently had upper and lower Blepharoplasty with Dr. John Sherman and I am very pleased with my results. Dr. Sherman listened to my concerns, and was very honest and realistic about what I could expect. His skill and experience is second to none and his calm and friendly demeanor was much appreciated! He is conservative in his approach which was very important to me. I highly recommend Dr. Sherman! Thank you Dr. Sherman!
by Antonia S.
I am in complete awe
5.0 stars - Written on May 2, 2021
Seriously the best surgeon in the world, I cannot express how thankful I am to have been referred to him by the doctors at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. You know a plastic surgeon must be good if another plastic surgeon highly recommends him and says he would be their top choice. Still, the results completely beat my expectations and I am in complete awe at how talented Dr. Sherman truly is. I don’t think anyone can do a better job than him, and I would trust him with any kind of surgery on my face.
by Marina H.
I recommend him to anyone looking for plastic surgeon
5.0 stars - Written on April 21, 2021
Dr. Sherman and his staff were excellent. I have been researching various plastic surgeons for a while before I decided to pull the trigger and get my procedure-liposuction. From start to finish I felt like a VIP. The office is in a prime location and the staff were very professional.
I chose Dr. Sherman as he skilled and has done thousands of surgeries.
He has a good bedside manner and is very personable. He explained in detail the process for the surgery and post op. He was very thorough and honest as to what I could expect in terms of results-he didn’t make any false promises. I appreciated that very much. I am only 3 weeks post-op and I am already pleased with the outcome.
As a physician myself, I know a good doctor when I see one. And Dr. Sherman is one of the best. Without reservation I recommend him to anyone looking for plastic surgeon.
by SR
5.0 stars - Written on February 4, 2021
Dr Sherman performed otoplasty on my 18 year old daughter 11/20 and we cannot be happier. The entire experience from the consultations, planning and financing with Jenny, the surgery and the follow up has been stellar. My daughter was self conscious about her ears sticking out and she was finally ready to get the surgery. Dr. Sherman and staff made her feel safe and taken care of throughout the entire process. She had the surgery on Dr. Sherman’s birthday and he still called us that night to check up on her. We are thrilled with the outcome and the experience.
by Lara N.
5.0 stars - Written on December 15, 2020
you fixed and made what was broken two years ago look even better and for that i will always be grateful I’m completely IN LOVE and it’s not even healed to its full potential. From the moment I first walked into your office I knew that this experience would be AWESOME , your confidence in your skills helped me to feel so much more confident about the outcome of this surgery. Your whole team was just as amazing as you, they always helped to make me feel comfortable throughout this entire journey. It feels so good to finally look into the mirror and feel like I’m looking at myself
by Destinee G.
5.0 stars - Written on December 12, 2020
I cannot possibly put into words how positive my experience has been with Dr. Sherman and his staff from start to finish. It was clear from my first meeting with him just how much of an expert and professional he was – I felt completely comfortable and relaxed from start to finish while he assessed my nose, and brought up a number of structural things I had never been aware of previously (and that no other doctor had mentioned). The surgery itself went beautifully, and I could notice how much of an improvement was made all around even on Day 1. I am so excited by how everything is healing and looking and couldn’t be more thrilled with my nose both aesthetically and structurally – it truly is a work of art. Dr. Sherman is truly the best surgeon I could’ve asked for and am SO grateful for him and his incredibly kind staff for getting me through the entire process seamlessly.
by Julianne
5.0 stars - Written on October 17, 2020
What an amazing guy. He truly knows his stuff and is one of the most experienced surgeons in NYC.
by Rick M.
5.0 stars - Written on July 8, 2020
Dr. Sherman is the definition of the industry’s most noted consummate professional. With over 35 years of experience, I felt incredibly comfortable with him handling my highly complex rhinoplasty and septoplasty. From the moment I entered his beautifully appointed office, steps away from New York’s iconic Metropolitan Museum of Art off Fifth Avenue, his staff made me feel like my comfort was their upmost priority. Dr. Sherman was wildly communicative – taking my calls at 6:00AM and even making a special trip to the office on a weekend when I had questions. From their state of the art, accredited surgical ensuite to Dr. Sherman’s personalized after-care I would refuse to see any other plastic surgeon in the city. His impressive resume and long list of celebrity clientele is no simple coincidence – it’s backed by his decades of experience and impeccable dedication to detail.
by Tyler M.
Forever grateful to him
5.0 stars - Written on February 24, 2020
I was treated by Dr Sherman in the ER for a facial laceration and had a follow up at his office. He was very professional and the office experience was exceptional. Dr Sherman’s staff was pleasant and his office was immaculate. The work performed on my wound was incredible. Dr Sherman’s experience shows as my injury, which was a jagged cut and required 13 stitches, is barely noticeable, now. I am forever grateful to him and would highly recommend him.
by Shaun G.
5.0 stars - Written on August 13, 2019
Several years ago I had rhinoplasty to straighten a Roman nose which had been broken multiple times. (I’m somewhat athletic but at times clumsy.) I was bothered with my appearance as the degree of my nose crookedness became more apparent as I matured. As life sometimes catches us, I made a poor decision in my initial choice of surgeons.
Worthy to know, I was never troubled with my albeit Italian nose as I was pretty, i.e., my nose suited my face.
To summarize, the “botch,” surgeon not only shortened my nose, but upturned its shape and removed needed cartilage which also resulted in the nose to collapse inwardly. I looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize me. I was no longer pretty. Not surprisingly I was strongly opposed to any further cosmetic procedures. Fortunately, someone that loves me “kicked-me-in-the-pants.” Subsequently I did my research and found Dr. John E. Sherman.
Dr. Sherman took on my case and understood what was needed to bring “me” back. His effort required two surgeries: the initial surgery required the use of my ear cartilage (can’t even see the negative ear cartilage) to replace the deficient cartilage removed in the prior surgery and the second was to further improve the appearance of my misshapen nostril/septum.
Immediately after the surgery I could see me. Today, I’m writing this review because someone said I was pretty.
Good luck in your decision-making. Dr. Sherman rocks!
by Michele P.
5.0 stars - Written on May 30, 2019
Dr. Sherman and his staff are professional and nice (sometimes a rarity in NYC). Trusting one’s surgeon is so important and Dr. Sherman is the best!
by Anonymous
5.0 stars - Written on May 21, 2019
I strongly recommend dr John E Sherman. He really listens and understands your needs. From A to Z, you are in good hands and you feel it. No stress, no anxiety. He is a real pro. And a very human person too.
by Yasmine B.
Dr Sherman is as good as it gets.
5.0 stars - Written on March 7, 2018
I met Dr Sherman years ago when he applied facial stitches to my two toddler sons and the results were perfect. My husband and I were so impressed with him and his staff during such a stressful time. I knew right away that if I was ever looking for a plastic surgeon for myself, he would be the only person I wanted to use. I have since had my own, elective procedures done and I am thrilled with my results every time. He kindness, skill and generosity also shine through with the incredible reconstructive work he does on trauma patients in dire situations. This is literally the only review I have ever been inspired enough to write in my entire life and will probably be the last. Dr Sherman is as good as it gets.
by Elizabeth D.
5.0 stars - Written on September 27, 2017
Dr. Sherman performed a breast lift and explant and I could not be any happier. I am one week out of surgery and the results are nothing short of amazing. This lift has changed my life for the better, and boosted my confidence more than I expected. Any time I called with a question, no matter how silly it may have sounded, his staff or Dr. Sherman got right on the phone with me and answered it within minutes. You don’t see that anymore. His skills are amazing and what he can do to the body blew me away. Even my own body. I am super happy if you can’t tell!
by Melissa F.
5.0 stars - Written on July 27, 2017
Dr. Sherman is absolutely brilliant! He did a perfect reconstruction of my husband’s cheek. Amazing job!!!
by June N.
I am so grateful to him
5.0 stars - Written on June 11, 2017
I am so grateful to this man. Two years ago, I was bitten in the face by a dog. My nose was severely broken, and I needed more than 40 stitches. He came to the hospital, after midnight, on a holiday. His work was impeccable. All of my follow ups have been incredible. I barley have a scar now. Dr. Sherman performed reconstructive surgery on my nose (It was a mess). You would never know that anything happened. I look completely back to my old self!!! This Dr. really saved my face. I cannot speak higher of his kindness, compassion and skill. Again, I am so grateful to him
by Synthia L.
Extremely satisfying results
5.0 stars - Written on May 25, 2017
A totally skilled professional who makes sure his patients understand what various procedures can do to correct and solve issues realistically. He is caring and conservative in his approach…there is no template to be followed in his surgery. Every procedure is customized to your needs and limitations. I have benefitted from his expertise for more than thirty years involving various procedures with extremely satisfying results. His staff is always there to answer and assist you during pre and post surgical visits and couldn’t be more pleasant to deal with as you proceed with appointments and follow up care.
by Barbara G.
5.0 stars - Written on April 25, 2017
I was hit in the face with a golf ball in Florida and fractured my cheek in 2 places. Dr. Sherman had multiple phone calls with me assessing the damage and checking to see how I was doing. After I overnighted the Florida hospital MRI(crap) to him for his review, I was trying to postpone the inevitable but Dr Sherman told me to get on a plane, come home and take care of this immediately. Best advice I could have received. His excellent team set up cat scan and office visit the following day. Followed by surgery the day after that. All is well and I will be back on the course in a couple of weeks!! Thank you!! Thank you!!
by Loren N.
5.0 stars - Written on August 15, 2012
Dr Sherman and his staff are amazing. I came from out of state for my surgery and they could not have been more pleasant and accomodating.
by Anonymous
5.0 stars - Written on July 27, 2012
I had a botched reconstruction plastic surgery after a double mastectomy. I was physically uncomfortable and depressed about the results. I was referred to Dr John E. Sherman who assured me that he could fix it. Dr John E. Sherman changed my life. After the surgery the pain that I thought I had to live with the rest of my life was gone and I am very happy with the results. He couldnt have been nicer and more attentive. I would recommend Dr. John Sherman to anybody.
by Anonymous
Male
What an amazing guy. He truly knows his stuff and is one of the most experienced surgeons in NYC.
I couldn't be happier with the end result. Forever grateful for my experience here with Dr. Sherman!
I felt incredibly comfortable with him handling my highly complex rhinoplasty and septoplasty.
Dr. Sherman and his staff are professional and nice (sometimes a rarity in NYC). Dr. Sherman is the best!
Anonymous
From A to Z, you are in good hands and you feel it. No stress, no anxiety. He is a real pro. And a very human person too.
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Today, the Federal Reserve released the transcripts of 2008 meetings held by its key monetary policy board. Released after a customary five-year delay, the transcripts offer a remarkably detailed glimpse into the thinking of some of the world’s most important financial policymakers as they struggled to stabilize a wobbling banking system and assess economic damage that, even then, looked incredibly severe. We’ll be updating this post and highlighting some of the most interesting moments from the documents.
“[F]ollowing a Wall Street Journal article that alleged that some of the 16 LIBOR panelists were understating the rates at which they could obtain funding. The British Bankers Association reacted by threatening to throw out any panelist that was not wholly honest in its daily posting of its costs of obtaining funds at different maturity horizons. The BBA announcement appears to have provoked an outbreak of veracity among at least some of the panelists…There is considerable evidence that the official LIBOR fixing understates the rates paid by many banks for funding.”
— Fed official, and now New York Fed President, William Dudley, discussing a scandal that wouldn’t become public until 2010.
“On the one hand, we would get, I would call it for short, a Wall Street Journal editorial that the Federal Reserve is once again the craven cur and the spineless—boy, I am getting good at this—[laughter] lackey of the Congress by accommodating this request. I take that seriously. I’m sure we all take seriously even the perception that we are catering to this request. On the other side, I suppose that there would be what I could call the USA Today editorial, which is, “Why won’t the Fed, which is bailing out Wall Street left and right, include asset-backed paper in their facilities, even though it is consistent with all of their other practices and they take it in all of their other facilities?” and so on. So I think there are PR and political risks on both sides of this.”
— Bernanke debates potential public reaction to a plan to aid the student loan market.
“Here is what I am hearing from my corporate contacts. I’m going to just mention a few because it is fairly consistent across the board. From the CEO of the largest retailer in the country, not to be named but located in Arkansas, [laughter] I reported last time that they are budgeting price increases on 10,000 items of a little over 5 percent in 2008.”
“I think it is very possible that we will look back and say, particularly after the Bear Stearns episode, that we have turned the corner in terms of the financial disruption that we have just experienced.”
“I prefer not to put a limit on it, so I know I’ve got my own bazooka here.”
—Bernanke, discussing the open currency swap lines the Fed used to pump dollars into the global economy after Lehman Bros. went bankrupt the day before.
“But I would emphasize that a real concern is that there will be a run this week on money market funds because they may have to freeze the funds. It is possible that they will break the buck, and this will be at organizations that don’t have sufficient capital to make people whole.”
—Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren speaking even as a money-market fund broke the buck for the first time in fourteen years. He was ahead of the game on monetary policy, too.
“We are in a world of too big to fail, and as things have become more concentrated in this episode, it will become even more so.”
—Kansas City Fed President Thomas Hoenig, days before the Fed rescued AIG.
“MR. FISHER: Have we been approached by any other countries?
MR. SHEETS: Yes, indeed, we have. We have been approached by REDACTED, and we have had very informal inquiries from a couple of other countries, including REDACTED.
CHAIRMAN BERNANKE: But we have not encouraged that.
MR. SHEETS: We have done everything we possibly can to discourage it.”
—Fed officials discuss international currency swaps; reportedly, both Indonesia and Turkey were denied access to the facility.
“On the national outlook, I’ll be brief. I think that obviously the projections for recession are in place. Down is where we’re going. How much, though, is speculation right now. I don’t know.”
“I do think that one lesson of both Japan and the 1930s as well as other experiences is that passivity is not a good answer. We do have to continue to be aggressive. We have to continue to look for solutions. Some of them are not going to work. Some of them are going to add to uncertainty. I recognize that critique. I realize it’s a valid critique. But I don’t think that this is going to be a self-correcting thing anytime soon.”
“The downside risks around activity forecasts are huge and tilted to the downside. I think they’re huge because we’ve never seen a situation like this before, certainly not in my experience dating all the way back to 1970, and have only the vaguest notion of how it will play out in financial markets and spending.”
“I think we are talking about an episode here that could easily be among the largest postwar recessions.”
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Morzine is a ski resort situated in the Portes du Soleil, a collection of villages and ski resorts on both sides of the French-Swiss border. It is less than 1 hour 30 minutes from Geneva airport, making it one of France's most accessible ski resorts.
Planning your stay
A holiday in Morzine is an excellent experience, but you can make sure you get the most out of it by thinking about what is important to you and your group. With some careful consideration, your holiday will be the best it can be.
Catered vs Self Catered Accommodation
Morzine has many catered and self-catered properties; both types have their own benefits. Self-catered properties give you lots of flexibility in terms of mealtimes. You also get to choose exactly what you want to each evening. Some self-catered holiday companies will provide shopping packs, so you will have some supplies for when you arrive. But, you will need to do your own shopping for the rest of your stay.
Catered chalets make your holiday in the resort stress-free. Your chalet hosts will look after you, y cooking your breakfast and evening meals. They will also keep your chalet nice and clean while being around to answer any questions you may have.
There is a third option, though. You can book a private chef to cook in your self-catered property. The many local private chef companies can tailor menus to your preference and budget. It is best to book a private chef well in advance to avoid disappointment.
The location of your holiday property plays a big part in what you want from your trip. Centrally located properties make getting to and from the mountains and village very easy. However, there are some fantastic places that are quieter than the centre of the village. For example, at the foot of the Prodains and Ardent ski lifts. These areas provide effortless access to the mountain but are away from the main centre.
When you book your accommodation, it is worth finding out if your holiday company provides lifts to and from the mountain. Alternatively, check if the property is on one of the bus routes.
As this haute savoie resort is so close to Geneva airport, it is very easy to get to. You can hire a car at the airport, which will give you a little more independence during your stay. However, most people book with one of the many transfer companies in the area. You can either book private or shared transfers to get you to your accommodation.
Some people like to drive the whole way. Morzine is one of the closest ski resorts for British holidaymakers in the french alps, as it is just a 9 hours drive from Calais. Due to its location and quality of skiing, you will also see people who have driven from all over Europe to be here.
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Apartments
Staying in Morzine
In Morzine, there is no shortage of places to stay. You can choose from hotels, to self-catering or catered apartments and chalets nestled in our dreamy alpine town. Whether you're a family with kids or a young adult eager to hit the slopes, there's something here for everyone.
There are many restaurants to choose from in the village. You will find many of them serve traditional Savoyard dishes, such as tartiflette, raclette and fondue. However, more restaurants open up every year, offering new and exciting cuisines. The village restaurants are also getting better at catering for dietary requirements of all kinds.
Nightlife And Après
Morzine has a thriving après scene with many bars offering happy hour deals, live music and DJs. You can easily find a lively atmosphere as soon as you get off the slopes. Alternatively, you can also enjoy more a more relaxed experience if you prefer.
When it comes to late nights, the place has you covered. Its bars are great fun and are packed until the early hours of the morning. But there are a couple of other venues that will keep you dancing until 5am.
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Morzine skiing
Les Portes du Soleil is one of the world's largest ski area, all accessible with one ski pass. It is one of the rare areas that allows you to ski in two countries in one day.
You can ski on both sides of the valley that the resort is located in. One side is serviced by the Pleney gondola, which is home to some lovely tree-lined runs, suitable for beginner and intermediate skiers and snowboarders. Many people learn their first turns on this side of the valley, as it is perfect for families. But there are some superb areas for advanced skiers and snowboarders too. This side of the valley gives you access to the neighbouring ski resort of Les Gets, extending the terrain.
On the opposite side of the valley to Pleney is the Super Morzine Telecabine. This takes you up to the rest of the Portes du Soleil via Avoriaz, a higher altitude purpose-built ski resort. The Super Morzine and Avoriaz areas have lots of slopes to suit all abilities. Whether it is your first time on skis, a powder hunter or freestyler, there is something for you.
Beyond Avoriaz is Chatel and all the Swiss resorts to explore. You can access Avoriaz a little quicker via the Ardent and Prodains cablecars. And for some advanced freeriding, Mont Blanc is not far away.
If you don't have your own ski and snowboard equipment, there is no need to worry. There are many ski hire shops and some mobile hire services that will bring your equipment to your accommodation.
These equipment providers get a fresh batch of new skis, poles, snowboards, and boots every winter. The wide range available means you can hire the right equipment for your ability and style. You can even hire skis and snowboards to suit the snow conditions perfectly.
If you are looking to buy new equipment and clothing, there are some great ski and snowboard shops in the centre of the village too.
Morzine Ski Schools
No matter what your level or experience, there is always something else to learn. The resort has a wide range of ski and snowboard schools to start you off or push you to the next level. From the big name schools to small independent ones with a more intimate experience, there is an instructor for you.
Ski and snowboard instructors are also great for helping you find the best terrain. If you are lucky enough to experience a powder day during your trip, book an instructor to take you to the mountain's secret spots, away from the crowds.
There is more to Morzine than skiing and snowboarding. There are many other activities to do that will enhance your mountain experience.
Night sledging is a super fun thing to do once the pistes are closed. Indianaventures take you up the Pleney lift and, after a quick briefing, send you down Piste B in stages. The guide gives you tips on how to get down safely and with the most fun at each stop.
There is an ice rink in the tourist office square, which is an excellent introduction to ice skating. Kids love the atmosphere under the colourful lights while skating to music. It is an ideal child friendly après activity.
Snowshoeing is a wonderful way of seeing the mountains and the dramatic scenery. There are various snowshoe routes to take, either on your own or with a guide. You can hire snowshoes from several shops in the resort, but a guide will have everything you need. Also, a guided tour is an excellent way to see the best views and local wildlife.
Being pulled along by a team of huskies is a super fun experience for adults and kids alike. Your guide will take you around the forest tracks around the valley. Dog sledding is fantastic to do on an afternoon off the slopes, especially for animal lovers.
At the Point de Nyon restaurant, you can sit with wild birds of prey and enjoy a coffee whilst owls, buzzards, and condors fly around you. The birds come from the bird park, Les Aigles du Léman, near Thonon-les-Bains. The opportunity offers visitors to the Morzine the chance to ski with an eagle or just watch the birds fly freely around while eating lunch.
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Summer in Morzine
Morzine is an outstanding summer destination. For many, it is a refreshing change from a beach holiday, as there are so many activities.
One of the main attractions to Morzine in the summer is its world-class mountain biking. The fantastic mountain bike trails throughout the Portes du Soleil are all linked with the ski lift system. You can enjoy quick-fire downhill runs or picturesque and technical enduro routes on both sides of the French-Swiss border.
There are some stunning road bike routes around Morzine too. Some of which form part of the Tour de France route, such as the col de Joux Plane.
Morzine has some excellent bike shops providing bike hire and maintenance. You can rent high-end enduro, downhill, road and ebikes all over the village. It is best to book them in advance of your holiday to secure your bike.
But you don't need to be a mountain biker to enjoy summer in Morzine. There is a whole host of things to do, most of which are accessible via the Multipass. The Multipass gives you over 50 free and discounted activities all over the Portes du Soleil. These include the swimming pool, pedestrian access to the lift system, tennis and the indoor ice rink.
Just 10 minutes from the village, is Lac de Montriond. This stunning stretch of water is a beautiful place to hang out during the day and in the evenings. Here, you get to swim, kayak and paddleboard in the lake's clear water with an idyllic mountain backdrop. There are other things to do on the lake's banks too. The crazy golf and laser biathlon are fun activities to enjoy before cooking your lunch on one of the communal barbecues. Alternatively, you can dine at one of the stunning lakeside restaurants.
Morzine offers
For a mountain holiday to remember, whether you want to visit during summer or winter, Morzine is an excellent choice.
With its accessibility, amenities and attractions, Morzine is the place to be.
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Latest news and events
Summer Events in Morzine 2022
Morzine Village is a one stop website to provide all the information you could require for your stay in the resort, from travel to and from resort to the local culture to the snow conditions and more!
This website is run by and written by people who are local to the village, living there day by day and year by year and is therefore an excellent resource to provide in depth and accurate information regarding the area.
We have compiled this guide of Morzine with as much data as we could think of and we keep adding content on a regular basis. The website is split into different areas to cover as much information as possible regarding the village and around.
From the shortcuts above, you will have access to the information you could require in order to prepare your holidays or to facilitate your stay. It's always good to know about the place you plan to visit before hand.
Check the list of restaurants, the webcams, the special offers, the places to rent your stuff and so on.
Also, Morzine-Avoriaz is part of the area of the Portes Du Soleil, which is comprised of twelve resorts connected with their own ski lifts, spread over France and Switzerland. With one common ski pass, it is one of the largest domain in the world as you will notice from the piste map.
© Morzine Village 2022 | Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | Advertise with us | Site map | 0.4953 s MorzineVillage
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Lina has hit a major new milestone. We just marked one week of absolutely no bottles. She is drinking all her fluids from straw and sippy cups.
Infant feedings were painful with both my babies. Corin has his own story of excruciatingly difficult feedings and nearly a full year of exclusive pumping so he could enjoy the benefits of breast milk. Lina started out pretty well with breastfeeding but didn’t have the oral muscle tone to get what she needed. Even the bottle was a long, hard struggle. You may remember the anguish of trying to find a bottle she would take, and then the many, many months of difficult feedings where she leaked out as much milk as she took in (again, poor oral muscle tone). I once more found myself tethered to that loathsome but necessary pump. We jury-rigged latex nipples to make them faster-flow as she got older, and then those got old and stretched out and we jury-rigged some more, until all of a sudden she would take the silicone Avent bottles we’d used with Corin, and life got easier. Then began the LONG process of introducing about two dozen different types of sippy cups. We saw a feeding therapist a couple times, but Lina really just needed time and practice.
Ultimately, she has been successful with the exact same cups Corin preferred – the Munchkin straw cups and the Avent soft spout cups with the no-spill valve removed. At first, she made a huge mess drinking from them. We would have to hold a towel under her chin to avoid soaking her entire body. But in the last few weeks, those oral muscles have strengthened, the coordination came together, and she is drinking milk and water with very little spillage. She holds the cup herself and handles the whole thing like a pro (except for that whole throwing the cup thing).
The last step was figuring out how to deliver her thyroid medication. It had always gone in her morning bottle, and my finicky girl won’t eat applesauce or yogurt. Thanks to a great suggestion from grandma, we tried mixing it into a little pudding, and wa-lah – farewell, bottles.
As she cruises around the house behind her push toy, I’m realizing that my baby is very quickly disappearing. There has been something nice about her babyhood taking a little slower pace, but it may have lulled me into forgetting that she really is growing up so fast. She will be turning two in exactly a month. TWO!! She is fiercely independent, on the go and into everything. A few days ago, she discovered she can remove the HVAC vent covers and stuff things down the vents. I pulled several shoes out of the duct yesterday. This is unlikely to end well. But then she crawls to me, pulls up on my legs, puts her arms up, and wraps her arms tight around my neck as I hold her close, and I almost stop breathing to better savor the feeling.
And so goes the parental dance, celebrating the milestones with pride while mourning the loss of a little one who is every day a little bigger and a little more independent.
Posted in Uncategorized
November 12, 2012 by Jolene
Driven to the bottle(s)
After a series of stressful and frustrating experimentations, it appears we have finally found a bottle that works for Lina. To be clear, she still leaks milk out of her mouth as she drinks – a LOT of milk. It’s something we’ll be talking about with the early intervention teacher at our first therapy appointment this week. (It is thoroughly depressing to see her burp cloths soaked in my hard-won breast milk. Not to mention the laundry!) But we at least have her off the disposable nipples they sent home from the NICU, and she is able to latch appropriately onto the bottle and get enough to sustain steady weight gain. She is now just over 9 lb.
So, in case it’s helpful to anyone facing similar issues, here are the bottles we tried:
Disposable Similac regular flow nipples from the NICU (which we washed and reused for a good 5 or 6 weeks), paired with the Medela pump milk collection bottles – These latex-type nipples worked great for the first several weeks, but as she got bigger and stronger, the flow was much too slow. Feedings were taking an hour, and she was getting frustrated and tired trying to get the milk out of the one tiny hole. These nipples are not made in any other flow level. We tried poking larger holes in them with a heated needle but could not seem to get the size right and worried a bit about continuing to use what were supposed to be disposable nipples.
Dr. Brown’s glass bottles with newborn flow nipples – The shape is the same as the Similac nipples, but these are silicone rather than latex. She has refused these and any other silicone nipples. The texture seems to really throw her off.
Avent bottles (which Corin used) – Silicone nipples again, and a less familiar shape. Soundly rejected.
Playtex Nurser with Drop-Ins – This system can be used with either silicone or latex nipples. We tried both the slow and fast flow latex options. She did better with them than any of the silicone nipples, but these were extremely soft and a different shape than what she was used to, and she did not seem to latch onto them effectively. She had some okay feedings but was inconsistent and would have some really terrible ones, as well. We gave up on these after a few days.
Gerber First Essentials bottles and latex three-hole nipples – FINALLY, the solution. They are identical in shape to the disposable Similac nipples, so she latched great and took to them right away. The flow is some faster but not too fast, and feedings are down to an average of about 30 -35 minutes. Bonus: They are cheap! Three 5 oz. bottles were about $5 or $6 at Wal-Mart, and a pack of six latex nipples was maybe $3. Also, these are a standard size, so the nipples also fit on the Medela milk collection bottles and a couple of random glass Evenflo bottles we had on hand. Only downside: They do not seem to make the latex nipples in a fast flow, so I’m not sure what we’ll do if/when she outgrows the medium flow.
It was a difficult process, but thankfully we have something that seems to be working, and she is gaining weight steadily. We give her about 4 1/2 to 5 oz. six (occasionally seven) times a day. She is sleeping 5-7 hours at night. We have a pediatrician appointment on Wednesday, so hopefully he’ll be happy with her weight gain.
Posted in Parenting
Jolene is a wife and mother, a writer and reader, a lover of, among many other things, good food, good music and good people. She is immeasurably grateful for the joy of this ordinary life, well-seasoned with a dash of the unexpected.
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Should it come as any type of surprise that the Healthcare Bill touted by President Obama includes what he said he would avoid for the American people? In a recent report, President Obama is quoted from the days of his campaign for president in which he stated, “‘I can make a firm pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increases,’ the Illinois senator told a crowd in Dover, N.H. on Sept. 12, 2008. ‘Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes‘.”[1]
His comments certainly seemed straightforward enough. I believe it is safe to assume that Barack Obama – at the time – meant no new taxes.
He repeated these sentiments later, saying, “‘As president,’ Obama repeated the pledge during his Feb. 24, 2009 address to a joint session of Congress.” It is difficult to confuse the message. Obama said he would not raise taxes. “‘If your family earns less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes increased a single dime. I repeat: not a single dime,’ the president said.”
Did you read that? He said “not a single dime.” As it turns out though, the new Healthcare bill includes numerous taxes. The article we refer to goes on to say, “The bulk of the $500 billion in tax increases in the new health care law targets households earning $250,000 and individuals earning $200,000 — for example, the increase in the Medicare payroll tax. But many of the taxes hit the general public at large.”[2]
In fact, by 2014, barring any legal delays and snafus, once this Healthcare plan goes into effect, it “will require all legal U.S. residents to purchase a government-approved health insurance plan beginning in 2014. Once the reconciliation bill is voted on in the Senate to amend the law signed by Obama this week, the individual mandate will require a single person to pay 2.5 percent of their income or $695 if they do not purchase health insurance.”[3] (emphasis added)
So, if you are a legal resident of the United States, you MUST purchase a government-approved insurance plan. But wait a minute, I thought the Healthcare bill was simply going to be given or extended to everyone. Now, not only are we being told that each person must purchase one, but we are being told that we will also be taxed to support the plan. Hmm, that’s interesting. Should that come as a shock? Of course not, considering the high taxes people in Canada and Great Britain pay for THEIR “free” healthcare. No mention is directly made regarding the requirements of all illegal residents of the United States. It can be assumed then, that there will be no additional financial impact on these individuals.
When Obama ran for president, it was on the “hope and change” platform. Maybe it should have been on the “take and take” platform, since this is what it is amounting to for the United States. All those folks who were tricked into voting for President Obama have now put this country on the fastrack toward Socialism. I hope they are proud of that fact. They were “dared” from numerous quarters and they took the bait. Oh come on, you’ve all heard the dares:
“This country will never elect a black man to office”
There were numerous other slogans that were touted as well. Like the O.J. Simpson trial, which was ultimately about race, not whether Simpson committed the murders or not. Of course we are not prejudice, so O.J. Simpson was absolutely not guilty. Really? It all comes out in the wash and God has the final say, because He is the only one who judges correctly. So, the liberal whites fell for the “dare” so they would not be seen as prejudiced. The blacks of course, had to vote for Obama or they would have been seen as an Uncle Tom. The media got behind Obama because they like to create problems, rather than simply report on news. In the end, we have another politician who is rather well skilled at the art of lying with a straight face. Who knows what President Obama will try next. Maybe he’ll attempt to turn the presidency into a monarchy. He seems to have taken on that persona already, considering his demagoguery with respect to Israel, so he is getting close to considering himself to be the king of the United States. So, that “hope and change,” it’s good for you? Excellent.
Oh and by the way, while it causes great concern that the American people are going to face more taxes to get this Healthcare bill up and running (some estimates running as high as 1 TRILLION dollars!), apparently President Obama is now demanding another 2.8 BILLION dollars for Haiti. It just keeps getting better and better. It makes one wonder whether or not President Obama even realizes that the American economy is not only in the toilet, but on the verge of being flushed down that same toilet.
It also seems that Hillary Clinton, appointed by the Obama Administration to Secretary (so that she would not hold a grudge against President Obama for winning the election and shoving her to the side), has ramped up her criticism of Israel and Netanyahu (taking her cue from President Obama, who remains blissfully in the background for the most part, while she does his dirty work).
The problem with this administration’s posturing with regards to Israel is that it is what the minority of people in this country want and approve. The rest of us believe that this type of demagoguery and chicanery is not only uncalled for, but deeply disturbing for our elected officials to treat leaders of Israel as they are doing.
In fact, with all the rhetoric that Clinton alone has used in the past, in which she promised unwavering and unswerving support of Israel, her new position against Israel has not gone unnoticed. Many within her former constituency of New York have demanded an apology for the fact that she – like President Obama – has outright lied.
The Zionist Organization of America wrote a letter to Clinton, which stated in part:
“Your shocking words about Israel building in east Jerusalem is especially perplexing in light of the fact that you have ignored Congress passing the ‘Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995′ by a margin of 93 to 5 in the U.S. Senate and 347 to 37 in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“The Act which is U.S. Law stated:
(1) Jerusalem should remain an undivided city.
(2) Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the state of Israel.’
It also stated
(1) Each sovereign nation, under international law and custom, may designate its own capital.
(2) Since 1950, the city of Jerusalem has been the capital of the State of Israel.
(3) The city of Jerusalem is the seat of Israel’s President, Parliament, and Supreme Court, and the site of numerous government ministries and social and cultural institutions.
(4) The city of Jerusalem is the spiritual center of Judaism, and is also considered a holy city by the members of other religious faiths.
(5) From 1948-1967, Jerusalem was a divided city and Israeli citizens of all faiths as well as Jewish citizens of all states were denied access to holy sites in the area controlled by Jordan.
(6) In 1967, the city of Jerusalem was reunited during the conflict known as the Six Day War.
(7) Since 1967, Jerusalem has been a united city administered by Israel, and persons of all religious faiths have been guaranteed full access to holy sites within the city.
(8) This year marks the 28th consecutive year that Jerusalem has been administered as a unified city in which the rights of all faiths have been respected and protected.
(9) In 1990, the Congress unanimously adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 106, which declares that the Congress “strongly believes that Jerusalem must remain an undivided city.”
(10) In 1992, the United States Senate and House of Representatives unanimously adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 113 of the One Hundred Second Congress to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem, and reaffirming congressional sentiment that Jerusalem must remain an undivided city.”[4]
The article continued by quoting ZOA National President Morton A. Klein, who stated, “It took only a few months to confirm that Secretary of State Clinton bears little resemblance to Senator Clinton on Israel issues and was apparently misrepresenting her true views and beliefs on Israel to her New York constituents. From having once loudly proclaimed support for an undivided Jerusalem, upon becoming Secretary of State, suddenly, parts of an “undivided Jerusalem” became places where Jews may not move or build, even though Jews were a majority in eastern Jerusalem from the mid-1800s until 1948, when Jordan forced Jewish residents to flee, and are now a majority once again.”[5]
Even the United States House of Representatives got involved, drafting and submitting a letter to Clinton regarding her negative views on Israel. “Signed by 327 Representatives, out of 435, the letter calls on Clinton and the Obama Administration to settle its disputes with Israel in a non-public and friendly fashion. The current tensions “will not advance the interests the U.S. and Israel share,” the letter states, as “above all, we must remain focused on the threat posed by the Iranian nuclear weapons program to Middle East peace and stability.“[6]
It appears that without the checks and balances, anti-Semitism easily comes to the fore. The naively liberal will continue to believe that both President Obama and Clinton really have everyone’s best interests at heart. The problem though is that both believe they can belittle, shun, and generally treat Netanyahu like garbage because they obviously favor Arabs over Jews. This is no surprise, since this is exactly what Satan has been doing for centuries. Why should godless politicians be any different? The fact that politicians have been telling people what they want to hear for as long as their have been politicians should not be shocking to anyone.
What makes it odd though is when no real “spin” can be placed on their own verbal twists and turns. In both cases – President Obama and Hillary Clinton – their lies are obvious, weighty, and severely damaging. Left unchecked, they will continue to do what seems right in their own eyes. Hopefully, the will of the House of Representatives and the letter from ZOA will have some effect in slowing down the growth of hostility within each of these two leaders, toward Israel and their right to build in their own capitol city. If not, we will see what happens…
[3] Ibid
Entry filed under: Atheism and religion, Demonic, dispensationalism, israel, Judaism, Life in America, new age movement, Posttribulational Rapture, Pretribulational Rapture, Religious - Christian - End Times, Religious - Christian - Prophecy, Religious - Christian - Theology, salvation, temple mount. Tags: allegory, anti-christian, anti-christianity, anti-supernatural, anti-zionist, antichrist, arab states, as it was in the days of noah, atheist, bible study, christianity, covenant, end times, end times anti-semitism, great apostasy, hillary clinton told to calm down, iran, islam, israel, jewish, literal hermeneutic, middle east, zoa writes a letter demanding apology from clinton.
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Social Media for Doctors: Signing up for online professional networking sites? Consider these points first – Scepticemia
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Social Media for Doctors: Signing up for online professional networking sites? Consider these points first
So this post follows on from one previous post about the spammy email practices of Docplexus, a networking site for doctors, and has been incited by a deluge of emails which kept pinging my inbox non-stop. I first noted that they were celebrating the achievement of a wonderful milestone – 250,000 medics signing up for their site – through a nicely made video on their LinkedIn page. Naturally, I aired my grievance about the spammy emails. It was quite a docile comment actually – which they ended up deleting, inducing me to rant about them on my blog! I also learned today that they have blocked me on their Twitterstream:
I was not happy that the Docplexus people were so actively trying to stifle the freedom of expression of their members, which was anyways a small, small minority, which seemed to be rather irritated by their spammy emails; however, on the plus side, the ruckus I created helped me get off their mailing list for good. So that was a win. And now, this time, the offender is a service called GoodMD, provided by Lybrate.
Lybrate is an online Practice Management portal, which seemed like a professional service, so I signed up with them (a few years back), when I received an email request to join them. They also seemed to have a premium service, including mechanisms for online consultations, all of which attracted me. Of course, after signing up, I toyed around with it for a few days before I forgot all about it… until today, when the whole stash of GoodMD emails cropped up in my inbox. I tried unsubscribing (as one does when they receive emails they did not sign up for!) after the first couple of emails, but the emails just kept on coming! I finally used their “Live Chat” feature to get a hold of a helpful responder, who offered to take me off the list. And when I asked him how to delete my account since I could not find any option for the same, he asked me to write in to their support email with a request to delete my account and a valid reason for the same.
Now, I am an early adopter when it comes to online platforms or social media tools for enhancing medical practice, awareness or disseminating verified information. However, since getting a bit burned on these two occasions, I decided that at least when it comes to signing up for professional social networking sites, I would like to verify a few things before signing up with them. Could be a helpful guide for those who, like me, get irked when the ethical norms for online behaviors are violated.
1. Be sure who you are sharing personally identifiable information with
Some of the social networking sites ask for an official documentation to prove that you actually are who you say you are. While that is a good thing, as it verifies your credentials, it can be a bit of a dicey affair to share something as sensitive as your registration certificate or other such professional credentials without actually knowing who these people are. Get to know their funders. Get to their mission and vision in the long term. And above all, get to know their policies on withdrawal or deletion of any personal details that they force you to submit on sign up.
There is one point I am still slightly undecided on. About the professional profile of the leader of the service… do services which have physicians at the helm better understand our needs and purposes? Would platforms which are solely created, maintained and marketed by tech/engineering people be less sensitive to the needs of physicians – whether these needs be medical or technological or even socio-cultural? I have not had experience of working on too many platforms headed by doctors; and possibly, there are very few such platforms (Curofy comes to mind). But I would like to understand whether the professional background of the leadership makes a difference or not.
2. What are their profile deletion options?
It would be good to know what happens when one wants to delete their profile. Will they have to email them with a valid reason for asking for the deletion of one’s profile? Or can one simply delete their profile through the profile settings – almost as simply as they had signed on? And what happens to the content you generated while associated with the site when you finally do decide to delete your profile? Do they hold on to it? Can they reuse it? Will they attribute it to you or can they claim copyright over it? And most importantly, if they do all these, or actually, if they do anything besides deleting your data completely when you delete your profile, do they inform you about it explicitly? I know nobody, ever reads the Terms and Conditions before signing up for anything, but on this occasion, it could be worth spending the few extra minutes plodding through the tedium before hitting sign up. Your professional facade may depend on it!
This is becoming more and more important in the Indian setting. Although we do not have a formal and strong legal frame work like the HIPAA, emerging consensus about conducting online clinical encounters are indicative of some basic principles. While I realize that one may not have much control of these policies as a site user, yet, it would be a good thing to know how much one should engage in clinical interactions solely through the online media. The problem is that our medical curriculum on ethics (which is taught as a part of Forensic Medicine as well as in practice through Community Medicine) is a bit dated. To the best of my knowledge, it does not equip younger physicians-in-training on the nuances of the importance of medical information, and need to protect the patients’ confidentiality and privacy even when the patients themselves are not aware of their rights in this matter.
I have, on numerous occasions, been a buzzkill when I protested the use of images which violate a patient’s privacy, on popular networking sites like Facebook. Recently, I earned the ire of a fellow physician, who had shared an image of a notice issued against a doctor by a state medical council, where the name of the physician, and his contact details, were clearly visible. At the cost of beating my own drum, on such occasions, I usually turn to an article I co-authored, about the digital indiscretions of medical care providers. The article is over six years old, but is still relevant with respect to the principles we outline about what not to do, in the least.
The problem with the medical sciences is that even with the best of care and adhering to the highest ethical standards, sometimes, things fall through the cracks. Unfortunately, the human body is still an unraveling mystery, the workings of which sometimes defies the laws and axioms that we have devised. And Murphy’s Law still holds true… at least in my experience, life loves throwing googlies at me when I least expect them. Anyway. If one does undertake clinical consultations online, as is the case in Lybrate, there is at least theoretically a possibility that something will go wrong. If that does, then who bears the liability for that? It is a complex issue with no clear guideline. The problem in putting all the liability on the website is that it shall shackle the development of online economy for medical care; the problem of shunting it wholly on the consulting physician will allow fly-by-night websites to exploit physicians. Striking the legal and ethical balance is a task which medicolegal experts need to take up keeping in mind the myriad outcomes of their decisions.
This article on the India Medical Times website hints at some very interesting issues in this regard. Oh, and this also includes quotes from Saurabh Arora, the CEO of Lybrate, the company whose emails set off this rant of mine! Some interesting excerpts from this piece (if you have read this far, you should check out the IMT article as well):
According to the Medical Council of India (MCI) Code of Ethics Regulations, 2002, soliciting of patients directly or indirectly, by a physician, by a group of physicians or by institutions or organisations is unethical.
Dr K K Aggarwal, honorary secretary general, Indian Medical Association (IMA), told India Medical Times, “The real world rules also apply to the digital world. For example, I cannot be paid for referring a patient, as it is not allowed. If anybody sends me a patient for money, that is not allowed. Marketing on the internet as well as advertising is not permitted in the medical profession.”
“Such a claim made by a doctor or by the company with which the doctor associates itself is a false claim because there cannot be a substitute for actual face to face consultation and actual physical examination of the patient. Anybody who says that these can be dispensed with and induces patients to pay fee for such consultation is acting knowingly falsely and fraudulently and may be liable in law, including the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) – 1986 and the MCI Regulations – 2002,” said Dr Gupta.
5. Consider the benefits of using the platform
Every platform that I have mentioned in this post, or on Twitter rants, have their own importance. In an era when the foundations of trust between a doctor and her/his patients are eroding, these websites can go a long way in establishing trusted communication avenues. However, for that to happen, the platform itself has to be worth trusting. Personally, after my bitter experience with Docplexus, I am done with it. I will not use their services again until and unless they have had a major change of heart over their policies. Much to the credit of the Lybrate people (till now), they have not lashed out at me for my tweets or my position about their ridiculously difficult process of deactivating one’s account. The fact that they have been ignoring my concerns is also not very comforting, however, it is at least a bit better than blocking dissenting users on social media sites!
So personally, one has to make sure that there is some tangible benefit for signing up with the service. A lot of these services are startups and they need us to support them. Many of them are headed by young, tech-savvy doctors who need us to support their vision and mission. However, it should be a fair trade!
As a self-declared early adopter for the use of social media in medicine, I find that some of these above mentioned criteria can be a bit restrictive in that it is likely strictly adhering to them will discourage the use of professional networking sites. However, in my mind, until and unless a service gains my trust, and shows me a tangible benefit, as well as a clean “way out”, I shall not provide them with personally identifiable information again. I have made that mistake once and I am loathe to repeat it again. Comparing the poor experience I have had with Docplexus, and the complications I faced with Lybrate, with the absolutely stellar experience I have had with Figure1, on the whole, I would like to err on the side of participation in networking sites if my general worries can be assuaged.
What are your thoughts? Am I being too archaic in thinking of such safeguards before joining a network? Am I overthinking this non-issue? Or do you agree that it is better to be safe than sorry, or irritated by spam emails, when it comes to professional social networks?
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Published by Pranab Chatterjee
Skeptic Oslerphile. PhD Student in the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Past: 1) Public Health Scientist and Program Manager, Translational Global Health Policy Research Cell, Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. 2) Scientist, Indian Council of Medical Research, National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases; 3) Senior Research Associate, Public Health Foundation of India. Interests include: Emerging Infections, Public Health, Antimicrobial Resistance, One Health and Zoonoses, Diarrheal Diseases, Medical Education, Medical History, Open Access, Healthcare Social Media and Health2.0. Opinions are my own! View all posts by Pranab Chatterjee
Posted on December 27, 2017 May 31, 2019 by Pranab ChatterjeePosted in #MedEdTagged Blog, Blogging, docplexus, figure 1, lybrate, medical blog, practo, Social Media, social network, social networking.
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4 thoughts on “Social Media for Doctors: Signing up for online professional networking sites? Consider these points first”
Tanmay says:
December 28, 2017 at 6:10 am
I was flooded not only with email but sms from GoodMD today. I wasn’t aware of GoddMD.In the process of finding out what it was I ended up on your blog. However I still don’t know what GoodMD is. (I do know what Lybrate is). Good thoughts in the blog though.
May 30, 2018 at 12:06 am
Thanks for the kind words. Looks like I was lucky that I had not shared my mobile number with them! This becomes too intrusive after a point!
Binal Doshi says:
January 18, 2018 at 11:35 am
Hi, even I received a notification from GoodMD today and on searching more about it, I stumbled across your blog. I agree with a few of your points and would like to get in touch with via email or a call. – Binal
May 30, 2018 at 12:05 am
Apologies for the problem on the contact page. Should be fine now. Can you check again? You can always write me an email at pranab.chatterjee AT outlook DOT com. Thanks! Look forward to hearing from you!
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ISTANBUL/KARKAMIS, Turkey, Aug 24 – Turkish special forces units and jets supported by warplanes from the U.S.-led coalition launched an operation in northern Syria on Wednesday to wipe out Daesh militants along the border with Turkey, Turkish officials said.
The Turkish army began firing artillery rounds into the Syrian border town of Jarablus at around 0100 GMT and Turkish and U.S. warplanes pounded Daesh targets with airstrikes as part of the operation, Turkish military sources said.
It was the first time warplanes from NATO member Turkey have struck in Syria since November, when Turkey shot down a Russian jet near the border, and the first known incursion by Turkish special forces since a brief operation to relocate the tomb of Suleyman Shah, a revered Ottoman figure, in February 2015.
Turkey and the United States hope that by sweeping Daesh from the border, they can deprive it of a smuggling route which long saw its ranks swollen with foreign fighters and its coffers boosted by illicit trade.
White and grey plumes of smoke rose from atop the hills of Jarablus, visible from the Turkish town of Karkamis across the border. The boom of artillery fire was audible as tanks opened fire from just inside Turkish territory.
Turkish military sources said a ground incursion had yet to start, but a group of Turkish special forces had entered Syria while Turkish and U.S.-led coalition jets hit four Daesh targets and Turkish artillery struck more than 60 targets. Tanks were being positioned to secure the border, they said.
“The aim of the operation is to ensure border security and Syria’s territorial integrity while supporting the U.S.-led coalition against Daesh,” one military source said, adding work to open a passage for ground forces was underway.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is due in Turkey later on Wednesday, the most senior U.S. official to visit since a failed July 15 coup shook confidence in the ability of the NATO member to step up the fight against Daesh.
Turkey had vowed on Monday to “completely cleanse” Daesh militants from its border region after a suicide bomber suspected of links to the group killed 54 people at a Kurdish wedding in southeastern city of Gaziantep.
Counter-terrorism police launched dawn raids targeting Daesh members across Istanbul on Wednesday, the Dogan news agency said.
Turkey is also concerned about the growing influence of Syrian Kurdish militant groups along its border, where they have captured large areas of territory since the start of the Syrian war in 2011. Ankara sees them as tied to the Kurdish militants fighting an insurgency in Turkey.
At least nine mortar shells from Jarablus had landed into Turkish border town of Karkamis and nearby on Tuesday, forcing many residents to flee the town, a Reuters witness said.
The Syria operation also came as Syrian rebels backed by Turkey had said they were in the final stages of preparing an assault from Turkish territory on Jarablus, aiming to preempt a potential attempt by Syrian Kurdish YPG militia to take it.
The Kurdish YPG militia, a critical part of the U.S.-backed campaign against Daesh, took near complete control of Hasaka city on Tuesday. The group already controls swathes of northern Syria where Kurdish groups have established de facto autonomy since the start of the Syria war.
Their growing influence has alarmed Ankara, which is fighting its own insurgency with militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party or PKK, who officials blame for an escalation of attacks in the southeast of Turkey.
Ankara is focused on preventing the YPG or its allies building on recent advances against Daesh by capturing Jarablus. The U.S.-backed Syria Democratic Forces alliance (SDF), including the YPG, captured the city of Manbij, just south of Jarablus, from Daesh earlier this month.
A Syrian rebel with one of the Turkey-backed groups said the fighters were waiting for the signal to enter Jarablus and a second rebel said around 1,500 fighters were now gathered at a location in Turkey to take part.
Turkey is still in shock after the failed July coup by rogue solders who tried to overthrow President Tayyip Erdogan and the government, killing 240 people and triggering a purge of suspected coup supporters in the army and civil service.
Angered by a perceived lack of Western sympathy over the coup, Turkey has chilled ties with Washington and the European Union while ending a diplomatic row with Russia and proposing more military cooperation with Moscow in fighting Daesh.
Those growing ties between Ankara and Moscow are worrying Turkey’s Western allies.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said this week that northern Syria should not become the domain of one group and that a “secure zone”, an internationally policed buffer area Turkey proposed in the past, should be reconsidered.
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i’m back refreshed for the new year uh it’s been an interesting start to the marketplaces already to 2022…Lina Reshef Etoro… so we’ve had a good number of days however uh yeah practically full turkey how about you yeah pretty much the very same practically the very same just watching on on twitter most days simply to see what’s going on and it was a case if i saw a great deal of tweets about something then i thought alright let me look into that however if not yeah it’s mince pies and it’s uh well turkey literally um for me over the christmas duration um for our aussie listeners that obviously do uh do tune in each week and i suppose cricket fans will be it’s not going to be made in the uk uh and england at the moment let’s briefly speak about the ashes since i think you’re off today from from memory so primary are you eagerly anticipating it since the response could easily be no uh and number two uh if england were a cricket group um or they are a cricket team if they were a sort of a property or a stock or whatever uh what would they be and why yeah good question um look it’s been an extremely unpleasant christmas period for me watching the cricket um i mean look the aussies have actually been great uh gon na need to give them their credit um which does pay me to state however england i have actually been have actually been quite poor um however yeah a lot of aussies around me over christmas time so it’s been um yeah however rather difficult i’m off for a couple of days uh friday and saturday uh so need to ought to the rain hold back we had a a pretty good um respectable session today so ideally uh ideally that can be continue and the rain and hold back however in terms of assets or or stocks um well they have actually underperformed have not they sorry um maybe this one at the
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Top of my alibaba it’s not done well this year at all is it um following into the trend however perhaps what about something like gold you know goals constantly i feel like gold constantly have like has like quite a high expectation um but then it just sort of does truly you know underperform uh and i feel like that is the england cricket group a lot of expectations and they do not ever really tend to live up can’t remember the last time we won an ashes series yeah it’s not a bad shout gold i think fits england perfectly high expectations however most of the time it’s sort of stopping working to deliver and definitely of late um to to tackle our 3 points uh this week i guess and you discussed the markets have had a sort of a vibrant start with rather a few things going on so we can talk about which will be on uh sort of the mind of many people apple hitting the three trillion market cap and being the first ever to do so we can talk about tesla which had a an unbelievable start to the year on on the monday uh certainly we were simply talking prior to how you had a bank holiday we had a bank vacation the us didn’t regrettably however uh didn’t stop tesla um carrying out very well and then i expect we can have a little crypto wrap to complete off and uh once we have actually gone through all that we can go over the the highlights for for the rest of january yeah sounds good to me sounds um sounds like we’ve got a fair bit to cover as usual awesome so apple made it lastly uh to the free trillion dollar mark talk to me well i only required one trading day in 2022 for apple to to actually to to set itself up for for the year um it did just briefly touch the trillion market cap but that’s enough it’s enough to tip it over monday took about a two and a half percent gain to to get there very first company ever in history to reach that sort of appraisal um and ultimately it’s a quite much a watershed moment right um for apple they continue to prove their dominance um within you know the tech market and and this development story they have uh continues to sort of play out and eventually as we understand they’ve been they’ve been led by the iphone um you understand demand continues to stay truly truly high and eventually is surpassing supply we’ve seen that over sort of the december and christmas durations um
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even with supply chain problems um even with um you know logistical problems internationally that even hindered you understand sort of gross last year and they’re still at this sort of point now um so i think that’s really um truly essential to to bear in mind we simulate a stat on this podcast sam um we do we very much do so i have actually got one for you so once again it has to do with a year ago so we can most likely picture the development ever since but in january 2021 apple stated that nearly 1.6 billion individuals around the world link to the web through an apple item um so that’s either the iphone ipad or imac so that’s some pretty big numbers um yeah so it simply reveals that you understand the global development that they have the international reach that they have and then on top of that you understand we’re just speaking about a few items there right they’ve got services they have actually got you know the airpods um you understand all the various components of business that we’re not even speaking about right that’s then gone on to obviously assist build constant earnings capital and eventually it ties all of us in um and then that produces a strong sort of long-term outlook um you understand i think they’ve recently altered the charges right didn’t they so it’s no longer a typical usb cable so yeah yeah they’re just always those little things but eventually i believe if any other company does that you know you resemble why are you doing that like there’s that disappointment however no one ever actually seems to grumble and you know you you get to a point where you know actually a buddy of mine has actually been on android for a long period of time and recently altered to apple and he’s you know always a huge you know i love android is so much better and after that as soon as he moved you understand that was it wow how do you leave when you’re at this point well that’s it right you do not you still to stay instilled with the cloud et cetera and i’ve said it you know a number of times on the podcast prior to but it simply does not seem they can’t do much wrong um they browsed a pandemic they navigated supply chains pretty well so far again we could still see more of that come through but you understand they have actually done that actually truly well they’ve up until now browsed some of these regulative dangers that have actually sort of come through you understand they brought through it generated some privacy modifications which has impacted a few of the um social media stocks at the back end of in 2015 too to obviously help with those sort of regulatory concerns and i just think they’ll continue to go um you have actually then got to consider the moves um you know that they’re making into you understand metaverse you know which is off to the next discussion they’re certainly gon na be a part of that electric cars ai etc and i think you understand just coming back to that very same point when you think of the iphone when we spoke about you understand being an all-rounder item you know is there anything exists anything you can’t do right it’s the only thing that you really need when you leave the house so it can open your car door with a tesla right you can open your front door these days with you understand hotel spaces or whatever um you understand when i flew a few days ago obviously have your um uh your boarding pass on there soon it will probably have passports readily available now i reckon um you can have in australia if you do not have it in the uk but in australia you can have like digital id so you do not really need to secure a physical card spend for products vaccinations it just does everything right um and i think that’s what’s you know why why they’re so successful is they they make you construct your life around the item and and you don’t leave yeah no i think you’re.
you’re spot on i suggest i have actually had an iphone for well over ten years and have no intent no intent of of coming off it it’s it’s a really sticky item and yeah brand-new all-time high like you stated to sort of start the year 3 trillion market cap briefly um yeah all looking helpful for any apple financiers and long might that continue next up another market which well i’m going to state has has carried out well over the last couple of weeks certainly it reached disney heights so october november last year they came back to sort of that 898 level um and a great christmas present for anybody that got long there it’s uh yeah absolutely increased from there so up sort of 13 simply on monday alone so what your your sort of thoughts on on all of that well they’ve delivered again how are they um you understand whenever we you know they sort of had an actually huge valley towards the last 3 months of the year a lot of questions over the assessment once again as you said sort of reaching woozy heights however you know these numbers were huge in terms of the shipments that they had so the factor we had that big gain on on the monday session they beat expectations on its q4 shipment numbers so they announced 309 000 deliveries which protested the streets 266 000 um and really the top ball case from wall street was around 275 k you understand so they have actually blown out the park generally they’ve come through big time and i believe if you take a step back and after that look at this and take a look at that number compared you understand with the whole automotive industry you understand major chip lack that’s obviously has to say played the the area you’ve got those logistical issues that we have actually pointed out and those numbers are outstanding and plainly reveals the the need for ev however more particularly tesla and i believe another thing to discuss is not you understand enormously relevant but i went cars and truck shopping with my uncle uh over christmas he wished to buy a new lorry however you turn up to a display room and really limited cars there right you know gone are the days where you see you know lots of automobiles you know on the on the showroom floor since ford stopped production last year because of chip lacks and covered you understand so to then drain these numbers they’ve got a backload of orders again all of the all of the automotive business have so for tesla to deliver this number um you understand it is it is really.
actually really strong and again that outlook um then for them and what does it imply moving forward and we had dan ives on the podcast who’s uh clearly uh um a really bullish uh analyst on uh on tesla you understand however you know his ideas stay the same and he was calling this you understand early last year that they were gon na continue um to sort of grow and this ev need is only just actually sort of picking up right it’s not um it’s not slowing down eventually well look there’s a lot of competitors out there in ev space right now however tesla’s dominating the marketplace um and after that that’s certainly evident now with that quarter that’s simply clearly been um and china was once again an actually strength you understand they stepped up big time there they dealt with some quite big headwinds in 2021 with china but they’ve likewise just now basically expanded their assembly line in their new shanghai factory so that’s allowed them to you know export a lot more cars from china it’s actually less expensive for them to make lorries there than it is in the us so that’s clearly you know a big factor and. Lina Reshef Etoro
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Some Chinese semiconductor makers are reported to have taken the initiative to contact the United States embassy in Beijing after they were put on a trade watch list of the US Commerce Department last month.
These are companies that are required to pass an end-use check within 60 days or they will be added to the entity list of the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, citing unnamed sources.
A BIS official from the US embassy in Beijing will visit Wuhan to meet some Chinese firms that are now on the bureau’s unverified list, said the report.
As US citizens are now restricted from working for Chinese chip makers, some of these companies had recently offered huge salary packages to lure talent from Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and Singapore, said some columnists in Taiwan and Singapore.
Mainland Chinese commentators said the US curbs will have only a short-term impact on China, as the country has a strong talent pipeline from its technology schools.
They expect that many of the departed Chinese American engineers will eventually give up their American citizenship and return to China.
On October 7, the BIS added Yangtze Memory Technologies Co (YMTC), China’s top memory chipmaker, and 30 other Chinese “entities” to an unverified list.
The bureau said it was unable to verify the bona fides of the Chinese firms because an end-use check could not be completed satisfactorily for reasons outside the control of US authorities. It said the named companies would face restrictions when trying to purchase US products.
The SCMP reported on October 25 that trade officials from the US embassy in Beijing had held talks with executives of Naura Technology Group, a Chinese integrated micro-electronics firm, as the company’s unit was among those on the unverified list.
It has become urgent for the companies on the list to seek contact with the US trade officials as the officials need to complete the check of end-users within 60 days, according to the report. An unnamed executive at Wuhan Juhere Photonic Technologies said the company had contacted the US export control officials in Beijing and tried to remove itself from the unverified list.
A columnist named Yang Lu wrote in an article published by Singapore-based Initium Media that the US chip export control on China has had a huge impact on China’s semiconductor industry as the depth and breadth of the sanctions are unprecedented.
Yang said the US-China competition has become a zero-sum game due to the export ban unveiled on October 7. He said the ban can hurt China’s ability to develop supercomputers capable of being used to direct hypersonic missiles and develop nuclear weapons.
The BIS also banned US citizens from supporting the development or production of integrated circuits at certain chip fabs in China, without licenses, from October 12.
GigaDevice Semiconductor, a Chinese NOR flash memory designer, said its two Chinese American executives had resigned.
A Taipei-based columnist surnamed Chen wrote in an article on Digitimes.com that the chip export ban unveiled by the US in early October has widened the technology gap between Chinese chip makers and global industry players.
Chen said China’s plan to self-supply 70% of its semiconductors by 2025 and become a hub of global chip foundries by 2030 has basically vanished due to the US curbs. The columnist said China’s SMIC and Hua Hong Semiconductor can now produce only 28-nanometer (nm) chips, instead of the more advanced 14-16 nm chips.
Chen said some Chinese American engineers resigned from their chip firms but kept operating them informally. She added that, due to this round of US sanctions, some Chinese chip firms recently offered huge salary packages to attract and retain foreign engineers.
Most mainland Chinese IT writers admitted that the US curbs are having a big negative impact on China’s chip sector but some of them said the situation remains manageable.
Xiao Fengkan, a Shanxi-based columnist, on October 22 published an article with the title, “It is not a bad thing that American talents are urged to leave China’s chip industry.”
Xiao found it inevitable that some Chinese American engineers and executives will leave China as they have been forced to choose between their careers in the country or their US citizenship. He added that China can replenish its talent pool with its top university students in a matter of years.
A Shenzhen-based writer said people should not be over-worried when some Chinese American engineers leave China. He said many of them will return to China in future as it will be difficult for them to enjoy equivalent job opportunities in the US.
The writer suggested that China should grant Chinese nationality so that such talent will not have to worry about giving up American citizenship.
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So it sex chat web site is actually for slutty men who want to chat about erotic homosexual topics – GOVT. PG COLLEGE, SHEOPUR
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Roya is in the middle of a few HUGE projects - so her site is sort of... well... colorful CHAOS at the moment.
If you are looking for therapy, you can still book sessions up at the "therapy" tab up top!
The shop is still active, as is the blog, and all my social media.
Keep checking back for the new Connect with Courage course! Tentative release date: March 2023.
My parents made a decision when I was young
that changed the course of my life forever.
(rhymes with play-dough)
I’m a licensed therapist, author, and speaker. I’ve worked my whole life helping parents release fear and find joy in the places their kids take them.
When I say “whole life” I mean it! I left public school at the ripe old age of 10 because conventional education wasn’t working for me.
It wasn’t working when I came home from school crying because I wanted to study ocean life and the teacher assigned me the desert-loving Kangaroo Rat.
It wasn’t working when I said I couldn’t wait to spend my summer vacation in the library, and my classmates made fun of me.
It wasn’t working when I was fascinated by the Gold Rush but wasn’t allowed to keep reading because it was “time to move on.”
I was starting to hide under the teacher’s desk, I was feeling overwhelmed. I was getting resentful at the lack of control. Behavioral issues were right around the corner.
I left 4th grade and never went back.
When I graduated with a degree in Recreation &Leisure Studies from CSULB, I left with the academic language for what I knew deep in my bones:
The path to children’s success is through supporting their interests.
Through the process of receiving my Master’s in Counseling, becoming a licensed therapist, speaking at hundreds of conferences and working with thousands of families - I saw the mental health connection over and over again.
Supporting your kid's interests is the key to your relationship and their mental health.
The power of connecting to your kids through their interests impacts them on an individual, relational, and societal level! This profound knowledge led to my first book - Connect with Courage
I wrote this book and created the companion course because now, as a parent myself, I recognize just how hard it can be to make changes on your own – even when you know it’s what your children need.
Your teenager thanks you for hanging out with them.
Watching as your kid turns off the TV and starts an art project on their own.
Two hour bedtime battles turning into your kid taking the lead.
Being the person your teenager asks for help with friend drama.
Driving with your kiddo chatting happily next to you sharing their latest joy.
Seeing your kid generously giving their favorite toy to their little sibling.
Hearing from another mom how interesting and knowledgeable your kid is.
Witnessing your kids form friendships with people you know will write them letters of recommendation when they need them later.
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So you’ve decided to leave the nest? Congratulations! Moving out of your parents’ house is a big deal. It’s a process that requires plenty of careful planning, consideration, and “adulting.” To help you successfully move out of your parents’ home, we’ve put together 13 easy steps that are sure to help you achieve the independence you want. Good luck and happy moving!
1. Communicate with your parents
Perhaps your parents are ready to see you go and have been encouraging your departure for a while. Or perhaps, they want you to stay forever. Whatever their opinion on the matter, it’s important to clearly communicate your intentions to them – and, if necessary, your moving plan. Remember: Even if they are excited about your new adventure, they could still be somewhat sad to see you go. With this in mind, make sure to be extra sensitive to their needs and emotions when communicating your move-out plans.
Before moving out of your parents’ house, come up with a moving plan that both you and your parents can agree upon. I recommend coming up with a goal date for when you think you will be able to move out. This doesn’t mean you have to move out by this date, but it is a starting point for you and your parents.
In addition to your move-out date, your moving plan should include where you intend to move, what type of property you want to move to (apartment, home, student housing, etc.), and whether you intend to have a roommate. Also, consider whether you will be hiring professional movers or doing the work yourself with the help of a few friends. You can change your mind on any of these as your plans progress, but having a framework will make it easier to get started.
3. Establish good credit
If you haven’t already established good credit, now’s the time to start. For those who want to purchase a home, be aware that a less than stellar credit score (or no credit score) means you’re less likely to obtain a home loan from a bank. If you’re unable to get a loan from a mortgage lender, you can kiss home-ownership goodbye (at least for now).
If you plan to rent, your credit history will also be important. Many landlords and property managers now run credit checks on rental applicants. By assessing a potential renter’s credit history, the landlord can get a good idea of whether or not the applicant pays bills and rent on time. Of course, those planning to rent without credit can usually have a co-signer, such as a relative with good credit, sign the lease as well. However, it’s a good idea to start building a healthy credit score in the meantime.
One of the easiest ways to establish good credit is to sign up for a credit card, use it to purchase anything from gas to concert tickets, and pay your bill on time in full every month, according to Experian. Or, you can establish good credit by paying your student loans or car loans on time. Although there are other ways to establish credit, such as joining a lending circle that loans money to its members, opening a credit card and making timely payments on loans are probably your best bet.
4. Start saving money for a down payment
If you’re planning to purchase a home, you’re going to need enough money in the bank for a down payment. To get there, we suggest coming up with a savings plan that is realistic and reasonable. Tip: This is the time to curb unnecessary spending. From temporarily canceling a gym membership and cooking at home to cutting back on shopping and travel expenses, there are many easy ways to save money.
Budgeting can also help you save money. Start by determining how much money you earn every month. Next, list your monthly expenses. This includes entertainment, meals out, student loan payments, gas, car payments, and insurance. If you’re not sure what you spend your money on, consider recording every penny you spend, where you spend it, and what you spend it on. Do this for at least a week, or better yet a month, to help with your budgeting. Calculate how much you spend each month on those items. If you spend $200 a month on gas, list it. Make adjustments as necessary, so you can save a certain amount every month towards your down payment.
5. Budget for after the move
Once you have a budget to help you save money for your down payment, it should be easy to create a budget to cover all of the expenses of owning or renting your own space. Some of your budget items will transfer directly from your current budget to your after-the-move budget. These include your loan payments, car insurance, and entertainment. But you may have to make some changes. If you live further or closer to work, you’ll need to adjust how much you budget for gas, for example.
Plus, you’ll have new expenses. If you don’t contribute to the family’s groceries, you’ll need to factor in that cost. You’ll also have to add your monthly rent or mortgage payment, utilities, and, if you purchase a house, HOA fees and property taxes.
Almost certainly, your largest budget line item will be your monthly mortgage or rent. If you’re planning to rent, your current monthly income should be more than enough to comfortably cover rental expenses, including the rent, utilities, rental insurance, and others.
If you’re planning to buy a home, we recommend speaking with a mortgage broker to determine how much house you can afford to buy. These brokers will take your gross annual income, credit history and debt (among other things) into consideration to figure out how much lenders will be willing to loan you. Sometimes that amount is higher than you can realistically afford. To avoid feeling “house poor,” we recommend purchasing a home that you can actually afford – and not one that stretches the budget.
After you’ve determined your budget and saved up enough money for a down payment, start looking for a reputable Realtor. If this is the first time you’ve ever purchased a home, enlisting a qualified and helpful Realtor is especially important. In addition to a real estate agent’s deep knowledge of the market, they also handle all negotiations and paperwork so you don’t have to. The right Realtor should be able to walk you through the home-buying process – keeping your interests, needs and budget top of mind.
What if a friend or a family member has a real estate license? Should you use them? According to Realtor.com, this might not be the best idea for several reasons. For starters, they may not have expertise in the neighborhood where you want to move, which can make it more difficult to find a good property. Second, if things turn sour, you may have to fire them and lose a friend in the process. Unless that friend or a family member has experience in the area where you want to move, consider politely declining their offer to represent you.
Unless you have very little to move, we recommend enlisting either friends or professionals to assist with the move. If enlisting friends for a DIY move, consider renting a moving truck from a reputable company. If you’re hoping to hire professionals to help with part of the move, you can enlist labor-only movers to assist with loading and unloading the rental truck. This will most certainly be less expensive than hiring full-service movers to handle the entire move for you.
Be sure to schedule the movers (if you plan to use them) as far in advance as possible. Last-minute moves cost more than ones booked in advance. And if you wait too long, you may have a more difficult time finding movers available for your dates. Looking to save a little money on your move? Book your move on a weekday versus a weekend and anytime but the end of the month when leases usually end.
Have too much stuff? If your closets are overflowing, it may be time to get rid of your belongings before you move. After all, the less stuff you have to move, the easier (and cheaper) your move will be. Try donating gently-used items to local charities and consigning nicer items to local consignment stores. Also, consider throwing a garage sale or selling belongings via an online marketplace.
If you have a lot of junk to get rid of or large items you can’t donate or easily dispose of, you may want to hire a junk removal company. The company can remove unwanted mattresses, furniture, exercise equipment, and general junk. Let your parents know your plans, and if they have any items they want to get rid of, they may be willing to split the costs.
From boxes and tape to bubble wrap and foam pouches, you’re going to need to find packing and moving supplies to help with your next move. Fortunately, packing supplies can be found online, as well as at your workplace, nearby libraries, large retailers, and more. Also, check out this list of where to find free boxes. To find out the exact number of moving boxes you’ll need, use Moving.com’s handy Packing Calculator. Those looking for specific box sizes and shapes may have to resort to purchasing moving supplies.
Another option is to use plastic bins. You can rent these environmentally friendly containers from companies like U-Haul, Bungo Box, and Rent A Green Box. Some companies also rent moving supplies and sell sustainable packing supplies.
After gathering your supplies, it’s time to get packin’! We suggest packing non-essentials (those items you won’t need in the coming weeks) first. Examples are seasonal clothing, knickknacks, photos, books, etc. The day before you move, pack essentials, such as toiletries, pajamas, prescription meds, etc., in a separate box that can easily be found on moving day. Make sure to clearly label all boxes and keep important documents with you at all times.
If you are running out of time or need extra help, it is possible to hire packers to help you box your items for you. They’ll bring packing supplies with them, properly wrap and box your items, and do it in less time than you could. Expect to pay them by the hour and the number of people sent to get the job done.
News flash: If you’ve been living with your parents, you’ve been using their utilities. Unless you want to walk into a dark home with no electricity, you’ll need to set up utilities and cable in your new place as soon as possible. We recommend calling the utility companies early on to let them know when you’ll be moving in. Once you’ve scheduled dates for all utilities to be turned on, you’ll need to call the cable company to reserve an installation date as well.
12. Change your address
Unless you want your parents to receive your mail, change your address ASAP. Fortunately, USPS makes it easy. All you have to do is go to USPS.com and choose the date that you wish to begin forwarding your mail. Don’t forget to also change your credit card billing address and let your bank know that you’re moving. You may need to notify your college if you are attending school or your employer as well. To avoid confusion, it may also be helpful to send out an email to friends and family with your new address.
13. Move out and celebrate with a housewarming party
You did it! After saving your money and packing your bags, you’ve successfully moved out of your parents’ house and into your new place. Congratulations! This newfound freedom was certainly worth every tedious step along the way.
Want to celebrate (without disturbing your new neighbors, of course)? Consider throwing a housewarming party. It doesn’t have to be fancy: just a few friends, some budget-friendly food, and a great ambiance. But it gives you a chance to show off all that you’ve accomplished.
Ready to move?
Save money with Pony Express Moving Services When Moving Out of Your Parents’ House. Lower prices than traditional moving companies and you don’t have to drive! Free moving quotes.
This entry was posted in Moving, Moving Tips and tagged Apartment, Checklist, move out on June 13, 2017 by Ed Mezer.
Your apartment has been the center of your life. Over time, it may seem that every nook and cranny of that space has been used, and you’ve made your mark during your time there. But now you’re ready to move on and move into the next space.
Before you can do that, however, you will need to get your old apartment back in shape – not only so you can get your security deposit back in its entirety, but also so you can leave the place in like-new condition for its next tenant. You’ve probably already thought about what you need to do to move your belongings, but you’ll also want to be considerate of your landlord and your apartment’s next occupant.
If you’ve pondered “what to do when moving out of my apartment,” consider some steps that will make things easier on you, your landlord and the next person to call it home. After you pack up all of your belongings, refer to this apartment move-out checklist to make sure you do everything you need to do to get a deposit check back from your landlord and move on to your next place with a fresh start.
Source
Apartment Moving: How to Move Out on Good Terms
This entry was posted in Boston Moving Company, Interstate Moving, Local Moving, Moving, Moving Tips and tagged local moving, move out on December 2, 2014 by Ed Mezer.
There is a right way and a wrong way to do everything. Moving out of your apartment the right way ensures that you protect yourself from potential liabilities, while at the same time getting a recommendation from your landlord. A recommendation from a previous landlord is a key asset when you are searching for a new apartment. Follow a few simple guidelines to ensure that your move goes smoothly.
Clean up after yourself: Be honest with yourself. If you are not a tidy person, you probably have a lot of catching up to do in terms of cleaning. Block off a day or two in the weeks leading up to moving day to do some serious cleaning. Think of how your landlord, or the new tenants, would feel about how the apartment looks. Moving out means you should get your apartment to look like it did when you moved in.
Take pictures when you move out: Document the state of your apartment a day or two before you move out. If you’ve really cleaned it so that it looks like it did when you moved in, you should make a record of it. That way you have a time-stamped record of how you left the apartment.
Give a notice: If you are on a monthly rental agreement, let your landlord know in advance that you are moving. Give the proper amount of notice that is in your contract, likely 30 or 60 days. Staying within the bounds of your contract is a must in order to ensure a recommendation by your landlord that you can use in the future.
Be respectful when moving out of your apartment to ensure that you get a good recommendation in the future, and that you protect yourself from liability.
Moving with Care...Everywhere
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A woman of substance and a business icon born in Edo State, Darlyn Okojie is an entrepreneur and an expert expansionist. She is also evolving as co-founder and COO of Memo Africa, responsible for the day-to-day running process while building a team to create a technology solution for people management.
Okojie co-founded Memo Africa with Ademola Koledoye and Chibueze Opeta to create memorable moments around the world.
According to Okojie, his past experience building a business spanning three countries, raising capital and ensuring word about the service reaches the right audience. His first company, Rugs and Floors Africa, currently operates in three countries, Nigeria, Ghana and Rwanda.
In this exclusive interview, Okojie talks about his entrepreneurial journey and his vision to make Memo Africa the go-to automated system for People Manager:
– Advertising –
On the future of Memo Africa and its journey”. Okojie said, “I spent the first part of my childhood until my youth in Benin City. I attended all levels of education up to university where I studied accounting at the University of Benin. My upbringing has made me extremely loyal to my city. After completing my higher education in 2014, I got my first job at Lamudi (popularly known as Jumia House) in 2015. During my stay in Lamudi, I worked as a key account manager in a online market business. A year later, I joined Cars45 to lead the company’s efforts in building and maintaining relationships with strategic partners. »
Speaking to News24/7.com, Okojie insisted that throughout her career, “I have been involved in various aspects of people management, even running carpets and floors from January 2020. At the moment, I am concentrating on building Memo Africa”.
Sam Omatseye as Kept Man
The accounting graduate from the University of Benin also noted that her father played a big role in her career and is a role model for her success. “A role model that has impact for me is my father. I didn’t realize he had this effect on my life as an entrepreneur until I looked back at everything I did. have been able to accomplish on a professional level. He has shown me that the only way to succeed is through hard work and dedication. His tenacity and energy to deliver is extraordinary. There have been countless times when I have wondered how he got the energy to get through even obstacles. A quote from a Shakespeare book, Macbeth, comes to mind whenever I think of my father. “I’m tied to a stake that I don’t can’t fly, but like a bear, I have to fight the cause.”
– Advertising –
“The life of an entrepreneur is pretty fast, there’s no time for breaks and no option to quit, just keep going. It reminds me of something my mom always says, “No one, nor dey live life back.” Good or bad, we have to keep moving forward in life or in business. I believe my motivation stems from the ability to keep going and building.
On how Memo Africa became one of the startups she co-founded that sparked her interest, Okojie reiterated that “Memo Africa was born out of various challenges that my co-founder and I faced throughout our professional life. From my first job to my current projects, I’ve seen how people managers deal with wellness issues in organizations and it inspired me to create a solution that makes their work transparent. We notice that people find it difficult to remember important dates when it comes to the lives of their employees and this is essential as it makes employees feel valued and appreciated. But dates like birthdays, onboarding and orientation processes, mailings, and many more dates are lost in the transition.
Memo Africa is a simple solution that people, managers can use to automate wellness packages to be delivered to remote and onsite teams across the world. We believe this technology solution will increase business productivity as team members will feel motivated and supported while freeing up time for personnel managers to focus on more critical issues.
On his challenges and successes after launching his business, Okojie felt that it would be best to start with the positive side of the business, success. At present, we have acquired clients from Nigeria and Ghana, and signed three companies into our system. We have achieved this while facing various economic challenges such as inflation, exchange rate and cross-border payment issues. I’ve also noticed that small business owners and other entrepreneurs face these challenges, which is why I recently started recording my journey on my Medium account.
Okojie said, “The future of business is technology! The world is changing to become digital and automated. It is important to ensure that no matter where people are working from, they are treated with the same respect and dignity as if they were working in a traditional office space. Memo Africa is the technological solution born to connect the people of an organization through our automated management system to celebrate them. Staying connected and creating memorable moments for your team is the best way to keep them motivated while working.
On where she thinks Memo Africa will be in the next 5 years in terms of market and expansion, “We have a broad vision for Memo Africa and we are ready to take steps to grow and grow the Tech StartUp. Currently, our most viable product, our website, is up and running. We plan to develop the Mobile App version to increase the accessibility and customization of the system. We hope to become the reference platform for the well-being of all in Africa and in the world. Our tentacles are ready to spread in many African countries. We are open to acquiring more customers, partners and investors.
“Aside from the rush of the unbroken cycle of business development, I am passionate about finding and implementing solutions to create value in people’s lives. You can find me locked away on Netflix relaxing after a busy day or exploring the different countries of the world,” she said.
Okojie has some advice for young entrepreneurs, according to her: “My number one advice to young women starting or building their business is that the key to success lies within you. Everything you need to succeed is within you, your thoughts and actions shape your future. As long as you can think it, you absolutely can do it. You must study and understand your potential, your strengths, your weaknesses and your limits. I believe that self-awareness is the most powerful tool to achieve anything in the world.
“I would also say that you shouldn’t believe that you can only grow and evolve on your own, it’s good to have mentors and role models. These people have come a long way. All you have to do is find someone who has successfully traversed the path you hope to go on. You would be surprised how many people are willing to guide you or refer you to the next life challenger”
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What is People Management? -business.com
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People management firm Lattice hits £2.2bn valuation to boost global presence
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In these days of heated disagreements online between Facebook friends and distance foes often conversations either end with so much digital huffing and puffing, the rare point of cognitive confluence, and often with the saccharine and amicable appeal to “agree to disagree.”
This appeal comes from several motivations, at least some of which are likely related. One is to end the conversation where it is regardless of any expected outcome. The person offering this alternative might just be too tired or too bored to continue. That is all well and good. With attenuated attention spans and over-committed lives, persisting in online conversations heading nowhere with a stranger feels rarely worth the time and effort.
Another motivation is to end the conversation, but on amicable terms. Each response is a new brick of anxieties placed in a growing wall of alienation from the person with whom you are engaged. To avoid the risk of severing ties you find the one thing that you can agree upon and that is the obvious observation of disagreement itself.
These two competing reasons of relative exhaustion or relational disconnection seem reasonable enough to end a conversation at least on good terms before it dissolves into inevitable blocking. But there is another reason why this happens that is perhaps no less reasonable, but far more damaging.
By saying that you should “agree to disagree” you are saying not only that you wish to end the conversation for the reasons listed above in the short term, but to end it permanently. It is at once an admission that you are unwilling to entertain the possibility that your interlocutor’s position might be more correct than your beliefs are willing to give and a removal of at least one thread of conversation from the relationship you have with the person on the other side. It is a rather weak but clever power move that sets the terms for the relationship and the conversation moving forward.
Rather than remove the agency of the people with whom we disagree by dismissing the conversation altogether, we should be more willing to allow disagreements to exist in the context of our human relationships. It is a way of reaffirming each other’s power to acknowledge another person who has ideas and at least a modicum of competence to communicate those ideas as well as to reaffirm one’s own status as one empowered to raise issues that may be controversial to those who disagree with one’s position.
Simple disagreement is also a path to greater vulnerability with each other. By affirming the disagreement with no qualifications, we are inviting the conversation to continue with the possibility that the positions we hold so dearly will be proven to be wrong at least in part. Simple disagreement invites the possibility of change where dissolving into a false agreement demands resolution where in reality there is none forthcoming.
In an effort to construct conversation that does not demand false resolutions of civility or concede an end of dialogue but rather is brave enough to admit each other’s vulnerability, and demands the possibility of change even if in the distant future, let us simply disagree with one another and allow the conversation to persist.
Reddit
Why Do People Convert?
This is a question that Ana Marie Cox will be exploring on With Friends Like These over the next few weeks. In the first episode she asked social psychologist Carol Tavris what brings people to the point where conversion is an option. The answer is that we don’t really know because there is a great deal of variability in the conditions for conversion. What we do know is that at some point the person who decides to convert decides that the views or beliefs that they are converting from were for a mistake. Arguments and Twitter shaming doesn’t do the job. Facts won’t convert anyone at all. That’s rare. Somewhere in the circuits of survival instincts and emotional states is where conversion happens.
I have long thought that to convert from a certain belief needs to be prompted by a kind of discomfort if not suffering that makes continuing that belief uncomfortable. This is certainly the case for addicts. Almost invariably an addict has to undergo enough suffering in the act of addiction that it is just no longer worthwhile to pursue the next high. Interventions are designed to reveal the damage that the addict is doing not only to themselves, but also to those who are closest to them. The threat of isolation is what is so powerful to an addict who is suffering that the idea of going through it alone becomes something that is no longer sustainable no matter how strong the obsession to use and so the addict will make the first attempt at getting clean or die.
Conversion is not always accompanied by suffering. It can also be a more manageable dissonance. Often when a person with strong beliefs experiences that dissonance, they will shore up those beliefs and become more recalcitrant. But some will choose to abandon what they believe even at the expense of abandoning their current social connections and individual identities.
Maybe this has to do with conflicting values. As a young, evangelical seminarian I had to work through the conflict of my evangelical beliefs that rejected homosexuality as sin and my insistence on unconditional love for my sister who had recently came out to me. I chose my sister and decided that my beliefs would have to change because she was far more important than what amounted to faithful hypothesizing regarding the will of God.
When I decided to get sober, it was because my kids and family were more important than the chase which I had let consume my life. Sure the damage had been done by that point and my own mistakes had added up, but it was save myself to save my kids or die and never know how their lives would turn out. Being present was more important than being absent, so I got help.
About four years into sobriety I did not feel right. I felt a continual pressure to discern God’s purpose for my life, a purpose I had never clearly understood and always made me feel depressed, useless, and fairly worthless. I decided my happiness and mental health were more valuable than my beliefs in any God so I dumped them literally as I was buying dog food. I have felt better ever since.
For my own history, conversion has happened at the nexus of strong discomfort or dissonance where my values at the time and entrenched beliefs were at conflict. I chose the new path because family, love, and health were my non-negotiables. Maybe bringing people to conversion is as simple as helping them to see where values conflict with each other and helping them to find a path where one set of values overrules the others.
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How to Find Your Voice
September 6, 2019 September 9, 2019 / Andrew Tatusko / Leave a comment
I remember a little, meaningless social media challenge a while ago where people were sharing the top books that “stayed with you” how ever you would interpret that idea. For the curious, this was my list is 2013:
I was more religious then even though the more religious books I listed still “stay” with me to some degree. I was thinking back on this list because a personal goal that aligns with my professional life is to find my intellectual or academic “voice.” For most people with PhD’s this is supposed to be found with the process and completion of the dissertation. That first major contribution to your academic field is like the locomotive you have built to ride through your career. Except after I completed my dissertation, I hopped off the train.
My job supporting faculty teaching and my dissertation work have never seemed to match up in my head. I have degrees and background specifically in Christian theology, a theology to which I no longer subscribe, and my PhD is in higher education leadership, management, and policy where my dissertation focused specifically on evangelical higher education. I am not very comfortable with some of the conclusions in my dissertation today and more importantly, I have lost interest in making a counter claim or studying it further.
A personal goal for me this year is to figure out my intellectual “voice.” Part of my problem in finding that voice is not rooted so much in the fact that I lost interest in the particulars of my dissertation research. Maybe I am just ignoring it or minimizing it. I have had this belief that ultimately what goes on in my head is mostly useless, uninteresting, or unimportant. I am currently learning, through some of the writing of Brené Brown, that this belief is most definitely rooted in shame somewhere. I am starting to deconstruct the entire notion of the “impostor syndrome” as a bullshit concept we are learning to use as evidence for self-pity, but it is highly resistant to inoculation so we stay stuck. At least that is evident enough for me. Shame seems like something I can work with. This is why I have a habit of writing a little, reinforcing the belief that it’s all dumb, and then stopping.
Before I want to open the Pandora’s Box of shame I need a starting point to at least get a rough picture of what this voice looks like. That starting point is a sort of recalibration and I used that little, meaningless books challenge above to start it off. What are the books and ideas that not only shaped my intellectual framework and interests in my history, but what are those books and ideas that I seem to use as glasses through which I filter a kind of practical theorization about the world. More than that, how does this material shape the reasons I am doing the work I am still doing today? I did not go to school for faculty development. I didn’t go into any of my formal educational experiences with the idea that the scholarship of teaching and learning was going to be a career path. And yet, here we still are and I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. The question is why?
I set off to find those books that continued to shape my thinking, beliefs, and approach to my work even when I was not explicitly thinking of them. After I pulled them all off the shelves I started skimming each of them for the idea or ideas that continued to have a sort of force in my thinking about most everything. These are ideas and theories that are like an operating system for my brain. I skimmed each book, reading all of my underlined parts from years ago, paying careful attention to the pages that were still dog-eared, and finding the central idea for each summarized in just a few words or a sentence – one column for the book, one column for the idea.
The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force
Jeffrey M. Schwartz and Shannon Begley Attention and behavior reshape the neurological mapping of the brain.
Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concept of Pollution and Taboo
Mary Douglas Change is disruptive dangerous.
Peter Berger The process of externalization, objectification, integration, and alienation is critical to understand what shapes human behavior.
Michael Polanyi Knowledge is a function of personal commitment.
Jean Baudrillard Cultural symbols drop their referents over time and reality becomes hyperreal.
Marshall McLuhan Technology is an externalization of human behavior and values that becomes its own object and is internalized by subsequent generations.
Robert Kegan Intelligence is the outcome of adaptation where the subject becomes an object that is internalized.
Jürgen Habermas The lifeworld, the taken-for-granted stock of knowledge, is reproduced through discourse and can also be disrupted through it.
I’ve always known these have been important books and ideas for me. They pop up all the time in my writing and thinking through ideas. But I had always operated under two very wrong assumptions:
A) These are all interesting, but basically unrelated.
B) Even though they are all interesting, they are tangential at best to my career or what I should be doing with my life.
The last step was to find out how all of these ideas are connected in my thinking and disprove these assumptions. They have all been in my head to some degree for over 20 years now so the idea that they are not connected is simply false. Refusing to recognize that fact does not make it less true. So what is the connection? What is the interest that is holding all of that stuff together and how is all of that in turn shaping that interest? This isn’t about intellectual consistency. I am not worried about how well these ideas fit together in terms of any disciplinary standard. These scholars were talking about similar things, but from often very different and even contradictory places. I wrote the connection or throughline down as it felt, not as I could argue in an essay.
I’m drawn to teaching and learning because of how adaptations to experienced reality are at the very core of the process. We are asking teachers to introduce stress, disrupt boundaries, coach students to adapt to that change, and then create a different lifeworld over time. I want teachers to understand this process, become intentional agents of it’s development, and to invite the students as co-creators.
It sounds a bit like a mission statement doesn’t it. Maybe it is. Regardless it is the idea that I think now has been holding all of that material together and a central idea that all of that material helped form.
What Does it Mean?
I don’t really know what this means, but this is my intellectual voice and at this point it’s not about whether I want it to be or not. This is what my voice is as a result of about 20 years of thinking and working where the ideas in these particular books continued to come up and don’t seem to want to let me go. But if you are asking the same sort of question, this was a really helpful way to get closer to a picture of what it might mean for myself.
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We Need to Teach Our White Kids about White Supremacy
December 11, 2018 December 11, 2018 / Andrew Tatusko / Leave a comment
We do not accept Jews, because they reject Christ, and through machinations of their International Banking Cartel, are at the root center of what we call “communism” today.
We do not accept Papists, because they bow to a Roman dictator, in direct violation of the First Commandment and the true American Spirit of Responsible, Individual, Liberty.
We do not accept Turks, Mongols, Tarters, Orientals, Negroes, nor any other person whose native background of culture is foreign to the Anglo-Saxon system of government by responsible FREE, Individual citizens.
If you are a Christian, American Anglo-Saxon who can understand the simple truth of this Philosophy, you belong in the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan of Mississippi. Get your Bible out and pray!
1964 Recruiting leaflet for the Ku Klux Klan
I can remember learning about the plight of black Americans as told by the approved histories written by well-meaning white people. Back in junior high we learned how bad slavery was, that black Americans were forced to use separate (but equal) public facilities, and could not vote after the terms of their theft and purchase were lifted. I remember Rosa Parks on the bus and how horribly she was treated for simply sitting down after a hard day of work. Then came Martin Luther King, Jr. and “I Have a Dream” which was quickly followed by laws written by white people to right the wrongs of their parents who had created and enforced Jim Crow laws and whose grandparents may have even owned a slave or two. The message was pretty clear: white people treated black people badly, but they fixed it! Good white people joined forces with good black people and solved racism. Malcolm X was militant, the Black Panthers were terrorists, and MLK was a “good” black guy who loved Jesus and nonviolence. We’d remember this sanitized history every winter for Black History Month, feel content about fixing the problem, and move forward with our lives as the good guys. In the midst of this self-congratulatory posture we never detected the virus of white supremacy that was still very much alive in our systems.
We would have conversations wondering why there was no White History Month and would question the fairness of policies like “affirmative action.” We had just learned that racism was one race unfairly favoring itself over another race and that our white parents had fixed the racist policies of their parents, so why are black people allowed to unfairly favor their race? To thousands of “well-meaning” and “nice” suburban white kids in the 80s, from what we had just learned from our nice white teachers reading from texts written by nice white scholars, it seemed that angry black people were re-litigating a problem other nice white people fixed and were now being racist themselves. We saw emerge a new fascination with Malcolm X, a romanticization of Africa, and a new holiday called Kwanzaa. None of this made sense with what we had just been taught. Racism was fixed and we were all supposed to be homogeneous and nice Americans. It seemed that racism was being brought back not by white people, but ironically by black people. As Morgan Freeman would later say in a comment that got plenty of traction in white supremacist circles, “Stop talking about it.” Why do we have to relive something that no longer exists? The nice white people heard MLK’s dream and made it happen!
In junior high school, I learned the mechanisms of white supremacy as an aspiring friend of white power skinhead ideology. I was a scared, lonely kid from a dysfunctional home and desperately in need of purpose and meaning. Friends were hard to come by as introverted and different I felt. I found a small group of fellow misfits who listened to heavy music and rooted their identity in the idea that white America fixed racism, built a great society, and the genetically inferior black people, immigrants, and Jews were here to take that from us. My soundtrack became the words of Skrewdriver singing “White power for Britain, before it gets too late” and S.O.D. singing “Speak English or Die.” The natural consequences for failing to assimilate into our nice, white nation were permanent separation. “Find a new place to live” was the mantra. If you can’t assimilate, feel free to carve out a little place of your own to be savages who can’t accept this white, “Judeo-Christian” nation. The USA was meant to be a white, ethno state and others were welcome here as long as they submitted to white authority. The black cities were violent hellscapes for the same reason. They needed to fix their problems and it was time to stop asking white people to bail them out. Maybe Plessy v. Ferguson was right all along. Those black people and savage immigrants who fail to assimilate and submit to civilized, nice white people should find a place to live apart from us.
As a kid in search of identity and meaning I had truly found a place I could live. I learned the intimate and violent mechanisms of white supremacy not in a classroom, but from peers who had caught the disease and were sharing it like junkies with a needle. People and races were categorized by genetics and intelligence. Evolution seemed to show that the darker the skin, the more savage the creature. There were a few, rare exceptions of black people who sounded “white” and there was a rational separation between a black person and a “n***er” rooted in how “white” that person seemed to speak and behave. Like any animal, they could be tamed. Those that were tamed, civilized, and fully assimilated to the white way of life should be grateful that they were a genetic anomaly which escaped the clutches of savagery. Inside this white supremacist bubble, black people only contributed to society what white people had given them and Hitler had the right idea about cleansing the bloodlines even if he was a little crazy in his audacity to commit genocide. I would later come to understand that this was a complex system of purity that separated matter into distinct categories and there was a rationale for disposing of that material which was dirty and infected. Whiteness was the only cure and assimilation through submission was the delivery mechanism.
In the late 1980s when black people through their music and art told a counter-narrative that the “Dream” had been deferred and white America had become complacent if not violently oppressive, it sounded like militants who were causing the problem. Insistent in reclaiming their African ethnicity, it felt like they didn’t appreciate what good white people had done for them and they now wanted to unfairly tip the beautifully balanced scales in their favor. What they called injustice was the real inequality. Maybe it was time for all the white people who at this point had all fixed slavery and racism to reassert their niceness by reminding black people racism was over. They shouldn’t mess it up by asserting un-American, un-Christian ideas. After all, “we” begrudgingly gave them an entire month to celebrate nonviolence and their marches.
It’s easy to see how the narrative of civil rights as it was taught became a carrier of white supremacy. We of the white suburbs never learned its mechanisms and philosophies further than a few simple ideas: Plessy v. Ferguson wasn’t all that great, slavery was really bad, something about the KKK and lynch mobs, and to be grateful all of this stuff had been eradicated from our now unified and content nation. White Generation X grew up with these beliefs and had a childhood shaped by them. White kids became “nice” adults who didn’t recognize white supremacy because they weren’t aware of what it was so they got infected by it in subtle ways. Our schools didn’t vaccinate them out of fear that teaching the subtle mechanisms of white supremacy would somehow transmit the virus. Like any vaccine, you need a little bit of the virus so the body can learn to defend itself against infection. Instead our schools, armed with the history that nice white people ended racism towards nice black people, transmitted the disease itself.
Those nice white kids became carriers of the virus and just needed the right environment to activate it. They needed a tiny stimulus to get these ideas to replicate and spread. Without understanding its symptoms, white kids became white adults who carried and spread the virus to their family, friends, and their own kids. White kids today learn that same history of nice white people and other nice people who live in suburbs and rural places and can’t understand why cities are so violent and so black.
Sally Struthers for Christian Children’s Fund
A cornerstone of white supremacy is a belief that the genetic composition of white people is fundamentally superior. Those genes made them smarter and more civilized. I grew up with that philosophy. When Jimmy “the Greek” Snyder talked about the superiority of the black athlete, it triggered the idea that their physical prowess is why they were such capable slaves. There was something alluring and romantic in white supremacy about the idea that slavery became a means to rescue black people from their unintelligently designed African governments that could only be characterized as savage. Live Aid and USA for Africa were sufficient evidence to see how horrible that place was. Even Little Steven’s protest of Sun City seemed to reflect the horrors of these savages. Apartheid was the symptom of an untamed continent that just needed more nice, civilized white people of superior, European genes who could fix the problems like they did in America. Africa was an untamed land of lions, hyenas, and genetically-deficient people who weren’t smart enough to fix their own problems. The idea that white America and white Europe would have to fix that too, even at the expense of their own wealth, created a narrative of resentment and hostility. But white kids didn’t understand that this same narrative was the scaffolding of white supremacy because they never learned it. It was up to them to tame the wild world they saw on their televisions that beamed images of poor, emaciated, and bloated Ethiopian kids and a tearful Sally Struthers begging for white money to feed them. “Happy birthday,” she said. White suburban kids made jokes about it. It was funny how and sad how African kids didn’t have supermarkets and didn’t have bread or a nice President like Mr. Reagan. Being poor and black was stupid and white America shouldn’t have to pay for it.
Eventually I literally found Jesus and a new group identity in the church leaving behind the strange white fantasies as juvenile relics. I had thought it was just a bunch of dumb kids doing dumb things and seeking out dumb beliefs in a thwarted effort to look cool to peers. That was true, at least for me. The Rodney King verdict, the words from Public Enemy, and the music of Fishbone ended any latent racism that may have lingered in my brain. I joined a gospel choir in college and got intimate with the black church. I invested myself over the following years to listening to and spending time with the people I had at one time absurdly believed to be inferior in every way except for what Jimmy the Greek told me. I was making amends. Those racist ideas seemed to be anachronistic yearnings of an immature and insecure kid that had since been relegated to racist and homophobic messages trapped in men’s bathroom stalls. I would see swastikas and racist epithets scratched above toilet paper dispensers in gas stations as messages some teenaged white boy was sending me from my past hidden behind a curtain of anonymity.
In 2008, when I saw an older white man holding up a Curious George monkey he called “Little Hussein” at a rally for Sarah Palin, I was disgusted. The monkey was there to see “real Americans” as he put it. In one instant, those anonymous messages from bathroom stalls were activated on a public platform that would only get amplified throughout the Obama years finding an apex in Trump. From the language of the “forgotten” people of America, to the “very fine people” who must be among white supremacist Charlottesville protesters, to Steve King’s (Rep, I) questioning of the contributions others have made to the world outside of “Western” people, to the idea that immigrants coming from Mexico are riddled with disease, all are part of a complex of white supremacist language its advocates have used for decades, often in quiet forums no one knew existed or cared about until now. The very notion of a giant wall to keep people out is a staple of the so-called white “ethnonationalist” state. These ideas and the people who spread them have all been given permission to be out in the open like an airborne disease.
Like viruses we thought were long gone until the anti-vax movement gained momentum, this philosophy has been activated as a failure of our education system and of “nice” white people everywhere. It’s not like “just a little bit of smallpox” won’t hurt anyone. Of course it would. It is the same when we repeat racist language and pass it off as meaningless or irrelevant. Couched in the persistent lie that racism was solved, this might make sense. But that narrative is a lie. It’s toxic, dangerous, and has infected our public discourse and behavior to its worst degree perhaps since the 1960’s. Alongside teaching civil rights, we avoid teaching white supremacy, what it is, what it looks like, and how to inoculate ourselves against its spread. Until white people recognize the hot zone of white supremacy in their ranks and teach its features to their children, it will continue to infect the world. Our kids need to be exposed to white supremacy just enough that they can build their own antibodies and join the fight against it. This is how we can help stop its spread.
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October 11, 2018 / Andrew Tatusko / Leave a comment
This year I slated three races to run. The first was a 25K trail run I knew I wasn’t fully prepared for. The next was a trail marathon I used as a practice run. The third was my “A” race, the one at which I wanted to perform well and go for the best time I could over 50 miles. I cramped up at the first race which I attributed to lack of preparation. It was frustrating, but not demoralizing. The second race was healthy and enjoyable mainly because I wasn’t going all that hard. But the last race? That “A” race I had in my sights all year? I cramped up the worst and way earlier that I would ever have expected. I sucked down all the electrolytes and was well hydrated, I wasn’t going all that much faster than my final training run, and I had a 3 week taper leading into it. I had also trained my ass off and followed a program I put together based on plans recommended by more than one coach. Yet I still lost my legs at mile 22 and they never came back. That meant 28 miles of often excruciating pain that made power hiking up even modest climbs difficult and unforgiving. But I’m not here to talk about my body. I’m here to talk about what was happening in my brain.
Managing Self Talk
Anyone who has worked through a mental illness will tell you that self-talk and personal narratives dictate how they feel, what they believe about themselves, and how they behave. The messages from past experiences and internal traumas that loudly whisper, “You aren’t worth this,” “You should stop,” “Who are you to even try,” “You’re so selfish,” “Just give up, that’s what people would expect anyway” never fully go away no matter how healthy you get. The trick is to form a different relationship with those messages so they stop dictating your feelings, beliefs, and behavior. This takes practice and hard work over a long period of time like training the body to endure running for long distances. When the body is healthy and everything seems to feel good and highly functioning, dispelling those messages with affirmations, completing even mundane goals, or bodily movement is at its easiest. But when the body starts to fatigue and pain is inescapable all those practices you have developed to counteract the narratives of depression or anxiety in all of its forms begin to lose their effectiveness. Without those practices, your thoughts are left bare. What then?
Mindfulness has become a Westernized panacea that is as ubiquitous as diets promising you that you can lose weight fast and look like a fitness model in two weeks, or get rich schemes from televangelists promising magic from “miracle” spring water from Russia. Most of the popular mentions of mindfulness are divorced from its roots in meditation practices from Buddhists and romanticize the image of the happy guru blissful in his chubby transcendence. Mindfulness to the popular imagination is more like achieving the state of a happy dog that lives its life in a series of present moments ecstatic to see people, play ball, and sneak scraps from the table. This image of mindfulness misses the mark not only for what it is and how hard it is to practice and to achieve a level of competence doing.
Mindfulness is about understanding the cycle of cause and effect that people are caught in so that we can better understand how to break and change those cycles in which we find ourselves in order to live lives at greater peace with ourselves and with others.
Mindfulness is indeed becoming deeply familiar and intimate with the present. It is a practice that gets you much closer to and curious about everything happening inside the body and outside of it. It is feeling the shirt on your skin, hearing the ringing in your ears you usually don’t notice, listening to the voice that tells you how horrible you are, and leaning in to all of the things that go through your brain of which you are most often completely unaware. Mindfulness is about understanding the cycle of cause and effect that people are caught in so that we can better understand how to break and change those cycles in which we find ourselves in order to live lives at greater peace with ourselves and with others. If you stop everything and become aware of everything going through your brain and everything that you sense in your body, it is overwhelming. Close your eyes and give it a try right now for 30 seconds. There is a lot happening isn’t there? Just like going for a run when you are out of shape is difficult and takes time and consistent effort for your body to adapt, the practice of mindful meditation should be done by setting small goals and adapting over time to where you are able to manage your mind more effectively.
So what does this have to do with running an ultramarathon? Mile 30 was the last time I would see any of the runners in the pack I had been in until the finish. Except for relay runners passing me and support vehicles speeding by, I was totally alone with my pain and my thoughts. I am not a meditator. I tried it for a while, but I did not want to get intimate with my thoughts at all. At the time, life was a mess and the idea of making that mess more present and clear was awful. Why would I want to make bad stuff feel worse? I have done work since then to understand my brain, how my thinking works, and how it affects my behavior. But I have not exactly practiced mindfulness at least to the degree that a Buddhist monk would ever have me do. So when my body that I thought I had trained went south, I was left with an untrained brain to work through the mess of thoughts that I simply could not avoid.
As every negative comment ever slung at me going back to when I was probably eight years old raging in my brain, a woman from a relay team pulled up next to me. She said, “I have been trying to catch up to you for a half an hour! You are so strong! You are doing this! You’re strong!” She said it over and over again. I told her I was OK, that I was just working through bad cramps, and that there was nothing I could eat or drink right now that would help. We got to the top of the hill and I said, “I think I can run down this now.” She fell behind me. I never saw her again. I still have no idea who it was. But those words were just enough to feed my brain with something different and positive enough to flip the script a little. It also reminded me to keep practicing gratitude. If I saw someone else struggling, I offered encouragement. I thanked everyone at the aid stations and smiled for them because they had been working for us all day. The best solution to the problems inside my head was to get outside of my head.
But those words were just enough to feed my brain with something different and positive enough to flip the script a little. It also reminded me to keep practicing gratitude. If I saw someone else struggling, I offered encouragement. I thanked everyone at the aid stations and smiled for them because they had been working for us all day. The best solution to the problems inside my head was to get outside of my head.
The first step in mindfulness practice is to accept the thoughts and sensations you are experiencing. The second step is to accept that they are temporary and you are free to let them go whenever you want. The third step is to understand that the longer you hold on to those thoughts and sensations, the greater the risk is that you are going to cause yourself or others to suffer at some point. Sometimes you just need a little push from the outside to let those things go and that comes from either receiving help from others or offering help in any way that you can manage. That’s when the content of your brain starts to change just enough that perceptions and experience slowly and gradually transform.
So what did this race teach me? I not only need to strengthen my body a little bit more, I need to strengthen my brain. Two hypotheses I am going to test for next year: 1) Strengthen the muscles in the hips and knees to get better balance and increased resistance to fatigue; 2) start meditating with a true beginner’s mind and not for some deeper, spiritual purpose, but for stronger and more resilient processing of whatever is happening so I can more effectively let it go.
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The satisfactions of manifesting oneself concretely through the world through manual competence have been known to make a (person) quiet and easy. They seem to relieve (them) of the felt need to offer chattering interpretations of (themselves) to vindicate (their) worth. – Matthew B. Crawford, Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work, p. 15.
For a few years now I have had a major block to writing and academic work. My background and expertise is in religion and the intersection of religious and secular education. I began that work from a place of deep faith in God and on the path first to ministry and then to academic work from that place of faith. I’ve always worked through a so-called “imposter syndrome” where few things I do have left me feeling enough confidence to keep doing them. Academic work and writing, along with other creative endeavors, have the judgment of others acting as so many gateways and obstacles to the standards of success that most people might ascribe to any work. Anyone who has worked through depression or has had any form of dysfunction in their lives always has to work in spite of the chattering of worthlessness pervasive in work that requires the criticism of others to reach an audience. But in the past few years I have had two events that both created a true sense of my self as an impostor and reinforced those chattering interpretations that pounded on me relentlessly throughout my life.
The first event is that I lost my faith. Maybe a more honest way of phrasing this is that I came to accept that I never had very strong faith in the first place. Throughout my Christian life I tried to believe what others had confirmed I should believe. I practiced the traditions and learned how to bracket my cynical and skeptical inclinations in order to experience God through an act of faith. I ironically knew in my rational self that in order to experience God, I had to do so in spite of reason or at least at the limits of what reason could do for me. Belief in God is never won by well crafted arguments and logic regardless of what the tract writers and apologists will preach to you. Faith is a deeply affective surrender to a being that you come to understand is the best hope for your own serenity and the salvation of the wold from all of its worst attributes even as that same being gives life to the best of what humanity and the splendor of nature could possibly offer. But that story ran out of gas for me in the spring of 2015. I could not move forward with my happiness unless I let all of that go. I decided that if the object of faith was real, I would remain open and let it back in when it showed up in such a way that I could no longer deny its fundamental, lifegiving reality. My door is still open, the invitation does not have an expiration, but I am no longer sitting in the ballroom waiting for anyone to show up. And that has brought me a profound sense of relief.
My door is still open, the invitation does not have an expiration, but I am no longer sitting in the ballroom waiting for anyone to show up. And that has brought me a profound sense of relief.
The second event includes the deaths of my mother and step-father. Both were people of deep faith and both had serious physical complications from heart disease and kidney failure for the remaining years of their lives. My mother was especially reliant on the power of prayer. To let her in on the secret that I no longer prayed for anyone and that I honestly never had a very consistent prayer life even in my most religious days wasn’t something I thought was very appropriate especially when she was in and out of the hospital and so very ill much of the time. I left that part of my life unspoken. I know that keeping secrets to protect people never really works out. Just look at sitcoms and superhero shows. Heroes keeping secrets to protect those they love is the wellspring for all conflicts on these shows and no one ever seems to get it. I don’t think it hurt her that I never spoke about my deconversion, but I probably didn’t give her enough credit to believe that she would have been able to take it if I had told her. It’s not a place of guilt for me and I am not sure I would have handled it differently anyway. That’s because of my step-father. He always had advice and a plan for everything. Deep down I think he meant well, but the impact had a reverse effect on me. I don’t think there was a single piece that I had ever written that did not come with it some form of criticism from him that left be feeling low, beaten down, and condescended to. Blog posts, tweets, articles, even random comments on Facebook would often be followed by a critique from him that would sometimes branch off into my step-father arguing with other people who were actually defending my position. The last straw was when he disagreed with the obituary that I wrote for my mother. So I stopped writing. I tried to come back to wait a few times, but it was the same drumbeat and I had enough of it. When those who should support you when you are doing things a little scary create the fear that makes them scary in the first place, even those feelings and resentments that you know you had reconciled long ago find a way to resurrect. In his final two years of life he had chilled out a lot with his trolling, but I just didn’t want to resurrect it again.
When those who should support you when you are doing things a little scary create the fear that makes them scary in the first place, even those feelings and resentments that you know you had reconciled long ago find a way to resurrect.
For the past two months I have been asking myself the question, what should I do now? Now that I have been able to identify the things that had blocked me and those things are physically no longer here, the rest is all in my head. Much like running very long distances, sometimes the only way out of a problem is to keep moving forward with the expectation that you will feel better down the road. Yesterday as I was once again regurgitating these existential questions and it was another morning of “What should I write?” or “I can’t keep working through religion from a place of agnosticism, right?” I applied what I knew about running and what I have done even after I believed my body was done, why not just start writing about the struggle itself? That’s moving forward at at least. Every successful writer I have watched from afar has said precisely this. Sometimes you have to write your way out of a block. It’s not just writing in spite of or through a struggle, but writing the struggle itself. Maybe that’s where I can get a little catharsis, dismiss the imposter, and move forward.
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December 26, 2017 December 26, 2017 / Andrew Tatusko / Leave a comment
Hope is often a word used to describe a motivating idea of a future condition that people seek in order to improve their present condition. It’s the essence of faith in Christianity; the “substance of things hoped for” (Heb. 1:11). It’s enough to spark and sustain a rebellion against the Empire in the Star Wars movie franchise. A friend of mine recently spoke about how hope is what got her out of jail and on to a different, healthier path in life. Rarely is hope a concept or feeling that is associated with anything negative or toxic.
Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön argues that hope may not exactly be what it seems. Contrary to the evidence that hope is a sustaining force for a healthy life, it can have the reverse effect and create suffering. She proposes that we have the “motivational” quote of “Abandon Hope” on our refrigerators than a doctor’s office slogan pioneering vague feelings to improve as our desires are met. For a Buddhist, this tractor beam of desire pulling us towards what looks like a better future is the root of suffering itself.
Hope and fear come from feeling that we lack something; they come from a sense of poverty. We can’t simply relax with ourselves. We hold on to hope, and hope robs us of the present moment. We feel that someone else knows what’s going on, but that there’s something missing in us, and therefore something is lacking in our world (Chödrön, p. 53).
While hope can be a tremendous motivator in times of adversity, it can also be a weight that anchors a person in a cycle of their own suffering. The things that I hope for and desire might not be healthy for me, or for those around me, and rather than save me from my current circumstances, hope can create another set of circumstances that only make me uncomfortable and the cycle starts over. Hope, desire, expectations – all of these things are generated with emotions rooted in a present moment, on the foundation of a set of memories that might not even be all that accurate, pointing towards a future that might lead me to an even worse condition than I am feeling in the moment. Economists and behavioral psychologists have observed that our memories are colored by our current emotional state and are rarely accurate representations of what actually happened, that our present emotional responses to experience are more often than not irrational bases on which to make decisions that will lead us to sounder well-being, and that as a result our expectations and hopes are distorted and often wrong. All that is to say, while hope can be a strong, positive motivation for change, it may not be a healthy default position for how to live one’s life. At some point a critical and hard engagement with present reality has to take place. In other words, at some point, we have to give up hoping for something different in order to be relaxed about how things are in the present.
I have learned that my own use of hope often gets screwed up in my head with unhealthy expectations of myself and others in a way that is has a demotivating effect on positive change. Instead of being relaxed with the mundanities of life and the sometimes miserable or aversive emotions that run into me often at unexpected moments, hope makes me long for something I can’t possibly have in the moment, and that simply reinforces all of those aversive feelings I hope to be rid of and everything feels so much worse.
The question that I had after approaching the way my mind will twist hope into a source of despair was, How can I move towards a positive change when things just don’t feel right or good? Saying “Fuck it all” and becoming a nihilist curmudgeon sounded even worse! And it would have been.
I remembered something Emmitt Smith once said about his High school coach. They were talking about Smith’s dreams for his future. The coach said, “Write those dreams down. Once you write them down, they become goals you can work for.” What I have learned is that if I am not feeling right with the world, rooting my desire for change in a set of aimless and wandering feelings called “hope” doesn’t land anywhere and reinforces all the stuff that makes me feel horrible. But if I can translate hope into a plan of action, then I have something I can work with to improve those aversive conditions in order to make progress in feeling better. At that point, even if I fail in that plan of action, I at least know I put in a good effort.
There are some things that make you feel horrible you can’t just change. Some people will just not like you even if you try your hardest to get on their good graces; you might just not be able to get enough income to pay off that debt or take that trip in the timeframe you set for yourself; that person might never say “Yes” to going out on that date with you; and you might never win any award for anything you have done regardless of how great you and others think it is. Some of those things rely on the decisions of other people and no one can control another person without being abusive. But we can all try to make those situations better with practical action.
This year, I’m skipping the resolutions. Those are hope loaded dreams that are rarely fulfilled. As with last year, I’m focusing on a few goals and breaking these goals into a few manageable steps. I also will try to understand why it is that I really want these goals. Doing this kind of work means changing my schedule, being uncomfortable as I change my daily patterns, and figuring out a new balance with all the other requirements and obligations I have in life, so I better know why I’m doing it in the first place.
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Legion and a Correct View Towards Mental Illness
June 29, 2017 June 30, 2017 / Andrew Tatusko / 1 Comment
“That’s the trick, the mind-killer; your disease convinces you you don’t have it.” – David Haller
When Legion premiered on FX this February, critics were quick to deride its interpretation of mental illness. Early reviews jumped to conclusions of the show’s “mental health shaming” by trivializing it or using it as a cheap narrative tool to talk about superpowers and comic book absurdities with the fake veneer of something more adult and mature. Perhaps that’s true if you sat through the first couple of episodes and then got so offended that you refused to keep going.
The opening shows David Haller grow up as a troubled teen who later attempts suicide. We then see Haller in a mental hospital produced as a sort of highly medicated prison rife with unhelpful therapy sessions, a montage of pills in cups, and unnervingly dangerous looking or totally comatose patients leading completely unproductive and secluded lives in an environment pulled straight out of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest via A Clockwork Orange (and the place is called Clockworks interestingly enough). As the first episode progresses, we learn that David is retelling the experience at Clockworks to a government agent who is investigating the extent of telekinetic powers they believe David has on behalf of something called Division 3. Their goal is to determine the extent of those powers and then to control them, or use them. The first episode ends with an action packed rescue from a group of mutants who are hidden in a retreat called Summerland. We later learn that they are protecting mutants from Division 3. The story is straightforward enough, but what happens inside of David’s head is not. Right when the viewer is convinced of one set of facts about what is real, the next episode opens with another version of something whether it’s the image of a leisure suit clad Jemaine Clement trying to explain some out-of-place philosophy while seated in a giant ice-cube or everyone in Summerland seated in Clockworks in the middle of a therapy session. In every episode we have to start over which is why the early criticisms were so wrong about what was really happening.
Throughout the show, David exhibits symptoms of a schizoaffective disorder. He hears voices, can’t distinguish between reality and mental projections, he’s paranoid, and talks to a series of characters that only he can see. He is ashamed of all of this and believes he is crazy no thanks to Clockworks reinforcing that belief. But we are presented with the idea that he is not insane, and rather has extraordinary mental powers that he has only confused with a mental illness because he can’t control them. Summerland is there to help him understand that he is not insane, but truly very powerful.
The first metaphor for mental illness we are presented with is “you are not sick, but unique and gifted.” This is a well-trodden path in the X-Men comics, the world from which Legion derives. In the comics, David Haller is Professor X’s biological son who he gave away at birth. There, David deals with dissociative identity disorder (split personality) where each of his mental powers takes on a different identity in his head. A major draw for kids to the X-Men is that in the mutant world the thing that makes you feel different or odd is also the thing that makes you special. People will always find a way to exclude. Foucault argued that the age of reason saw the confinement and casting out of the mentally ill or “mad” from society through political and social mechanisms which only lends mental illness a perfect canvas on which to paint the X-Men mythos. Even if having really amazing powers that should astound people can make you an outcast, think of all the little things about you that don’t conform to the world that will cause people to exclude you. The solution: find other oddballs, be yourself, and cherish your uniqueness in the world in a healthy community that respects you.
I get it. If Legion stopped there, it would sanitize mental illness with a nice message for kids struggling to fit in, but would be a weak exploration of the issue for a decidedly grown-up audience. It cleanses mental illness to where it does not really harm us, but makes us stronger. It’s a nice, temporary coping strategy, but it hardly respects the reality that metal illness can kill you if you don’t do something about it.
Thankfully, the story doesn’t stop there. We learn that David didn’t know he was adopted, his sister kept that secret from him, and even if all of his mental illness was just a manifestation of his powers, he still had to work through all of the same issues that any person with schizophrenia would have to work through. He still has issues that he has not worked out and they keep manifesting themselves throughout each episode. And then it goes one level deeper. What we learn is that David’s cohort of imaginary voices – a beagle, a creepy children’s book character, a blob with yellow eyes, a frenetic woman named Lenny Busker who goads him to misbehave – are all manifestations of the thing from which Professor X tried to hide him – the powerful mutant Amahl Farouk also called the “Shadow King.” This being lodged itself into David’s brain when he was a baby in order to siphon off his power until the day when he could overtake David’s whole mind and body. The cause of David’s mental illness symptoms is not something that is naturally part of him – it is a parasite.
Health comes from overcoming the struggle and that means not identifying with one’s mental illness.
This is the grownup moment in how the show deals with mental illness. No responsible psychologist or psychiatrist should ever tell you that to treat a mental illness you should just take drugs and accept it as a part of your identity. They will tell you that you also need to be social and find a community of healthy friends, eat a healthy diet, get some exercise, and sleep among other strategies like meditation or yoga. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches you strategies to mine your brain for those negative messages that you tell yourself and rather than accept them, reverse them and change them through action and practice. It’s like playing table tennis against a champion. You need to learn how to return the ball and reverse its spin in order to keep playing the point. This requires practicing a set of learned skills. It’s difficult. But make no mistake, mental illness is an opponent in your mind and body that you have to work hard to compete against daily in order to be healthy and happy. The struggle with mental illness should always be a temporary event like a runner who struggles with soreness and exhaustion or a scientist who needs to step away from an experiment that keeps failing in order to let it all simmer for a new insight to emerge. Life is never healthy when it is a constant struggle. Health comes from overcoming the struggle and that means not making one’s mental illness the core of one’s identity. Counselors want their patients to get to a point of accepting that they have a mental illness rather than they are identified by their mental illness.
One method of therapy similar to CBT is centered around “self-directed neuroplasticity.” In short, this is grounded in the theory that patterns of thinking and action not only change habits of the mind and body, but literally transform synaptic patterns in the brain. Therapies have been developed around this theory grounded in research at UCLA and the clinical data supports it as a way to think and act your way our of destructive patterns of behavior. Clinicians have used this method to treat patients with even severe OCD issues. What emerges from these therapies is a focus on retraining the brain and body to act in ways counter to their mental illness symptoms in order to produce healthier, happier, and more whole people. No mental illness is permanent in the way that it currently is believed to exist in the brain. Also related is the argument that emotions are not hard-wired in the brain and sit there latently until some external stimulus provokes each of them into being. Rather, a more nuanced theory is that emotions develop as concepts that we learn to associate with certain stimuli. This view, supported by research from Lisa Feldman Barrett of Northeastern University, means that we have far more control over how we feel the world around us and how we make sense out of those feelings. What we believe literally shapes our feelings, relationships, and perceptions of the world. Correcting beliefs that produce unhealthy feelings and behaviors can change much of how we understand mental health conditions even when some of those symptoms benefit from medication.
Those times when I least want to do the things that will make me the most healthy are the most important times to do them.
As someone who has had a mental health diagnosis, I understand that interpreting mental illness as an immovable facet of one’s identity is both alluring and destructive. It’s nice to know that others struggle with it and that you are not alone. But accepting constant struggle as something permanent is a miserable way to live, if we can call that living at all. At the root this is a belief that produces learned helplessness, and it’s not true.
After many years of struggle, I refused to continue to believe that I had to accept my illness as a part of my identity. But I had to change my thinking and my behaviors dramatically in order to reverse the spin. It required patience and discipline to develop a new set of habits. I was playing table tennis with a master of deception and I had to study all of the things that made it powerful. I had to practice new ways to challenge the messages it was tossing at me knowing that early on it would be difficult. But with enough time and practice I would eventually master it. I had a parasite in my brain. It was my Shadow King, my Amahl Farouk, my Lenny Busker. Cunning, deceptive, and powerful with years of practice, I had let it kick my ass. It was only when I accepted that I had something in my brain that made me unhealthy that I learned a set of strategies to make me healthy.
This is why I identify with David Haller’s narrative arc of mental illness. But unlike Haller, I can’t just trick my unfriendly mental resident into leaving. It lives there permanently and even though I know how to lock it away in a tiny little corner where it won’t bother me, once in a while I forget to check the locks on the door and it sneaks out. So I will run, sleep, eat healthy, spend time with healthy people, walk the dog, get some sunlight, clean my living space, etc. This toolbox of strategies that I have found to work are my ways of reversing the spin on the ball and acing the serve almost every time. To be healthy, I need to accept the challenge, play the game, and win. There are many times when I don’t want to play table tennis with this parasite, but I have to do it anyway. Those times when I least want to do the things that will make me the most healthy are the most important times to do them. When I do, I kick its ass and it leaves me alone for a good while. Not accepting a mental illness as a natural part of my identity took patience and discipline to achieve and it was, and still can be, exhausting. But I have tried all of the alternatives and they just don’t work. What I know for sure is that identifying with the very thing that makes me sick is about as unhealthy a strategy I could ever devise. I wouldn’t do this with pneumonia. Why would I ever do it with Bipolar II. Kudos to Legion for getting it right.
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A Banner Day for Yoga but Not Satan in School
June 22, 2017 June 22, 2017 / Andrew Tatusko / Leave a comment
Two cases dance on the fence between a protected expression of religion, and a government endorsement of religion. One has to do with a school’s inclusion of yoga practice in the curriculum. The other surrounds controversy that erupted from a fake “Satanology” student club. Both demonstrate how the courts take religious establishment on a case-by-case basis.
Previous cases that have worked through the legality of religious displays on government property by arguing context. In short, it’s fine to display Santa or a nativity if Rudolph, Happy Holidays, or a Menorah is nearby. Display a nativity with “Happy Birthday Jesus” and it won’t be there for long. The Ten Commandments are acceptable as a general moral document on a courthouse. To convey a specific religious idea like God is the source of wisdom for government, again, it’s probably coming down. With that said, if your locality allows religious displays that have religious intent, the real problem comes when you forbid the presence of a competing religious display near it.
The first case asks when the practice of yoga is religious in its context and goals versus when it’s a secular practice adopted by Americans in general. When a California public school was given a grant to teach yoga to its students, conservative Christians challenged it as a religious practice. Those concerned Christian parents lawyered up, and the evangelical Alliance Defending Freedom took up the case. The court decided the case with a peculiar ruling saying that in the case of the class, yoga was not religious secular in nature. However, at the same time, yoga is indeed a religious practice. Light is both particle and wave; General Tso’s chicken is both Chinese food, and yet definitely not Chinese. Like displays of the Ten Commandments on public property, the context matters. Where students were practicing yoga and the purpose of it had nothing to do with its various religious purposes found in numerous traditions. A practice’s historical association with religion does not mean that the practice is inherently religious.
In the second case, an activist requested to post a banner for the “Church of Satanology and Satanic Activism” club along a fence on school grounds. This followed an English teacher at Boca Raton Middle school who erected a 10 foot pentagram display next to a nativity scene in a local park. The reason was not to begin an actual club, but to test the school’s approval of banners for an organization promoting Christianity. The location where the “Satanology” banner was to be placed was a place where churches and synagogues had posted their banners for a fee paid to the district. As soon as Chaz Stevens, an atheist activist, proposed the banner, the school instituted a ban on all banners until further notice. After pressure from the Freedom from Religion Foundation to change the policy permanently, the Palm Beach County School District capitulated. The site for Satanology is part of a campaign by The Religious Liberty Project which “is an advocacy organization dedicated to protecting and promoting freedom of speech and religion, especially the separation of Church and State.” The use of Satan as a polarizing figure to raise awareness on church/state entanglement is not new, but it is a recent strategy by secularists to clarify separation and how it is applied through the 1st Amendment norm.
The issue that connects both of these cases has to do with the ramifications of insisting on the superiority of one religion or group of religions over other faith claims in any context that is a publicly-funded entity. Evangelical legal groups like the Alliance Defending Freedom hide their true intent of reintroducing Christianity as a distinctly superior, American religion behind language of religious freedom. Would they not also seek to defend the equality of other religions’ not-specifically-Christian concerns? The evidence of their case load is an emphatic “no.”
Whenever an activist group insists on the superiority of its religion rooted in whatever jurisprudence that argues for that superiority, it opens up an interpretation of the 1st Amendment as protecting religions through “equal regard” in which religion is not given any particular favored position in these decisions, but it is neither viewed with any disproportionate contempt. As the demographics of society are trending less religious, the idea that religion ought to have some favored status according to the 1st Amendment could fall out of favor. This means that when activists encourage the debate now, they open up their own interests to a deeper secularizing effect in the future. They could allow people to enjoy local favoritism towards the dominant religion while they still can, but outside organizations such as the Freedom from Religion Foundation and Alliance Defending Freedom are on opposing missions to change the ways that the 1st Amendment is interpreted everywhere. So, before that happens small town America, please enjoy your live nativity this Christmas before the giant Baphomet statue comes to peer over your shoulders to judge whether you’ve been bad or good this year.
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Secularization is Happening, and Liberals are in Trouble
June 16, 2017 June 16, 2017 / Andrew Tatusko / 7 Comments
A narrow definition of secularization goes like this: “First, modernization induces people to lose faith in God and religion. Then, as religion is no longer meaningful, they stop identifying with it” (Hout & Fischer, 2014). In the mid-twentieth century, this was a common understanding of how the world would become less religious.
The evidence has consistently shown the contrary.
Throughout the twentieth century into the twenty-first, the world did not seem to become any less religious, but regions in South America, Africa, and Asia, became more religious leading some sociologists to argue that Europe’s secularization is an “exceptional case.” But this has left the United States something of a puzzle. There are parts of the country that are less religious while parts of it appear to be more religious, and there has been a sense that political alignment maps to this pattern. At the same time it seems that fewer and fewer Americans are enjoining themselves to any particular religion with each new generation.
In a recent paper, Michael Hout and Claude Fischer conclude that both politics and generational succession have real effects on religious preference and have significantly contributed to why fewer and fewer people are identifying with a particular religion. One-in-five people expressed no religious preference in 2012 compared to one-in-fourteen in 1987. They argue that secularization along the definition they use, did not have an observable effect on this trend which helps to account for the rather stable percentage of people who believe in God without doubt (61%) and life after death (81%). In several statistical models, secularization did not hold.
Religious disaffiliation is explained primarily in two ways. The first is that as one moves from a moderate to a more liberal political stance, they become less religious. This is in part because of the marriage between conservative politics and Christianity caused moderates and liberals to distance themselves from religious organizations, hence, the “backlash.” It’s not a reaction to religion per se, but leaving religion because of its perceived association with conservative politics, in general. The second and greater effect is generational succession. Each generation that replaces the previous has been less affiliated with religion in general, especially among liberal households, and the proportion of unchurched is growing. Moreover, those not raised within a religion are less likely to join one in the future. There was far less a change over time in affiliation among political conservatives who tend to enjoin themselves with conservative religion. However, given the decline in membership in the Southern Baptist Convention, we may be seeing the cracks in the conservative foundation as well.
This looks like a double-whammy for liberal and progressive religious organizations. Not only is there a general distaste for religious organizations among those who identify as liberal or progressive in their political, social, and cultural beliefs, there will be an increasing likelihood that they have never grown up in a religion and therefore see it as having little or no value in their lives. If we push this up against other explanations for secularization, it looks bad for progressive, God centered organizations. Religion is but one means of social bonding among many competing choices that happen on the weekday evenings, weekends, and holidays. Youth sports is one draw even though it has seen a recent decline in participation. It is also part of a wider trend of civic disengagement as argued by Robert Putnam.
Reclaiming the political position of the left might be one vehicle to reverse some of these trends. The position of Trump has caused a new vigor among religious liberals and progressives who feel threatened by right-wing policies and even betrayed by Christian evangelicals who overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump, who is ostensibly the least Christian looking candidate and President in a very long time. Religion used to be an important means to gain social capital in Western and American societies. During presidential campaigns, it has been normal for candidates to enjoin themselves to denominations and traditions because of their influence. Eisenhower joined the Presbyterians for this reason as Trump courted the evangelicals in 2016. We may see a liberal candidate hook up with progressive Christians with the same idea that religion feeds social capital even though the politically progressive have moved away from religion and continue to do so. But even if a reversal of political trend helps galvanize those in religions and attract people to religion, it will not move the downward trend on religious participation all that much. There is still a massive problem with a growing population in the country of people who have never been involved in any religion and are not likely to join one just because it seems to share a few political views and activities with them.
This is why Hout & Fischer’s narrow and linear definition of secularization needs to change. It is true that we have not seen people lose faith and then leave religion. Right now, leaving religion is happening first. Moreover, it might not be just that the modern ideas of reason and scientific progress are enough to dislodge belief in God from young peoples’ worldviews. It might be that with endless war, famine, economic inequality, murder, and oppressive political systems, that any doctrine of God does not come out looking all that loving, powerful, or knowledgeable about human affairs. It could be in the cultural disconnect between ancient texts and societies that look absolutely nothing like them.
Without a regular involvement in a religious community to help make sense of old doctrines and texts utterly alien to the people and events of this world, faith in them will not survive. This is a theological claim made in most Christian traditions where the center of worship is in baptism and communion. These are vehicles to nourish faith and without them, faith dies on the vine. Without these social constructs to nourish faith, we are left with vague spiritualities and temporary communities of interest that rarely gain enough momentum to act as vehicles for lasting spiritual practice. As Hout and Fischer conclude, “Time will tell if personalized religion is sustainable or if belief fades without public profession and community practice.” If this continues to happen, and it looks like it will, what is left to nurture or reinforce the notion of God or spirituality in any shape?
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Education, secularization, health, and culture.
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If I had my way, I think I would go live at the Four Seasons Hotel in Florence. But failing that, and as I already live in Florence so can’t really justify checking in to a five star hotel, there is a way for us members of the general public (or guests of other hotels in town) to get in to the most desirable garden, pool, gym and spa in town. With a day pass to the pool or an appointment at the Spa, which recently opened up to external guests, you can feel like a princess at least for a while.
Spa entrance – photo used by permission of the Four Seasons Florence
I was invited to try out a new facial treatment with Rephase products and technology that The Spa at the Four Seasons currently offers in worldwide exclusive. My day started by being welcomed to The Spa by smiley, particularly gorgeous staff who accompanied me to the change facilities and assigned me a locker equipped with a digital lock. Already here I was in heaven, for this posh bathroom is rather nicer than my own, with marble and mirrors, plush robes and towels (even a bathmat), chilled Panna mineral water, and custom-made products of every sort from Officina Santa Maria Novella (everything from cream deodorant to mouthwash and of course wonderful shampoo and conditioner).
I might have hung out here longer but was anxious to go sit by the gorgeous pool, one of those greenish coloured pools that doesn’t smell of chlorine, with my glass of mineral water flavoured with a slice of orange.
Here too, I had to make a difficult decision: enjoy lounging on the ‘beach chairs’ which have a thick soft mattress covered in custom towels (why does my beach not have this??!) or test out the heated pool…
Yes, i opted briefly for the pool
Time came for my facial appointment and I was shown upstairs to the very luminous space dedicated to spa treatments. This space is unusual because if you think about it, often spas are in hotel basements or are grotto-like, even the nicest ones. This one has large windows that give on to the garden, though of course the treatment rooms have dark blinds. My consultant, Barbara, told me about the new products they carry from Rephase, a cosmetics line that is only available in pharmacies (only one in Florence carries it), made with a combination of natural ingredients and biotech advances. Now they have also developed machinery to compliment and apply these products, and this is the first Spa in the world to have it.
I look at the machine next to the treatment bed and it looks kinda like an ultrasound. To be truthful, I am not sure how it works, but I like the effects! After cleansing and inspecting my face, Barbara pronounced by skin exceptionally sensitive and thin, with veins close to the surface and extreme sensitivity to the sun. Lucky me. My mom has always said as much and berated me for any sun exposure, but it’s hard to live in Italy and be called ‘mozzarella’ when you show up at the beach all white. Anyway, for Barbara, this mozzarella was not at all a negative, but something to guide her choice in what products and technologies to apply in the following 45 minutes.
The ultrasound, uh, i mean Rephase machine was switched on and I felt a cool sensation as my skin was being actively oxygenated, methodically going over each part of my face and neck. There were three phases to this application, after which Barbara handed me a mirror and switched on the lights. Now, I am not a big believer in skin treatments (the most i do is wash and moisturize) but I tell you that I could visibly see one side of my face looking more firm – essentially like I’d had a big collagen injection so I no longer had dark bags under my eyes! Thankfully she did proceed to do the other side of my face to match, and then applied some wonderfully light moisturizing cream. Here is a photo of me directly afterwards. As you can see, I look 20 years younger than my real 50… just kidding. I am 37 and look young for my age.
The Rephase facial is available in various declinations which the ladies at The Spa can certainly explain to you properly, each designed for a different purpose, and customized to your skin type. This is not your average facial but, especially if done repeatedly, could practically replace cosmetic surgery. I, of course, will grow old gracefully and naturally, but a little touch up like this sure helps. A week after the treatment I can still very much see the positive effects, which I have been extending with the various Rephase samples that were chosen for my skin type. I’m not sure if it is due to the facial, but someone I met put me in my mid twenties this week.
After my treatment, I had lunch at the poolside Trattoria al Fresco with some girlfriends who were also enjoying facials that day. The hotel has recently updated the menu of this restaurant, which now has an outside pizza making area and serves a full menu regularly, as well as hosts theme nights on special occasions. As is par for the course at the Four Seasons, service is impeccable, and everything is delicious, from the bellini’s with fresh peaches to the assortment of breads down to the decadent desserts.
There’s no need to hide it: service at this level does not come cheap. I had a marvelous day – in fact I wish I could have stayed longer. The Spa at the Four Seasons is something to be set aside for a special treat – maybe in preparation for your wedding day, to celebrate an anniversary with your sweetie, or as a treat while on holiday in Florence (if you’re staying somewhere more budget, you could enjoy this luxury at least briefly). A day pass to the pool costs 80 euros per person, but you can stay there and in the garden for as long as you want, not to mention use way more towels in a few hours than you would in more than a week at home. It’s an oasis in the city, like going to the beach, except without the traffic and car costs, heat, ombrelloni too close together and annoying Italian children with their water guns. The Rephase facial treatments start at 290 euros, while there is also a range of treatments done with the Florentine all-natural brand made by Santa Maria Novella.
To book spa treatments, call 055/2626631 or email spa.firenze@fourseasons.com. Plan your stay at www.fourseasons.com/florence.
Disclaimer: I received the service described in this post without cost, but all impressions in this review are mine.
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Alexandra Korey aka @arttrav on social media, is a Florence-based writer and digital consultant. Her blog, ArtTrav has been online since 2004.
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“It can’t happen here” is a political cliché in the United States. Regardless of your personal viewpoint, there is a vast swath of the American population who simply do not believe in the possibility of any kind of totalitarianism in the United States.
It’s worth noting that throughout history, in virtually every place that totalitarian regimes have arisen, the residents of these countries felt the same way. Russia was seen as too traditional and backward, the power of the Czar too entrenched to be defeated. Germany had been viewed throughout most of the modern period as the home of Goethe, Schiller, and Mozart, a place where the local Jewish population had largely assimilated.
Because totalitarianism emerges differently throughout history in different countries, it’s crucial to take a broader view of how totalitarian regimes arise. For example, when we’re discussing the rise of communism or the rise of fascism, we see different trends in Russia than we do in China, different trends in Italy than we do in Germany. When we examine multiple, somewhat lesser known examples of the rise of socialism throughout the world, we paint a picture of the different ways in which socialism originated and its possible resurgence.
This case study of terror analyses three examples of totalitarianism throughout history. In Czechoslovakia, the Communist Party was able to establish the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic by leveraging little more than a strong showing - but not a victory - in the parliamentary elections. During the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution of Communist China in the 1960s, Chairman Mao came out of relative isolation to radically remake an already communist country. Lastly, we will look right in America’s backyard at the rise of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela.
More than perhaps anywhere else, the rise of totalitarianism throughout the world is an excellent example of the quote often attributed to Mark Twain, “history doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” If you are looking for a mechanical repeat of the past, you are looking in the wrong place. Our point is not to show you that the exact same things are currently happening here in the United States, but to highlight similarities.
What We Can Learn From the Czechoslovak Coup
What We Can Learn from the Cultural Revolution
What We Can Learn from the Bolivarian Revolution
Standing on this side of history, it’s easy to take Soviet domination over Eastern Europe as a given. However, at no point during the early transition from Nazi domination to the post-war period was it a fait accompli that the formerly occupied nations of Eastern Europe wouldn’t go back to being free and independent nations. Czechoslovakia is perhaps one of the best examples we have of a country that was by no means “destined” to go communist.
The situation on the ground in Czechoslovakia was very similar to that of Italy and France - all three had been occupied by the Germans and had large Communist Parties enjoying broad, if not a majority, support. The Communist Parties of each country had a track record of cooperation with non-Communist Parties. What’s more, the Communist Party was able to get a little clout based on the role of the Red Army in liberating Eastern Europe.
The broad support of the Communist Party should not be overlooked, as it is a major factor in the rise of a Communist government in Czechoslovakia. In 1945, the Communist Party had a scant 40,000 members. By 1948, this had ballooned to 1.35 million, with several fellow travelers and supporters whose strength is difficult to estimate.
This numerical strength formed the basis of their participation in the National Front, a “big tent” parliamentary front composed of Communists, but also conservative agrarians, social democrats, Christian democrats, and liberals.
Before going any further, we should take a minute to examine just what the Communist Party was doing to create such mass support. As is often the case, true aims were concealed or cloaked in doublespeak. Rather than presenting themselves as the vanguard of the international socialist revolution, the Communists instead positioned themselves as part of the broader nationalist and democratic traditions that had informed the Czechoslovakian body politic since the country’s founding.
This branding exercise paid dividends in the 1946 parliamentary elections. The Communists garnered 31.2% of the vote, the strongest showing by a Communist Party in a free election, far and above the 22% showing the Hungarian Party was able to get the following year. This meant a gain of 63 seats for the Communists.
They held 93 seats in the parliament; however, they were still short of having a majority of 151 seats, which was needed to form a government. Regardless, due to the National Front and the broad forces that it was host to, the Communist Party was able to form a government with the support of lesser parties. As a result, the 1946 Czechoslovak election was the last free and fair election held in the country until 1990.
The Communists of Czechoslovakia were very shrewd. They did not attempt to control the whole of the government and were even content to let most of the ministry positions be occupied by members of other parties. Nine of the cabinet positions were occupied by Communists, with the remaining seventeen were held by non-Communists. What was crucial for their eventual success was that the Communists controlled the Ministry of the Interior, which was in charge of the police forces in the country.
There were other areas of communist dominance that were crucial to their takeover of the country. Key positions were held in agriculture, propaganda, education, and social welfare. Soon after the 1946 election, the Communists dominated in the civil service. Most of the government bureaucrats that average people encountered daily were now members of the Communist Party.
The Communists, despite being in the minority, wasted no time in pushing the envelope and moving the ball forward for their side. The police quickly started acting like Communist goons, collectivization was openly discussed and farmers were told to produce more food without any increase in wages. Even so, people still assumed that once the elections were held in 1948, the deeply unpopular Communists would be shown the door by the Czechoslovak electorate.
The original plan was for the Communists to push their advantage in the parliamentary elections, but with the defeat of Communists in France and Italy after the war, Stalin scrapped this plan. Still, forces on the ground knew that a revolutionary coup d’etat wouldn’t work in Czechoslovakia and that an approach that, at least on the surface, respected the democratic forms of government needed to be employed.
To this end, the Communists decided that demonstrations and protests were the way to flex their muscles in the streets. At the same time, the Interior Minister began purging the police forces, replacing the existing police force with as many Communists as he could. The practical result is that the Communists were able to use the National Police Force as a wing of the Communist Party -- punishing their enemies and rewarding their friends.
Several non-Communist ministers resigned in protest, believing that their resignations would not be accepted and that this would be humiliating for the Communists. However, Czechoslovak President Edvard Beneš decided to remain neutral. This is when the Communists struck.
Massive Communist demonstrations were held throughout the country. Non-Communist ministries were occupied, the relevant civil servants were fired and the army, who were, at least in theory, non-partisan, were confined to their barracks. “Action Committees” (a Communist euphemism for street mobs and shakedown rackets) and militias within the Communist-allied trade unions were established by the Communist Party. The Communist Party threatened a general strike unless the President agreed to form a new government, this one dominated by the Communist Party.
Fearing both a general strike and the Red Army at his borders, the President capitulated. The new government was composed almost entirely of Communist, pro-Moscow Social Democrats. Only a single anti-Communist minister, Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk, remained. He was found dead two weeks after the formation of the new government under mysterious circumstances.
On May 9, the parliament approved a new constitution declaring Czechoslovakia a "people's democratic state." Although the new constitution didn’t mention the Communist Party, it was so similar to the Soviet Constitution that the President refused to sign it. On May 30, elections were held with a single list provided by the National Front, which garnered 89.2% of the vote. The Communists were able to win 214 of the 300 available seats, giving them majority control This majority continued to grow in the year following as the Social Democrats merged into the Communist Party.
Following this election, no political parties were allowed to exist outside of the National Front – a wholly owned subsidiary of the Communist Party. The President resigned on June 2 and was succeeded by the head of the Communist Party. The country remained under Communist domination until 1990.
What We Can Learn From the Czechoslovak Coup
The Czechoslovakian Coup is an important historical lesson for a couple of reasons. First, the Communists were able to use a strong showing in a single election to dramatically remake a country of millions. They did this by controlling key ministries within the government, astroturfing mass rallies, and replacing a politically neutral police force with a politically motivated goon squad.
It all happened rather quickly, but it didn’t happen overnight. It’s important to note that none of the democratic forms of Czechoslovakia, which prided itself on being a pluralistic democracy, were violated. Everything was done according to “the rules.”
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution was not the imposition of socialism on a country, as that had already happened in 1948 at the end of the Chinese Civil War. However, it is an important example to include in this analysis.
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution marked a dramatic change in the tone of political life in China. At its root, the Cultural Revolution was an attempt by Chairman Mao to reassert himself in public life. After the debacle of the Great Leap Forward was hung squarely on his head, he was put out to pasture. While the People’s Republic of China (PRC) remained a Communist nation, it was one run by moderate pragmatists – men who were much more interested in leading China to prosperity than they were with preserving every jot and tittle of Marxist dogma.
In 1963, Mao began the Socialist Education Movement, generally seen by historians as the precursor to the Cultural Revolution. This is where the modus operandi of the Cultural Revolution began to take shape. Mao would identify an enemy and have one of his political allies attack the rival for being insufficiently orthodox in public newspapers. An example of this was General Luo Ruiqing, the Chief of Staff of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Mao felt he was too interested in military training and not interested enough in political indoctrination. He was denounced, performed a self-criticism, and eventually committed suicide. This resulted in the PLA falling into the hands of Mao and his loyalists.
The next stage of the Cultural Revolution began on May 16, with the May 16 Notification. This outlined Mao’s thesis of the political lay of the land for the PRC. Capitalists and those seeking to return China to capitalism had infiltrated the Communist Party and were pretending to be Communists in the name of restoring the old regime to China. It was only through "the telescope and microscope of Mao Zedong Thought” that these secret interlopers could be identified.
The first major purge was Peng Zhen, First Secretary of the Beijing Committee of the Communist Party of China because he disagreed with Mao’s position that all literature should be in the service of the state. With Zhen removed, the political leadership of the capital fell into chaos. This created the perfect environment to stage “independent” mass demonstrations that were effectively Mao’s faction of the Communist Party attacking all of his opponents.
Mao was able to leverage popularity among Communist youths to create massive demonstrations throughout the country. These youths were later organized into the Red Guards, paramilitary groups fanatically loyal to Chairman Mao. They first got wind in their sails during Red August, which saw 1,772 people who were mostly teachers and principals killed by the Guards and their supporters. An additional 33,695 homes ransacked and 85,196 families were forced to leave Beijing.
Red August was effectively a series of politically motivated riots; however, the riots were not stopped by the police force of China. The Red Guards often received official protection from the police, who instead enacted harsh measures against anyone who dared to resist Mao’s Red Guards. Red August is generally considered the beginning of the Red Terror in China. Red Guards from Beijing No. 6 High School famously wrote "Long Live Red Terror!" on the wall with the blood of their victims.
It is easy to get bogged down in the various details of the Cultural Revolution, but it is the broader points that are most important. The Cultural Revolution was, at least ostensibly, wages against “the Five Black Categories:” landlords, rich farmers, counter-revolutionaries, bad influences, and rightists and “the Four Olds:” Old Ideas, Old Culture, Old Habits, and Old Customs.
The Five Black Categories can be further described as follows:
Landlords: Anyone owning any amount of land, especially anyone who derived rental income from their land.
Rich Farmers: As students of Soviet history will already know, “rich” is a very relative term. It could mean owning one cow or many cows.
Counter-Revolutionaries: This refers to an alleged cabal of Chinese people who were actively working to restore either the Emperor or the Nationalist government. In reality, nearly all of these had fled to Taiwan by 1966 or else were killed.
Bad Influences: Generally used when describing school teachers and other intellectual workers considered insufficiently enthusiastic about Mao.
Rightists: Another secret cabal, this one within the Communist Party, looking to use the Communist Party as a tool of counter-revolution.
These groups were treated as if they were entrenched, oppressive forces some two decades after the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
The short version of all of this is that Mao wasn’t simply looking to reassert his power in the country, he was looking to radically remake China in such a fashion that the past never really existed. Everything from the days before the People’s Republic of China that was not tied directly to Mao’s strident brand of Marxism was meant to be destroyed.
This meant that priceless cultural artifacts were destroyed by rampaging mobs of Maoists. Individuals were targeted for holding opinions that would have been entirely uncontroversial even just a few months before the outbreak of the Cultural Revolution. People were violently victimized – dragged into the streets by rioters and forced to denounce themselves, friends, and family in what were called “Struggle Sessions.”
The Chinese government believes that the total number of people who died as a result of the Cultural Revolution is 20 million, with another 100 million persecuted.
What We Can Learn from the Cultural Revolution
The important thing for contemporary Americans to understand is the mass nature of the Cultural Revolution. It was carried out by literally millions of Chinese youth, with the official sanction and encouragement of the state. The Red Guards were protected by the police and the military, while the victims were prevented from taking any measures to protect themselves.
What’s more, the damage was not limited to the lives lost directly in “struggle sessions” or in forced relocations. The 1975 Banqiao Dam failure is considered to be the direct result of China’s best and brightest being more concerned with divining the correct revolutionary line than with making sure the dams were in good repair.
Finally, it is worth noting the ferocity with which people were attacked for holding opinions that were until very recently uncontroversial. There was a massive, hysterical push to destroy symbols of Chinese history that had become unfavorable due to the current political climate. Those who were being persecuted by the government were, somewhat perversely, painted as if they were an oppressive class being uprooted by a revolutionary government that was going to equalize society by addressing historical injustices.
All of this should sound extremely familiar to contemporary American audiences.
Venezuela, at least among those in the know, is the symbol of 21st Century socialism and its catastrophic consequences. Venezuela teeters on the brink –its citizens are often incapable of obtaining adequate health care or even basic consumer goods, such as quality food and toilet paper. Such is the track record of socialist governments throughout history.
The so-called “Bolivarian Revolution” of Venezuela, named after Latin American liberator Simon Bolivar, began in 1998 when Hugo Chavez was elected President. He received 56.4% of the popular vote in an election that had the lowest voter turnout of any in the history of Venezuela. Chavez ran on a moderately left-populist program, railing against corruption, entrenched oligarchs, and widespread poverty.
Once elected, Chavez was unable to make good on any of his promises due to the weakness of the Venezuelan economy. Unwilling to risk scaring away foreign investors with radical wealth redistribution, beefed up regulations, and increased social spending, Chavez decided to put the military in charge of various anti-poverty and infrastructure projects, instead of defending the country.
In April 1999, there was a referendum on whether or not Venezuela should adopt a new constitution. The measure passed with 71.8% in favor. In July 1999, an election was held for delegates to the Constitutional Assembly, with Chavez loyalists receiving 95% of the delegates despite receiving only 52% of the vote. Over half of eligible voters stayed home.
The Assemblea Nacional Constituyente (ANC) was charged with drafting a new Constitution of Venezuela in six months. The ANC quickly became an alternate center of power to the official government of Venezuela. Chavez publicly supported the ANC over existing organs of the elected government.
On November 20, 1999, the new constitution was unveiled. With 350 articles, it was one of the longest and most complicated constitutions in the world. President term limits were extended from five years to six years, presidents were now allowed to run for consecutive terms, and the President was given the power to dissolve the National Assembly, which was turned into a unicameral house and stripped of most of its powers. The new constitution included several positive rights, such as the right to housing, employment, and healthcare.
In the 2000 elections, Chavez and his allies tightened their hold on the government. Despite receiving 44.38% of the votes, Chavez’s party received 55.75% of the seats. The election was the subject of widespread accusations of fraud, with the Carter Center refusing to certify it as a free and fair election. At the same time, the government began demanding that all union elections take place under government supervision.
After his stunning victory in the 2000 elections, Chavez rammed an “enabling act” through the National Assembly. This allowed Chavez to rule by decree for one year. It was towards the end of this year that Chavez began making sweeping changes to Venezuelan society. This included “land reform,” where squatters were given title to other people’s land, as well as encouraging the formation of pro-government paramilitary groups. Crime also began to balloon around this time.
In 2002, there was a failed military coup against Chavez. In 2004, there was a recall attempt that Chavez survived, though the vote was marred by accusations of fraud. In 2009, Chavez successfully removed term limits, allowing him to become President for Life. He died in 2013 and was replaced by Nicolás Maduro, who continued many of Chavez’s policies and overall socialist direction of the country.
The economy and living standard of Venezuela continues to decline.
What We Can Learn from the Bolivarian Revolution
Hugo Chavez was not considered a far-leftist when he was inaugurated. It was only after the fact that he became an open admirer of Fidel Castro’s regime in Cuba. What’s more, the elections that put him in power were marred by accusations of fraud.
Venezuela stands as a powerful example of how quickly a country can be changed when the wrong person gains power and uses it for their ends. The Venezuelan Constitution dramatically remade the nation, going so far as to rename it from the Republic of Venezuela to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The power of the Chavez movement is now so firmly entrenched that it’s not clear if there’s a road back to normalcy for the people of Venezuela.
It is crucial for Americans to see an example of how fast a fraudulent election can enshrine into power a radical leftist agenda. Venezuelan politics demonstrates how quickly a “center-left” politician can move to the radical left and how a politician can spin up a mob to act as enforcers for their agenda on the street.
The three Red Terrors explored in this article provide valuable lessons about how the rise of totalitarian socialism occurs differently, in different places, at different times. Americans who are concerned about socialism should resist the temptation to mechanistically look for “history repeating” and should instead look for broader strokes that are common in the examples analyzed above and the rise of totalitarianism in general. These include:
The demonization of political opponents.Totalitarianism doesn’t see its political opponents as misguided or even good faith people with disagreements. Rather, it sees groups of people as obstacles to be overcome or destroyed. Oftentimes, groups are scapegoated because of who they are rather than what they think, but typically both types of “dissent” are repressed.
The formation of political mobs. Ironically, totalitarianism requires some kind of mass support on the ground to get going. These political mobs, which are effectively goon squads, are somewhere between conformity enforcement and an end zone dance. Political mobs not only demonstrate that the totalitarian movement has meaningful social power on the street, but they also consolidate and increase that power by victimizing individuals who oppose them or groups who have been chosen as a scapegoat.
Support from allies within the state. In each of the above cases, militias and paramilitary groups operated with impunity because they were protected by sympathetic members of the state apparatus. This need not be over political sympathy. It can simply mean looking the other way while people are victimized, while at the same time attacking anyone who defends themselves against politically motivated violence.
The politicization of everyday life. The personal is not political. Most people are simply trying to live their lives as best they can, without political considerations. Totalitarian groups, however, believe that everything a person does has a political character. This forces all of society to walk on eggshells.
Rapid change of social values. When opinions that were very recently considered completely acceptable and normal are quickly and radically viewed as something one dare not express publicly, there is a cultural revolution underway that might well be a prelude to a political and economic one.
Electoral chicanery. While it’s certainly true that totalitarian ideologies enjoy mass support, they rarely if ever, win at the ballot box without some kind of chicanery. This could be outright fraud, voter intimidation, voter suppression, or other dirty tricks designed to marginalize opposing views.
One certainly can see elements of each of these in the current political climate in the United States. Hopefully, we will not have to update this article anytime soon to detail how the American people were the latest victims of the death march known as socialism.
The most important thing to remember is that the enslavement of a nation is never inevitable. The lessons above are not meant to create a sense of helplessness in the face of American totalitarian impulses, but rather to arm our readers with the knowledge they need to successfully oppose such.
This essay was written by Sam Jacobs, and originally published on Ammo.com. Link to the original here https://ammo.com/articles/totalitarianism-throughout-history
Sam Jacobs is the lead writer and chief historian with Ammo.com, and is the driving intellectual force behind the content in the Resistance Library. He is proud to see his work name-checked in places like Bloomberg, USA Today and National Review, but he is far more proud to see his work republished on websites like Zero Hedge, Lew Rockwell and Sons of Liberty Media. You can catch him on Quora and Parler as well as on our very own Resistance Library podcast.
How many firearms does Sam own and what’s his everyday carry? That’s between him and the NSA.
You're free to republish or share any of our articles (either in part or in full), which are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Our only requirement is that you give Ammo.com appropriate credit by linking to the original article. Spread the word; knowledge is power!
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When it comes to keeping track of labor and attendance in the workplace, there are usually places where a business can improve, but it can be hard to know where to start. How can you track these things? How can you ensure your employees stay honest and accountable?
Luckily, we’re here to help you out. Read on to learn six of the best tips for labor management.
This might seem simple, but having the right people on your team is very important if you want your business to thrive. When everyone can work together, it’s a lot easier to accomplish the things you set out to do.
It’s important to make sure your hiring process is optimized for bringing in engaged employees. Having disengaged employees can be a burden to workflow and your business’s overall profits, and replacing them can get expensive.
Remember, though, that experience doesn’t always mean they’re the best. If someone comes in showing a lot of potential and more eagerness to learn about your company than another potential hire with years of experience, you might be surprised at the results the less experienced person can bring to your team.
With a little time and investment, you can build a team that meets every one of your needs.
2. Invest in Proper Training
You should also invest in proper training for your employees. Not only are they more efficient, but they’ll have a process laid out that allows them to grow into different positions, meaning they’ll be inclined to take advantage of the opportunity.
When your employees don’t feel stuck or stagnant in their work, that means there’s more room for them to feel fulfilled and valued. If you provide them with this safety net from the beginning, they’re a lot more likely to want to stick around for the long haul.
It’s also important to prioritize health and safety, and setting specific standards for employees to follow can help do exactly this. That means no excessive hours, as it can lead to underperformance and too many dangerous mistakes.
When workers feel safe in their workplace, you’re also going to see increased levels of initiative and even improved communication and engagement.
You’re also going to help reduce confusion on a lot of fronts, as they’re going to know exactly what they need to do when they come to work each day. With that reduced confusion comes a lot more room for positive change and innovation.
When the basics are all cared for, employees have more time to focus on the things that actually matter, and your business has more room to thrive.
To help ensure a smooth workflow that promotes efficiency, having a good organizational structure set up before production begins is essential. Without standards and effective material tracking methods, you’re going to spend the majority of the workday locating equipment and materials. This will lead to a drop in productivity and major time delays.
If your employees are constantly stuck looking for things or wondering about what needs to be done, they’re going to get frustrated. Not only does this mean wasted time for you, but it could also have negative impacts like a loss in retention.
No matter your industry, there are going to be safeguards in place that prioritize employee safety, and it’s important that you keep up with any changes. That means conducting frequent audits of your practices to ensure you’re always compliant.
If you need help, always know there are a number of tools that can optimize this process and help you avoid costly lawsuits or attention from the wrong agencies.
Time tracking is a great example of this. If one of your employees misrepresents their hours, you’re going to be expected to fulfill those overtime expenses.
That’s why it’s so important for you to keep detailed records of the times that you and your employees may have disputed hours. You’ll have the documentation necessary to show and prove your side of the story.
Finally, it’s important to measure and track your employee’s progress and results. With evidence-based management, you’ll be able to measure how well your business is performing in key areas, like productivity and safety.
You’ll gather relevant data that demonstrates the value that each team member brings to the team, and you’ll complete regular evaluations of their performance objectives. That’s why it’s essential for each team member to have a goal they’re working towards.
With this information, you’ll be able to monitor their success and yours by regularly assessing your team members’ contributions, including how well they handle change and what their on-site behavior looks like.
Having a formal process for tracking these results is essential. It will help you see which aspects require more attention on a team and also individual level, and your business will have more tangible goals to work towards.
How Will You Approach Labor Management?
While these tips can help you get started, how you choose to labor management is ultimately up to you and your business. It’s essential to find solutions that work for both you and your employees, and that can take some trial and error. Don’t feel discouraged if things don’t work out the first time around, a revisit to the drawing board might work wonders.
Luckily, we can help you no matter what step of the journey you’re on. Contact us for your free quote today.
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The more Zionism’s version of the history of the making and sustaining of conflict in and over Palestine comes to be seen for the propaganda nonsense it is, the more supporters of Israel right or wrong are being mobilised – see below – to tell the world that Israel’s Jews really are in danger of being driven into the sea or nuked by Iran, if not today, tomorrow. The beauty of this assertion from Zionism’s perspective is that, feeding off the obscenity of the Nazi holocaust, it justifies anything and everything Israel does, war crimes and all, to consolidate its hold on those parts of the occupied West Bank including Arab East Jerusalem it intends to keep for all time, and go oppressing the Palestinians and denying them an acceptable minimum of justice.
Soon after he arrived in London in November 2007 to take up his appointment as Israel’s ambassador, Ron Prosor unveiled an Israeli Foreign Ministry plan to beef-up its propaganda offensive. He said that he and all of his staff would be getting out of their offices and into television and radio studios up and down the UK. And he called on Jews everywhere to become engaged in the process of pressing Israel’s line on the media by all available means. Prosor’s declaration of intent amounted to an admission that critics of Israel’s policies (including a growing number of eminent Israeli and other Jews) are beginning to make some waves, and that unless further great effort was made by its unquestioning supporters, Israel would be in danger of becoming widely perceived as the real obstacle to peace. (Which, of course, it is).
The extent to which this mobilisation is producing concrete results was on display over the weekend of 9/10 March in Have Your Say, the BBC’s global call-in programme. The question put forward by presenter Jonathan Charles for discussion was – What can be done to break the deadlock in the Middle East and put the peace process back on track? This particular Have Your Say programme was quite unlike all previous editions devoted to the Israel/Palestine conflict. How so?
In all previous editions, the majority of callers were (perhaps I should say seemed to be if memory serves me correctly) critical of Israel to one degree or another. Hardly surprising given that there are about 1.4 billion Muslims in the world and only between 13 and 17 million Jews. But in the programme broadcast over 9/10 March, the majority of callers – I mean those invited to express an opinion on-air – were supporters of Israel right or wrong. For listeners who know little or nothing worth knowing about the making and sustaining of the conflict, the main impressions conveyed by the programme were that Hamas not Israel is to blame for the fact that the peace process is going nowhere, and that Hamas and others (Hizbollah and Iran were most frequently mentioned) want to destroy Israel. Presenter Charles mentioned that before going on-air, the programme received “many thousands” of e-mails. I think it’s more than reasonable to assume that the majority of the e-mails on this occasion were the product of a highly organised Zionist lobby campaign, designed to influence the balance of opinion to be called by the BBC for the programme. Informed and honest debate was not well served and, no doubt, Ambassador Prosor and his foreign ministry colleagues would have been more than happy with the show.
During the programme a Palestinian from Gaza got as far as saying, “Whois going to destroy Israel?” He obviously believed that the assertion that nuclear-armed Israel could be destroyed by any combination of non-nuclear Arab force was nothing more than Zionist propaganda nonsense. Presenter Charles didn’t want to open that can of worms. But I will.
The truth of the past 60 years can be summarised as follows. From its unilateral declaration of independence in 1948 to the present, Israel‘s existence has never, ever been in danger from any combination of Arab force.Zionism’s assertion to the contrary was the cover which allowed its monster child to get away where it mattered most – in America and Western Europe – with having itsaggression perceived as self-defense.As I document in detail in my two-volume book, Zionism: The Real Enemy of the Jews, the front line Arab states, despite some empty and stupid rhetoric to the contrary, never had any intention of fighting Israel to liberate Palestine. They knew that was a mission impossible. And that is even more their conviction today.
What of the future?
There can be no doubt that Hamas and Hizbollah could do some serious damage to Israel, but only to a point at which Israel would respond with maximum force to destroy the military capabilities of both movements
Some commentators made much of Israel’s failure to defeat Hamas in the warrens of its home ground in southern Lebanon in the summer of 2006, but that was a failure of strategic military thinking not military capability. If instead of trying to do the job mainly by air Israel’s generals had launched a major ground offensive with the objective of rolling up Lebanon to the LitaniRiver, it would have been a very different story. Sure the IDF would have taken heavy casualties, but it could have destroyed Hizbollah as a fighting force and prevented the return of armed hostiles to Lebanon south of the Litani. The point is that what Israel did not do in southern Lebanon in 2006, it could do at any time of its choosing in the future.
The assertion that Hizbollah and Hamas do or could pose a threat to Israel’s existence is plain silly.
So, given that the Arab regimes are not going to war with Israel, what about a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to Israel’s existence?
For the sake of argument, let’s assume that Iran has nuclear weapons a few years from now. Would it then launch a nuclear strike to wipe Israel off the map? How one answers that question depends on whether or not one thinks that any leadership in Iran would be mad enough to invite nuclear retaliation. I don’t think any Iranian leadership would be that stupid. I also believe that if there are some in the present leadership who do want Iran to have nuclear weapons, they want them for only one purpose – deterrence, to deter Israel from attacking Iran.
But I also think it’s most unlikely that Iran will actually develop nuclear weapons. Its leaders know that if they got to within one or two years of doing so, Israel, with or without America’s blessing, would take them (Iran’s nuclear facilities) out, and would do with with a nuclear strike if its generals believed they could not do the job with conventional weapons.
The assertion that Iran does pose or could pose a threat to Israel’s existence is also plain silly.
Only Jews (and not all of them) believe that Israel’s enemies have, or one day will have, both the desire and the capability to destroy the Zionist state; and they believe it only because they’ve been conditionedby Zionism to so believe. A large part of the problem, or so it seems to me, is that many Jews, Israelis and others, needto believe tha
t Israel’s very existence is threatened by its enemies. And this need exists because it saves Jews from having to ask themselves uncomfortable and painful questions about the nature of the Zionist state and its criminal behaviour.
The irony, perhaps the greatest irony in all of human history to date, is thatthe only real threat to Israel’s existence is the demographic time-bomb created by Zionism’s conquest and colonisation of the West Bank including Arab East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in 1967.
Sharon’s decision to end Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip had nothing whatever to do with advancing a peace process. In his advancing years Prime Minister Sharonhad come to grips with one aspect of reality, it being that Israel would have three options if it stayed in occupation of the Gaza Strip and all of the West Bank.
OPTION 1 was formally annexing the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and, to enable Israel to go on claiming that it was a democracy, to grant all of its citizens equal rights. The problem with this was that it would bring about the end of the Jewish state by political means because, in due course, the Arab citizens of Greater Israel would outnumber and outvote its Jewish citizens.
OPTION 2 was formally annexing the West Bank and the Gaza Strip but denying Greater Israel’s Arab citizens (the majority in-the-making) equal rights. In this scenario Greater Israel would have to treat its Arab citizens even worse than the black majority in South Africa was treated by its apartheid regime. And that would not be acceptable to most Jews of the world and, perhaps, at least half the Jews of Israel. It would also present the international community with no choice, at some point, but to declare Greater Israel a pariah state and impose sanctions on it.
OPTION 3 was to resort to another and final round of ethnic cleansing – provoking an all-out confrontation with the Palestinians to give the IDF and the armed settlers the pretext for driving the Palestinians out of the occupied territories and into Eygpt, Jordan or wherever, all in the name of self-defence, of course. If the Palestinians refused to flee, there would be a bloodbath. A Zionist holocaust.
It was in the light of those options that Sharon decided to withdraw from the Gaza Strip as a first step to defusing the demographic time-bomb of occupation.
The second step, which Sharon had thought through before he was taken out by a stroke, was to be a withdrawal from up to 40% of the West Bank, to create the space for three or four bantustans which the Palestinians could call a state if they wished. Sharonw as not remotely concerned that such a solution would fail to provide the Palestinians with an acceptable minimum of justice and would be rejected by them. It was to be a take-it or leave-it offer, and if the Palestinians refused it, there was always OPTION 3. Sharon’s only concern was defusing the demographic time-bomb of occupation. He was aware that some Israelis (and probably all of America’s Christian fundamentalists) would call him a traitor; but he was at peace with himself in the knowledge that what he was proposing would be true to Zionism’s mission – taking for keeps the maximum amount of Arab land with the minimum number of Arabs on it.
The job of telling Israelis the truth about why there had to be some withdrawals from the West Bank was eventually taken on by Sharon’s successor, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. In November 2007, in an interview with Ha’aretz, he said that if Israel didn’t agree to the creation of an independent Palestinian state (on bits and pieces of the West Bank), Israel would face “a South African-style struggle for equal voting rights”, and as soon as that happened“the state of Israel is finished.”
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March 20, 2008
asdf said...
Hi Alan, I was wondering what your source was on Ron Prosor as I haven't heard him say anything about the danger of Israel's bad image and would like to read it.
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As a writer, I am accustomed to stepping out of my own shoes, administering another perspective, letting myself become a character, and feeling their emotions as if they were my own. Through my own fictional characters and the stories and traumas I put them through (man, I sound like a monster, don’t I?), I have experienced stress, grief, agony, guilt, depression, abuse, stress, anger, delirium, joy, and endearment. As writers, we can create a pool of emotions and slip into it with ease, swimming through it with contentment and satisfaction.
But what happens when your own emotions begin to cloud the story? What about when your character becomes way more depressed than you remembered outlining them? Have you ever read through a scene you wrote and wondered how your character seems to be feeling everything in your own subconscious?
This can be a serious problem for writers who are dealing with a lot of their own personal stress. For many writers, their stories serve as an escape, but if they are not careful, the stories can become their own counseling session.
During this pandemic, writing has served as my escape, too, but as many stresses are not simply fixed by writing. These problems linger, and if they affect you more than you care to admit, this may impact your writing.
In the past few months, I have struggled with my own mental health and my worries for the future. I have let my problems become so overwhelming that there are nights I cannot sleep, and there are mornings I do not even feel like crawling out of bed. Instead of turning to my passion as support, I have found myself neglecting it, in fear of hating what I write due to my own strong emotions.
Here, I have outlined some of the steps I have taken to help manage my own emotions to keep them separate from my writing, and others that have actually made my writing more balanced and impactful.
As a writer with words to spare, it may be helpful to write down your emotions in a separate space from all of your creative works. Buy a journal with the atmosphere you want. For some, it may help to purchase one with bright colors and inspiring quotes. For others, this may become a dark space to dump negative emotions, so a plain, black journal may suit you well. (Both are perfectly acceptable, as long as it is healthy for you! Keep in mind that this is a safe space for you, so do not let your brain take over too much of it. This is an empty canvas upon which your heart can release its worries.) This journal should serve as a place to go to when your emotions feel too heavy, or this may be helpful to do in a routine, such as in the morning, just before bed, or even as you sit down to write your own stories. Pick a plan that works best for you.
For me, this is a hard one to do. You would think being a writer would make it easier to journal your own feelings, but for me, it becomes very difficult because I want the writing to be perfect or have more of a story rather than just a bunch of what I call “word vomit”. But be brave, and try this out if you think it will help. (I’m doing it with you!)
2. Address the Issues that Bother You
For some, journaling may be enough, but for others, we need to have a physical being as emotional support. For you, this may be a parent, spouse, friend, or even a pet! Use the human (or animal!!) connection you have on hand. When you are feeling stressed or unmotivated, let yourself lean on your support system for a bit to get your grounding before trying to tackle a creative project. This may also involve going to a counselor. For the last year, I have been seeing a mental health counselor, and it is one of the best decisions I have ever made. My counselor helps me with personal issues and even encourages my creative endeavors and assists me in working out my stress in that space. I know that mental health care can be outrageous and difficult to get to, so if you are fortunate enough to have the opportunity, see how they can help with your creative pursuits, as well.
There are so many writing websites that suggest to write every single day, even when you do not feel like it. While I understand this idea, and sometimes do force myself to write when the motivation is not there, sometimes, this can be more damaging.
There’s been times I’ve sat down and forced myself to write when my emotions were sky-high, and I became so frustrated with my work that I had to stop and cry, and I ended up needing an entire week to feel comfortable enough to write again. I wished I would have just given myself space to begin with.
My advice is, if you are having a very stressful day, you are on the brink of tears, but you feel like you should write, allow yourself a day of rest. Replenish your creativity by watching an interesting show or movie, reading a book, cooking dinner, etc. There are multiple ways to heal your creative side while resting up and taking care of your emotions. Your emotions can cloud every part of your day, even your writing.
I am guilty of this, too, but we can work on it together. When there are stressful times, it is only natural to become flustered and frustrated. Don’t be angry with yourself. Let it sit as long as it needs, then let is pass. Your creativity must be nurtured, but you cannot force it to heal. It requires time and energy to do so. Be patient and kind to yourself.
How to Tap into Your Strong Emotions
“But, Nichelle,” you might be wondering, “How can my strong emotions help out my character’s journey? Didn’t you just say to keep them separate?”
Yes, yes, I did, but like most things in life, it is a balance of both.
I don’t know about you, but I always seem to get a lot of my story ideas while I am busy at work or in class, or simply, just away from my computer. So when I come up with the idea, I have realized my favorite ones actually stem from my own frustrations. I love writing short stories that reflect my own stresses, but I spin them in a fictional way to separate them from myself and makes it more interesting for a reader. When these tensions are high, I decide to spin it around to make it about me–but really not! This has been a nice way for me to cope with my own stresses.
When I am very angry or sad about something, I usually sit down to write out a short poem or a snippet of a short story with those frustrations. Once I get the basics of how I am feeling on the page, usually I can add more to it, make it a story, fill in some fictional gaps, and suddenly it has become my passion project. This has been a fun way to increase my writing time while also releasing some tension. I will warn you though, these usually work best for me once those frustrations have had time to heal. I don’t write about them day one. Usually this is day seven.
3. Take The Opportunity to Write When Your Main Character is Stressed, Too.
Since stories depend on conflict, it can be pretty easy to find a chapter in which your MC is stressed. Without letting your problems becomes the characters’, you can use your stress as inspiration, a place to direct the words we cannot quite express. This can be a great way to allow that balance to take place.
What About Creative-Nonfiction?
When emotions are high, writing about yourself should be easy, but sometimes it can become even more difficult.
In the last few weeks, I have started my own memoir on a traumatic subject that affects me more than most people recognize on the surface. The emotions in writing this story have been quite difficult to deal with, and I have found myself struggling to keep writing. In reality, I am still struggling with these emotions, still in the healing process. And really, I am sure the healing process will never truly end.
My advice for anyone taking on a difficult and emotional subject:
1. Let Yourself Go Back to That Place, No Matter How Uncomfortable It May Be.
Most of the time in creative nonfiction, you reflect on the past and write about your history. While some are definitely happy memories, stories thrive off of conflict, so many are more like wounds. You may have come to terms with what has happened, and sometimes, you might not have.
Even if the conflict is deep into the past, it may hurt to bring it up close and examine it. You may find that you are not as “over it” as you thought. Use these emotions to make your writing even more real for you and your readers. Let yourself go back to that space and remember how you truly felt. Your emotions may have changed since then, and you may feel silly looking back on them. Just because you have grown and changed since then does not mean those emotions are no longer valid. They are important, and writing them will be healthy for you. They will even create a more authentic recount of your story.
2. Allow Yourself Time to Process.
You may start to believe it should not affect you so much, especially if your story is deep into the past. Mine is 9.5 years, and I am still not done healing. Be patient and compassionate with yourself. This is your healing process. This project is really for you, so let it be there for you. Believe in yourself, and trust the emotions inside. Don’t second-guess yourself.
My memoir project took such an emotional toll that I had to take a 1.5 week break from it, and it’s a good thing I did. It killed me to do it, but now I realize it was better for my mental health to have time to process.
What has saved my creative process is working on multiple projects. I usually only work on one at a time, but in these last few weeks, I have found my savior in poems and short stories, as well as allowing myself to plan and reflect on past projects.
If you have another passion project, invest your energy on it, too, and allow the one that speaks most to you to flourish when you need it to. Allow your creativity to guide you.
You may want this project to be over because it hurts too much, but let it come as slowly as it needs to. I have found that my story is a series of puzzle pieces scattered across my mind, and I am picking them up in disarray, trying to organize them. While this may feel like an agonizing process, it will come as steadily or as slowly as it needs to. Trust yourself to lay the pieces as they come.
I hope these tips may help you as you explore your emotional writing! In the comments, let me know if this is something you are struggling with, too.
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Thank you so much for your support!
I am an aspiring author with dreams of making the world a better place through kindness. I am so glad to have you with me on my writing journey.
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In this blog we will let you know how to raise your credit score fast including things you could be doing to improve it faster. The truth is, raising your credit score doesn’t have a set timeline and often times you can raise it faster by being proactive.
One of the most common questions we get at Ortiz & Ortiz, LLP is how bankruptcies affect your credit score and for how long. But first, let’s talk about what your credit score is and how it is calculated.
At Ortiz & Ortiz our New York City bankruptcy lawyers have been serving the community for over 30 years. As financial and bankruptcy experts we can help put together a plan for you. Do not hesitate to contact us and let us know your case.
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How credit scores are calculated in 2022
How long does it take to rebuild your credit score?
Monitor your credit
Pay creditors on time
Improve your credit utilization ratio
Mix your types of debts
Negotiate outstanding balances
Dispute credit report errors
How credit scores are calculated in 2022
Different companies calculate credit scores differently. That’s why your credit score changes from one to the other. But most of them use at least five big factors. While they may use other factors, or they may weigh them differently, these five things have the greatest impact.
If you want to raise your credit score fast, you should concentrate on these:
Pay your bills on time: The first one is obvious. Even just making the minimum payment makes a difference. While missing the dates a few times may not affect your score greatly, if you find yourself consistently missing payment deadlines, your credit score will show it. Timely payments can account for up to a third of your credit score.
Credit utilization: The only other factor that can come close to mattering as much is how much of your credit line you have used up. This is commonly known as credit utilization- or what your balance is against your credit limit. The closer to your credit limit that you get, the lower your credit score will be.
How mixed your credit types are: This will also be taken into account. There are two major types of credit, rolling credit and installment credit. Credit score companies like to see a mix. That doesn’t mean that the different types of credit weigh the same. Most credit card companies give more weight to rolling credit.
Amount of hard inquiries: Hard inquiries are usually done by lenders or companies who issue credit cards. They usually need your authorization to run a hard inquiry. The more hard inquiries your report shows, the more your credit score will be hurt.
Age: So if you are reading this but don’t have any credit yet, you should consider getting even a small credit line. The longer your credit history, the better. Unfortunately, if you already started your credit history, then there is nothing you can do to use this factor to make your credit score go up faster.
How long does it take to rebuild your credit score?
The truth is that getting a good credit score will take time. There are no big shortcuts. With that said, depending on your current score, you may be able to substantially increase your score in a short period of time. As much as 100 points.
Below we will show you a few ways to automatically increase your credit score, like getting wrongly attributed debt out of your report. We will also give you tips to make yourself look better that don’t require taking on more debt or making higher payments than you are doing right now.
Finally, always remember that how much something affects your credit score decreases over time. Being delinquent today will affect you a lot more now than in 6 months. A big part of your credit will be based on your recent credit history, so making some changes as soon as possible will help you raise your credit score faster.
Even if your credit score is good or very good, making some of these changes could give you the extra boost you need to obtain that loan or to qualify for a lower interest rate.
Most things stay on your credit report for seven to ten years. That includes bankruptcies. But the more time that passes, the less it will matter towards your overall credit score. So do what you can and be patient. Getting an excellent credit score takes people years. But if you follow these tips, you can get there too.
Monitor your credit
The first step towards a better credit score is knowing and understanding the score you have;
That means not just looking at your credit score, but getting a report on what is affecting your score.
Think of it as a cheat sheet to a better score. By knowing what is bringing your score down or keeping it low, you’ll be able to raise it more effectively. There are many credit monitoring companies out there, and some even do it for free.
In this blog we will tell you about 18 ways to raise your credit score fast, knowing which ones to employ will save you a lot of time and, potentially, money.
Pay creditors on time
Paying your creditors on time is key to a higher credit score:
When you fail to pay on time you run the risk of having your account reported as delinquent;
This will bring your score down;
If you missed a payment or just couldn’t make it, pay it back as soon as possible;
A lot of credit card companies report the status of accounts at specific dates in the month, so even if you missed the deadline you may still be able to pay your creditor before it gets reported. This will spare you from a delinquency status on your credit report.
It may not be possible for you to pay off all your creditors. Not even the minimum amount due. In those circumstances, you can look for which ones to prioritize. Not all your creditors report to the credit report companies. It costs money to do so. And depending on the credit line, being delinquent can hurt your score differently.
You may want to pay off your card with the worst credit utilization ratio;
Or perhaps you want to pay off the cards with the lowest balances to lower the amount of delinquent accounts;
You may even choose to pay off your debts based on the interest rate.
While none of these may help raise your credit score faster, it will prevent it from getting lower faster. The more time that passes since you were delinquent, the less it will affect your credit score.
Sued for debt? Have You Been Sued By a Debt Collector? Can you go to jail for debt?. We can help you, contact us today.
Time your payments
For a lot of your creditors, you’ll be able to find out when they send their reports. Knowing when your creditor sends their reports, you can time your payments to a couple of days before it happens. By staying ahead you can make sure that your creditor is sending the most favorable report by having your balance be as low as possible.
Sometimes people end up with a delinquent account simply because they forgot to pay. To avoid this:
You can add payment deadlines as recurring events on your calendar;
You can also set up automatic payments so you can be sure no bill passes its due date without payment. And yes, many creditors allow you to set up automatic payments for the minimum amount due.
Use monthly rent and utility payments as “on-time” payments
Reporting to credit agencies costs money, which means some of your creditors may choose not to do it. But if you pay your rent and utilities in time, you can get some services that will report your rent and utility payments as on time credit payments.
The more payments you are making on time, the better your credit score will be. This is a good way to increase your credit score faster by using something you are already doing.
Become an authorized user
Some creditors report credit card activity to credit report agencies for authorized users, as well as the account holder.
Even if you don’t use the account at all. If you know someone who is responsible with their payments, making them on time every month, you can ask that they make you an authorized user. Then your credit report can benefit from their use of a credit line and their on time payments.
While asking someone to let you be an authorized user can be a tricky and difficult question, if you can do it, it will be one of the easiest ways to raise your credit score. Once you are authorized, you can just sit back and reap the benefits.
Improve your credit utilization ratio
Your credit utilization ratio is the amount of debt you have compared to the amount of credit you have.
So if you have two cards with a credit limit of $5,000, and you have used $3,000 on each, you have used $6,000 out of the available $10,000 you have. That would give you a credit utilization ratio of 60%.
The lower your ratio is, the better your score will be. You should aim to have a credit utilization ratio of less than 30%. There are a lot of things you could do to help your credit utilization ratio.
Make payments frequently
Paying your creditors frequently will help. Not only will it mean you are probably at least making the minimum payment on time, it will keep your credit bill lower.
A lower ratio can help raise your score.
So even if you are already paying your full bill every month, doing it earlier can still help you raise your credit score, by keeping the ratio lower. Generally, you want to keep your debt as low as possible. Making frequent payments will help you do just that.
Increase your credit limit
As previously mentioned, your credit utilization ratio makes up a part of your credit score. The lower your ratio is, the better your score.
If you used up $1,000 out of a $5,000 credit line, your ratio is 1/5.
If you increase your credit limit to $10,000, then your ratio would automatically become 1/10.
Getting higher credit limits on all or most of your cards can help raise your credit score faster.
You should call your credit card company and ask if a request for a higher credit limit will require a hard credit inquiry.
Those types of inquiries can temporarily lower your credit score. If you look financially unstable;
They may even lower your credit limit, for fear that you are asking for an increase for hard times ahead. This will make you look like a risk. So be sure your financial situation looks stable before you ask for the increase.
Note: Only do this if you are NOT going to be using the credit. Or at least not much. This way it will have the biggest impact on your credit utilization ratio. The bigger the impact, the faster your credit score will rise.
Apply for a credit card
If you don’t have one already, get a credit card.
Most credit cards don’t charge any interest if you pay the full amount before the due date each month;
Even if you don’t need to “go into debt,” you could still get a credit card and simply pay it in full every month;
That way you can lower your credit utilization ratio while making full, on time payments which will show creditors you are responsible with your credit;
This will be reflected in your credit history- and your credit score.
Even if you are not using a credit card, adding the credit limit to your credit utilization score can help.
If you have two cards with a $5,000 limit, but you only use one of them, then your credit utilization ratio will be the amount you have in that one card over $10,000 (1/10,000). If you close your unused card, it will be over $5,000 (1/5,000), making the ratio higher and your score lower.
You should also use those cards every so often to make sure creditors don’t close them for you.
You might be interested in reading our blog post “When someone dies and who is responsible for their debt” You will learn what happens to unpaid debts when a person passes away.
You may pay off your entire balance before it is due, but depending on when your creditor reports your account to the credit bureaus, it may look like you have a much higher credit utilization score than you really do.
Try to pay some of it early on and the rest later. That way, no matter when the account is reported, you’ll be seen to have a lower credit utilization ratio;
If you make any big purchases on your credit card, you should pay off the amount as soon as possible.
Finding the line between increasing your overall credit limit and the negative effects of a hard inquiry can be hard. While it is not always the case, applying for a new line of credit can result in a hard credit inquiry, which will lower your score.
However, as we have mentioned before on this blog, having more credit lines means having a higher credit limit. This will increase your credit utilization ratio, which will raise your credit score faster. But if you get too many hard inquiries at once, they may counteract the impact of your smaller credit utilization ratio.
You may want to ask if requesting a new line of credit will result in a hard credit inquiry. Even if it does, you may want to weigh the temporary negative effects of a hard credit inquiry over the long term benefits of a smaller credit utilization ratio.
As stated before, you don’t want to close an account without good reason, since it will affect your credit utilization ratio.
Periodically using your cards will ensure not only that credit card companies don’t close them, but also that they won’t lower your credit limit. Lowering your credit limit or closing your account altogether will increase your credit utilization ratio.
So be sure to use those cards every once in a while, even if it is just once on a small purchase.
Note: Most companies allow you to set up automatic payments so you don’t have to worry about missing the payment for your small purchase.
Mix your types of debts
It’s a good idea to have both revolving and installment credit accounts.
Revolving credit accounts roll your debt from one month to the next;
Installment credit splits one amount into several payments;
Credit cards are considered revolving credit, while car loans and mortgages are installment credit.
Showing credit companies that you can handle both responsibly will help your credit score.
Note: Some credit report companies do weigh revolving credit with more importance. It takes more responsibility to handle a card where the monthly debt amount is more in your control, rather than a set payment amount and date already agreed upon.
Use a secured credit card or loan
Having a mix of credit helps, as just discussed. But that’s not always possible. Sometimes, due to a short credit history or a bad credit score, it can be hard to get a credit card or loan.
If that’s the case, you can turn to secured loans or lines of credit. In these instances, you will be asked to back up the credit using an account or by giving the money up front.
So, while it won’t help you if you are already in need of money, But if you currently have a little saved up you can use it to get a secured line of credit. This will help you raise your credit score faster so long as you make your payments on time.
Negotiate outstanding balances
Creditors like when their loans are paid in full, but that doesn’t always happen. As a law firm specializing in bankruptcy, we have helped many debtors get rid of millions in debt. Creditors like that even less. That’s why they are willing to negotiate your debt. You can always call your creditor and try to negotiate your balance.
Sometimes they will take a lower overall amount if you agree to pay within a certain time. This could help lower your bills by thousands. However, these pay off agreements can be added to your credit report. This will lower your score. It may still be better than keeping your account delinquent for a longer period of time.
What may be best for your credit score depends on how much your debt is and how quickly you could pay it off.
Dispute credit report errors
A fast way to get a higher credit score is by getting rid of debt that isn’t yours.
You are legally entitled to one free credit report per year;
For a limited time during the pandemic they are available free of charge once per week;
By getting credit scores from different bureaus you can check to make sure nothing was erroneously reported.
You are legally entitled to a credit report that is fair and without errors. If you find an error you can challenge it and, if your creditor can’t back them up, they would be removed from your credit report altogether.
Usually a negative mark like a delinquent account or a claim being filed against you will hurt you for a few years. If there are any such erroneous marks on your report, getting rid of them will help your credit score rise immediately.
Nota: If you are not sure if a debt was accurately reported, you can always check our article on how to find out all your debt.
If you want to raise your credit score fast, there are many things you could do that would help.
Find out what is affecting your credit score the most. Then, you can look over our list and see which options will have the highest impact.
Doing everything is not always advisable, but even if it was you can’t do everything at once. Prioritizing the things that affect your score the most will give you the biggest boost in the shortest amount of time.
The most important thing is to try to make your payments on time. If you have fallen behind, that’s okay. It is never too late to start.
What you have done most recently will affect your credit score the most, so beginning good credit habits sooner rather than later is highly recommended.
If your debt has begun to snowball into something too large to be paid off, bankruptcy might be the best avenue for you. While bankruptcies will lower your score and stay on your report for as long as 10 years, they will also wipe out all your debt, so no more delinquency notices for your account.
By pairing a bankruptcy with some of the other options we talked about earlier, like becoming an authorized user or getting a secured line, you could have a good credit score before you know it.
If you are considering filing for bankruptcy in New York, you should talk to an attorney. Filing without an attorney often times leads to your case being dismissed.
Here at Ortiz & Ortiz, LLP we have over 30 years of experience helping people protect their assets and get rid of debt. If you think this might be the best option for you, don’t hesitate to give us a call.
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Norma Ortiz and her staff were wonderful during the entire bankruptcy process. I was trying to get out of a timeshare and they made the process very easy with no stress. Norma and her staff kept in contact with me all along the way. I would highly recommend their services to everyone. A big shout out to Nicolas as well! Thank you Norma, for all of your help.
Norma Ortiz and her team are excellent to work with, they are highly responsive, organized and walked me through all of my options in full detail. I highly recommend her services.
Feeling uncomfortable about bankruptcy? From the first visit to Ortiz & Ortiz they eased my concious. They gave me the advice I needed to make an educated decision. They let me know I could get back on my feet. If not for Norma Ortiz and her entire Team, I still would be playing "Credit Card Roulette". Thank you Ortiz and Ortiz for giving me a second chance at Life!!
I highly recommend Ortiz & Ortiz, LLP. This is an amazingly operating firm/very organized. Norma (Lawyer who was on my case/bankruptcy) was extremely professional and super friendly. Norma and her Paralegals (Cynthia and Nicolas) were always responsive to all emails and calls. I had the best experience during a difficult time in my life, but Norma made me feel so at ease and answered all my legal questions and assured me that I would be fine and that is exactly what happened! A HUGE POSITIVE NOTE is I was ALWAYS informed of my case and what was going to come next, and litigation was quick... I appreciate finding Ortiz & Ortiz and forever grateful to them for changing my life for the good. Best Regards, J.Flores
2019-05-29
Norma Ortiz and her team were wonderful. They guided me through a scary process with professionalism and expertise, and kindness. I had a LOT of questions during the process, and they were always swift to reply and never made me feel like I was being annoying or dumb. You need a touch of humanity when going through a bankruptcy, and Ortiz and Ortiz supplied that in addition to their efficiency and expertise. Highly highly recommended if you need someone to guide you through Chapter 7.
2018-02-21
It’s my first bankruptcy I went through and I hope my last. I was scared to death what’s going to happen. But Norma and Martha made it so easy for me. If you need the best bankruptcy lawyer call Norma and forget about worries.
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We just returned from our visit to Universal Orlando. This entry will be specific to our resort stay at Portofino Bay Resort and the perks of staying there.
We stayed in a preferred club level 2 queen room.
Upon arrival we were greeted by the very friendly staff, given all our resort information, and a card for our room and a separate card for the club lounge. Because I purchased park tickets separately, I had to go to a kiosk to print them. So that is 3 separate cards/tickets to keep up with (more on this below*).
When we got to the club level only snacks like bags of chips were being served along with bottled drinks and lemonade and fruity water. We caught them between services, so it was what it was.
Our room wasn't ready when we got there and it was almost 4PM. They said they would text us when our room was ready and we could go on and use our key they gave us. We checked our bags and decided to head to City walk because we were starving. Upon return, a simple call to the baggage area had them deliver all our bag to our room.
Overall the resort and the room were very nice, quite beautiful, in fact. The resort main areas were lovely and well-themed, especially the outside areas. However, the guest areas, hallways and rooms, could certainly use a bit of freshening up. Just little things like the carpet was bunched up in the hallways on several floors and on our hall it appeared that a leak was coming from the stairway as a section of carpet was always wet stained in from of the stairway door. (yuck)
Our room was clean and well stocked with towels and we had a nightly turn down, no complaints, but nothing over the top or WOW factor. (no chocolate on the pillows though, was kind of a let down, but we are Disney spoiled, so that is our barometer of service and expectation level)
That is all for the room review. Now onto the resort itself.
The absolute BEST thing about this resort was the park perks that come with it. The early park entry is one, but we were too lazy to take advantage of that one. BUT the absolute BEST was the UNLIMITED UNIVERSAL EXPRESS PASS. This is a must and I can't imagine going to Universal or Island of Adventure without it. Almost all rides, including the Harry Potter area rides, are included. What this is is a 'fastpass' like Disney's EXCEPT it is indeed better because it is UNLIMITED. No need to book in advance. You just get in the universal express pass designated line, as many times as you want, and ride the ride. Now, having said that, some rides are better suited for this than others. Slow loading rides and rider swap (for families with young children) can slow down even the express pass line, but overall it is a great and effective way to ride every single ride and some more than a few times.
*One thing I do have to point out, as a Disney spoiled brat, is the ticket thing. You pretty much have to have a lanyard. You obviously have to have your paper park tickets AND because you are Unlimited Express Pass holders, you also need your plastic room card. Let me be clear...EVERYONE, including your children, MUST BRING THEIR ROOM KEY TO THE PARKS in order to use the Unlimited Express Pass(UEP). We somehow missed that tidbit and on our first day, our daughter didn't have hers, because, well, why does a child need her room key at a park except for losing it purposes, but she DID INDEED need it to prove we were staying at a resort that provided the UEP. The staff was confused as to what we had to do to get her a pass. Some thought we had to go all the way back to our resort, but fortunately another pointed us to guest relations INSIDE the front section of the park. We went in there, they used my card to pull up hers and printed a paper copy for her to use that day. Yes, another thing to keep up with. I couldn't love and appreciate Disney's Magic Bands more than I did while constantly having to pull out and show park tickets (in order to go from park to park) and resort keys (to do UEP). The more you have to pull that stuff out, the more likely you are to lose it. Experience talking here. For the love of all things holy, PLEASE Universal, GO DIGITAL. The ticket thing is a pain in the @#%. And FYI-- that plastic club level lounge card they give you is needed every time you enter the lounge, so you have to have it with you too. GO D-I-G-I-T-A-L PLEASE!!!
At the resort, we used the boat transportation to and from the parks/City Walk. It was fairly quick, very easy, and a nice relaxing way to travel. The only times we didn't take the boat, was our first morning, we decided we had energy to walk to the parks. The second was after leaving the Blue Man Group show, we came out to a torrential downpour with lightening in the area and boats were not running, so walking back was our only option. It was only lightly sprinkling by then and besides being tired, was really a nice walk. The well-lit winding tree covered pathways are worth taking at least once if not more.
The club level lounge was nice. If you are comparing it to Disney (for us the Yatch Club) then you might be slightly less impressed, but generally it is very nice with plenty of choices. We visited for breakfast every morning and it was a nice way to start the day. A variety of muffins, scrabbled eggs, pastries, sausage or bacon, potatoes, coffee, juice, etc. It was also nice to be able to take what you wanted with you. Bottles of water were great to bring to the parks.
We seemed to be gone during most serving hours, except for one night when we made dinner. They served a pork roast that was really good and always had a salad of some sort. Cheese trays and fruits were also plentiful.
I only managed to snap photos from the dessert layout.
The pool, and we only visited the main, large pool, was VERY nice. They had activities for kids starting around noon until late afternoon. A lot of fun. BUT what I really was most impressed by was the lifeguard staff. I have never seen such attentive lifeguards. I spoke with a woman named Susie that shared very good information regarding the seriousness of their job and their procedures. Every lifeguard I saw was alert and literally scanning the pool in a systematic way. I always watch my child in pools, but it’s nice and reassuring to know how seriously they are taking the job. Good job to the staff!!
Susie was a wealth of information. She also shared with me other good-to-know extras associated with Lowes Resorts. All Lowe's Property Resort Guests in Universal Orlando, can resort hop, with complimentary Town Car service, from their resort. You can go to the concierge at your resort and request a complimentary car to take you to any of the Lowes properties. Upon arrival, check in by presenting your room key card and get access to their pools and amenities.
Unfortunately, we did not have time to sample the restaurants at our resort. I do know folks that have and they say they are delicious. We just didn't have time or were too tired or had just grabbed something in the parks, OR at the club lounge. If you are a foodie, the restaurants here have certainly been recommended by plenty of other guests.
That about sums up our stay at Portofino Bay. I would stay here again, but I think our next visit we will try another deluxe resort like Hard Rock.
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| 8,235 |
In my opinion, brainstorming is one of the hardest parts of any creative process, especially when you’re given an incredibly open-ended prompt. Usually, I’ll struggle in any regard when it comes to brainstorming, for I’ll either have way too many ideas or none at all; rarely will I ever find that happy middle ground. In the case of our newest project, the accordion book, my creative process has been no different.
Thankfully, I had an issue with the former of the two problems, as I quickly became overwhelmed with ideas. As I flipped through examples, thought about my interests and passions, and considered what would look best in the format presented to us, I just continued to add idea after idea into my little list. I eventually managed to weed down my ideas to a small handful, but not without a lot of trial an error.
A photo of the accordion books that I recently folded for the upcoming project. If you need a good tutorial on how to fold them, I used the one here. The photo was taken by me.
So, what were the ideas that I whittled down to?
One of the first ideas that I came up with, and one that I thought would look really cool when finished, was an animation based accordion book. I’m currently learning how to animate in a separate class this semester, and we recently made flipbook animations earlier in the semester; I figured I could either reuse or create a flipbook and turn it into an accordion book. Each page could have a single notecard or piece of the animation, that way when you pull it out you can easily put it together. In a similar manner, I eventually considered making a comic book with each page as a panel, but that was much later in the week.
Since I’m in one of the horsemanship classes, I decided I could make a book with each of the horses from the barn involved. Each page would carry brief bits of information for each one and little pictures alongside them; it would be something I could share with both small press and the horsemanship class should I choose to create it. I would be able to fit each page to the horse and their personalities, hopefully capturing them to the best of my ability.
Another popular idea I had was reusing old coloring book pages and cutting them to fit on the inside of each page. I could choose whether to follow each of the designs or create my own for each page, and I could essentially make my own “coloring book” out of others. When finished, it would be almost abstract in design with a flurry of colors to coincide with it.
So, what was the winner?
A work in progress photo of my design for the accordion book project. The photo was taken by me.
Although the horse accordion would be a little more complicated than the others, it’s more personal than the rest. When completed, it would have more meaning to me, and it’s a piece that I can look back on and reminisce about both the club itself and how I’ve grown in the sport. I’ll be able to make little designs for each of the horses, ones that will hopefully capture their individual personalities, and I can flip through it when I wish to see them again.
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elizabethelin September 20, 202111:10 pm Reply
I really love your accordion book! The accordion format is interesting because the horses’ faces will really jump off the page, probably more so than with a traditional format. It adds an another sense of life to the drawings and the book, especially since your subject matter is one that is very much linked with motion. I’m excited to see how your accordion book looks when it is finished!
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I am completely blown away by the amazing drawings you have created. It is a very impressive talent that I think is great to showcase in the Accordion Book. I hope that while you are developing the drawings and planning everything out you are able to reflect back on images from the farm and compare the two. Will these drawings create a larger visual storyline or is each flap an individual design or sketch?
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I think the more personal horses theme sounds like a really good choice. The drawings look really good so far! I’m excited to see it when it’s done.
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Sophie Neubert September 22, 20215:53 pm Reply
You had so many awesome ideas, but the horses are definitely my one of my favorites. It adds a personal touch to the book and I think that it’ll make it turn out really cool. One of my favorite things about these projects is seeing all of the neat ideas people come up with and how their personalities are able to shine through them. What you have so far already looks awesome and I can’t wait to see the finished product!
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jwise September 29, 20216:29 pm Reply
Your ideas were all so cute, and I love your drawings of the horses so much! I’m definitely excited to see how your chosen concept will turn out, but I’m also super intrigued by the idea of a flipbook animation accordion book that you raise here. If you ever end up making that one in your free time, I’d definitely want to see it!
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mgilmontero October 5, 20214:35 pm Reply
Glad that, reading this post now, I get to peek back into your process! There IS an element of coloring-book in your finished product, actually! And, while not actually animated, the figures really remind me of cartoon characters, in their personality and style–i.e., they could be animated.
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As a nation, we are beginning to change our draconian laws. Seventeen states have developed alternatives to criminalizing at least some drug users. But barriers to change remain, most notably prosecutors across the country who continue to insist on the need for criminal sanctions.
In a superb new book Charged, Emily Bazelon tells us why. She shows how county prosecutors, often unconsciously, exploit the Reagan-Bush-Clinton era drug laws described in Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow to their own professional advantage.
Mandatory minimum sentencing and “three-strike” laws enable prosecutors to threaten long prison terms, and then coerce a plea bargain agreement that nevertheless leads to incarceration. Can we believe in the fairness of our criminal justice system when 95% of all cases are now plea-bargained, usually in secret?
Bazelon is right to focus on prosecutors as obstacles to change. By demonstrating what prosecutors can and will do, she helps us see that we can never end the War on Drugs as long as criminal sanctions against drug use exist.
Consider my home state of Illinois. In January, reformers filed HB 2291, a bill that would reclassify low level drug possession offenses as misdemeanors rather than felonies. They did so because felony convictions are far more likely than misdemeanors to wreck lives.
The bill got a respectable hearing even as it was opposed by the Illinois States Attorneys Association, composed of county prosecutors. Why? The states attorneys argued that only with the threat of felony sanctions can they force drug users into treatment. In other words, society needs criminal sanctions to keep people from becoming criminals.
This view sounds illogical, and it is. It also contradicts convincing research that prison sentences do not reduce drug use. In fact, people who go prison once are more likely to go back. In 2015, the Illinois State Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform found that “long sentences have not had the desired deterrence effect, but have consequences that can be disproportionate and counter-productive.”
If incarceration does not deter drug use, is it at least effective as a threat against those who might not otherwise belong in prison? Prosecutors and judges use it that way, often stipulating that charges or convictions will be set aside upon successful completion of treatment. This, too, often does more harm than good.
Since the possibility of treatment is not widely available for those who need it, many will, in fact, end up in prison solely for this reason. Further, using prison as a threat ignores the possibility of relapse, at which stricter punishment will kick in. Criminal penalties stigmatize those who use drugs so that they avoid treatment they might otherwise seek. Finally, programs that divert individuals too often engage in “skimming,” offering treatment only to the “easiest” cases.
It will be a tough to convince prosecutors not to oppose HB 2291 in Illinois and similarly compassionate programs in other states. When I asked Bazelon about this last week, she commented, “Oh, we charge people with crimes, so we can coerce them into treatment? That’s not what the criminal code is for.”
We should be profoundly grateful to Emily Bazelon for helping us to understand prosecutorial behavior. But we must go further even than she takes us. As long as a drug possession is a crime, the justice system will harm people who do not deserve to be treated as criminals. At the end of the day, decriminalizing all drug use is the only sane and decent path.
Rev. Alexander Sharp, Executive Director
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Well, good evening. If you are joining us this evening for the first time, let me extend a special welcome to you. We’re so glad you’re here. We’re so glad that you have found yourself here to worship with us here tonight and maybe if you’re not a Christian, if you’re just here exploring the things of God, wanting to check out a church, let me add that you are especially welcome here. This is such a great place to learn about who God is and who Jesus is and we’re glad that you have found yourself here tonight.
This evening we’re continuing our series through the book of Psalms, the Psalms of Ascent to be specific, and we come to the fourth psalm in the series, Psalm 123. So if you have your Bibles, turn with me there. And if you don’t have a Bible, you can feel free to use the one in front of you or underneath you. If you don’t have a Bible, you can feel free to take that one home. It’s our gift to you.
“To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
Behold, as the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant
to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till He has mercy upon us.
for we have had more than enough of contempt.
Our soul has had more than enough
of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud.”
Let’s pray. Father, we have just sung that mine our tears in times of sorrow, darkness not yet understood, through the valley I must travel, where I see no earthly good. Lord, it’s hard to know, even as a pastor or preacher, where everyone is here in this room tonight, but certainly, Lord, there are those here in times of sorrow, in times of darkness, not yet understood, through the valley some of us are traveling, where we see no earthly good. But may be it so that of what we just sung, that ours would be peace that flows from heaven and strength in time of need, that our pain will not be wasted for Christ completes His work in me. We ask that in faith in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Have you ever woken up in the morning with a pit in your stomach? Like everything in you just wants to call in sick for work that day, or not show up, or maybe skip that class or miss that test, or simply just avoid that person in the hallway. Because when you wake up you know what is in front of you, and it’s not pleasant and it’s not fun, and it would be so much easier if you could just hit fast forward from one day to the next. Many of you are thinking Monday is coming, that would be a convenient thing to do on a Monday.
We all have those feelings from time to time. We all have those moments of dread, of doom, of gloom in our hearts and souls. We have those days where your whole body aches just at thinking of the situation that awaits you coming up in the coming minutes, hours, days. And you have those days and those moments and they’re not fun, and you just have to grit your teeth and bear it and get through it.
Some of us have those days and we’re able to get through it. But some of us, that’s just life. There are some whose everyday existence is marked by this anguish.
I thought about titling this message “When You Don’t Want To Go Home.” Pastor Kevin began the series talking about our desire to go home and how the Psalms of Ascent are about heading home, and it’s true that for Christians this world is ultimately, this world is not ultimately our home, that we’re looking for another place, another city, whose builder is God, and that our home is ultimately in heaven with God.
But what do we do when our home, here on earth, is someplace we don’t want to go back to? What do we do when our home here on earth isn’t safe? What do we do when every single day we wake up and we have that pit in our stomach and it’s not going away? And it’s not getting better? What happens when you don’t want to go home?
That’s what Psalm 123 speaks to. Psalm 123 is a community lament. Notice the “us” and the “we” language. Look in verse 2 – our eyes look to the Lord, our God, til He has mercy upon us. Continues even in 3 and 4 – have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt, our soul has had more than enough.
Here we have in Psalm 123 a community that is in anguish, who knows what it’s like to experience loss, to have the tables slanted against them, to feel little to no hope each and every day, to wake up every morning knowing that it’s not going to get better.
Tonight we’re going to look at Psalm 123 and we’re going to look at three things. We’re going to look at what Psalm 123 teaches us about God, that’s where we’ll be first. What does this Psalm teach us about God and who He is?
Second, we’ll look at what this Psalm teaches us about the world around us.
Finally, we’ll look at what Psalm 123 teaches us about the Christian life. About you and me. Especially in light of who God is and what the world is like around us.
What does this Psalm teach us about God? What does this Psalm teach us about the world? And what does this Psalm teach us about you and me and being a Christian today?
First, we’ll look at what does this Psalm teach us about God. First we’ll see that God is our Master. Look back at verse 1 and 2 with me – to you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of the servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of the maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord.
God is our Master, that’s what we see first. The psalmist acknowledges God place in the world, as our Master and our Maker. The servant looks to the master for provision and protection. And we know that there are many in this world who have throughout history twisted and distorted the master and servant dynamic. Many throughout history who have abused their power to mistreat, to hurt, and to subject their subservient. But this is not God. This is not how the psalmist approaches God. This is not what we see here. Here we see God as a benevolent master, someone who provides for His servants. He gives them work. He gives them shelter. He gives them their necessities. They look to him as the source for what they need. The hand of the master protects his servants from evil and harm.
And notice where this master sits. He sits enthroned in the heavens.
Spurgeon comments on this psalm, saying the higher the Lord is, the better for our faith, since that height represents power, glory, and excellent. God is in the heavens as a king in his palace. He is there revealed, adored, and glorified.
You know it’s easy to look at the world around us and marvel at the power of men. Their might, their status, and their influence. I had the opportunity on Friday to go to the golf tournament in town, the President’s Cup, and I got those tickets where you get to sit in the stadium of the first row and lo and behold, out comes President George W. Bush, and then comes out President Bill Clinton, two great men in our country who have served at the highest rank. And you know what I thought to myself? They’re just two guys, watching golf. President Bush especially was into it.
It’s easy to look at the world around us and marvel at men and women of power and might and status, but let us not forget that it is God and God alone who sits enthroned in the heavens.
Think back to Psalm 2. Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His anointed, saying let us burst their bonds apart and cast their cords from us, but He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord holds them in derision.
Notice that the Lord our God is our Master. He is our God. Our eyes look to God, the Lord our God. This is not some generic god with a lower case “g.” This is our God, capital “G.” This is Yahweh. This is the covenantal God. He’s not just any master, He’s our Master.
God is both transcendent and He’s eminent. He’s both ultimate in His power and He is intimate in His person. He is enthroned in the heavens and yet He is still our God. God is our Master.
Second. We see that God is the source of mercy. In English, mercy typically means that we go not receive what we do deserve. This can be confusing sometimes. We do not receive what we do deserve. Compare that with grace, where we do receive what we do not deserve. So God demonstrates His mercy to us by pardoning us from the penalty of sin. We do not receive judgment when we do deserve it. That is mercy. We receive God’s grace when we receive forgiveness despite our sin. We do receive forgiveness even when we do not deserve it. Mercy and grace.
But the Hebrew word here, that is translated mercy, means far more than just that. It’s not just asking to spare us from what we do deserve, it’s more than that. Mercy is the Hebrew word chanan. It means to bend or to stoop in kindness. You can think of almost a parent to a child, especially to an inferior. Simply put, this word means favor. It means favor. And here we see that God is the source of favor. The psalmist sees it and he knows it and he looks to God and he says, “God, I need your favor in my life, that’s what I need. God, I need your mercy. I need your favor. I need your smile ever towards me and my life.”
We can think back to Exodus 33. Moses is praying for God’s people after the exodus and what does he pray for? He’s praying for God’s favor. He says, “God, as we set out on what is next, what we need most of all is You and Your favor, because without that we have nothing.” And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken, I will do, for you have found favor in My sight and I know you by name.”
Moses goes on to say, “Lord, please show me Your glory,” and God responds and says, “I will make all My goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you My name, the Lord, and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”
Notice what’s included in God’s favor. It’s His goodness, it’s His grace, it’s His mercy, it’s His glory. It’s a relationship with Moses. He says, “I know you.” This is God’s favor and this is what the psalmist sees in God. He says, “God, may Your favor, may Your smile, may Your goodness, may Your relationship ever be with me. May it be upon us. We’re going to look to You because we know that’s where favor comes from.”
God is the source of mercy. He’s the source of blessing. He’s the source of grace. He’s the source of favor.
So first we see God is our maker. Second we see God is the source of mercy. And third in this Psalm we see that God is mute.
He’s mute. Not that He can’t speak, not that He won’t speak, not that He’s never spoken, but in the sense that He doesn’t speak here. And it’s a strange thing. We read the psalm and at the end of verse 4, at least when I read it and probably you, too, we say, “That’s it? That’s where the psalm ends? There’s nothing else? There’s no hope? There’s no reassuring word? It’s just, Lord, give us mercy? We’re tired of contempt. That’s it?”
We expect at the end of this psalm that God would speak, at least that he might reassure us or maybe at least through the psalmist he would speak on behalf of what he knows about God.
The psalm begins much like Psalm 121. Psalm 121 begins this way: I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
It’s a very similar beginning, but it ends much differently. Psalm 121 and 123 both begin with a need and a look to God. They are both psalms borne out of crisis. They are both psalms that tell us to lift our eyes and look to God. But Psalm 121 ends with God speaking through the psalmist and reassuring His people of His character. He will not let your foot be moved. He neither sleeps nor slumbers. He will give you shade. He will not strike you. He will keep you.
Psalm 123. Nothing. It gives us no reassurances from God at the end. Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud. Period. Psalm over.
Where’s the comforting word? Where’s the reassurance that He will never leave us or forsake us? Where’s the promise even of ultimate victory? There’s none of that. There’s none of that in this psalm. And that teaches us something about God. Sometimes He doesn’t respond. Sometimes God is silent. Sometimes there is nothing but scorn and shame and scoffers all around us, and we cry out to God, saying “God, I’m so tired of this. I can’t go to work one more day. I can’t do this one more time. Would You help me, God? Would You give me Your mercy? Would You give me Your favor?” And sometimes we don’t hear anything back. Sometimes we will be desperate to hear a word from God and we won’t hear anything back. Sometimes God is mute.
And as strange as it is to say, there is something about Psalm 123 that at least I find comforting. Because there’s something real about Psalm 123, because it’s actually connecting to my life and to my experience. There are times where there will be challenges or hardships or difficulties and days that I don’t want to wake up, and I have a pit in my stomach, and there won’t be a message from God written in the sky. There won’t be a divinely inspired special word for me. There will just be me, waking up, facing another day.
Now, friends, you and I know that Psalm 123 isn’t the whole counsel of God’s Word. Psalm 123 doesn’t negate all the assurances and reassurances that we receive in the Bible. The end of Psalm 121 is true and we should hold onto that and we should cling to that. The end of Romans 8 is true and we should hold to that, and we should cling to that.
But Psalm 123 teaches me that sometimes we don’t get those reassurances. Sometimes God is silent.
Derek Thomas, commenting on this psalm, says this. He says, “Waiting patiently on God’s timing can be very difficult, of course. Such delays, and they are delays from our perspective, not from God’s, keep us on our toes. They ensure that our faith is nourished rather than lulled to sleep. Abstinence creates appetite. Growing up in grace involves submission to God at every level, and lessons learned here will repay dividends.”
First, what does Psalm 123 teach us about God? He’s our Master. He’s the source of mercy. And sometimes He’s mute in that He doesn’t respond immediately to our requests. That’s what it teaches us about God.
What does it teach us about the world? What does this psalm teach us about the world that you and I find ourselves in? Primarily it teaches us this – that sometimes the world around us is going to win. Sometimes the world and the people of the world and the things of the world are going to seem like they are winning.
Notice the psalm describes two types of people in verse 4, those who are at ease and those who are proud. It describes the rich and the accomplished.
One of the things that we do with our college students is teach them how to share their testimonies. Typically something along the lines of here was my life before Christ and here’s how Christ entered my life, and now here’s what my life looks after Christ. And every time we do this, I feel the pull to talk about how amazing my life is now because of Jesus. My life was terrible, Jesus entered my life, and now it’s amazing. That can be a very easy temptation. Don’t you want to know Jesus? Because He can change your life and He can make it so much better than it is right now.
We may not be as bold as the prosperity gospel preachers, but there is a part of us in evangelism that can talk about how much peace and security and perspective we now have, and how even all of our problems aren’t really problems anymore because Jesus has fixed them all.
But the reality is that God has not promised a life of ease. In fact, He has promised us the very opposite of this, and Psalm 123 does not skirt that issue. There are going to be people in this world who have more money than you and I. There are going to be people who are more accomplished than you and I. And if that wasn’t enough, the rich in this world are going to deride you. They’re going to mock you, this psalm says. The proud, they are going to disrespect you. It’s not enough that they have more money, they have more prestige, they have more accomplishments, more respect in this world. They’re going to rub it in your face.
One of the things that my boys like to do is play baseball. So trying to be a decent father and a good member of the community, I’ve been helping coach some of their teams, and it’s a lot of work. In the past couple of years, we’ve actually had some decent teams, and a couple have made it to the championship game only for us to lose. Every time. We’ve lost in the championship game. And it’s hard for the kids. And there are some boys that are crying, and there are some that are mad and throwing their helmets, and I’m trying to say “don’t throw your helmets, please, don’t do that, you know, your parents are looking at me.” Some are pitching a fit. And it’s really hard, just to have, you know, a loss there, just to accept the fact that we did not win the game. We didn’t get the trophies.
But imagine if the other team, and boy, this would be awful for a youth baseball team, but just imagine for a second that they rubbed it in our faces at the end. Not only did we not win the game, but they came over and mocked us and taunted us. They treated us with scorn, with contempt, and with hostility. It’s hard enough to lose, but it’s just miserable when it gets rubbed in your face.
That’s what’s happening here to the psalmist and to this community. It’s not just that others have a life of ease, it’s that they’re openly mocking the psalmist and his community. That’s hard. That’s painful. And this side of heaven, friends, sometimes that’s life.
This isn’t a point that needs to be belabored because I think we’re aware of it. I think we’re becoming growingly prepared for this opposition, but it does bear repeating, just for a moment, just in case the message hasn’t hit home, that Christians need to be prepared for the scorn and the contempt of the world, in your workplace, in your communities, in your extended families, on your college campuses, in your high school. Some of you already know this and are experiencing it. For some of us it may be coming, but we need to be ready and prepared for the day when openly identifying with the God of the Bible, with Jesus Christ, will lead to scorn and contempt, disrespect and derision.
I was in Washington, D.C., last week and I was driving around with some of our fellow Campus Outreach staff workers up there, showing me around the city and Georgetown and George Washington and Howard University, and we drove by one of the buildings up on the Hill and it looked like it had a fresh coat of paint on it. It looked new but it also didn’t quite fit in with the other buildings on the block. Sure enough, it was the Capitol Hill Crisis Pregnancy Center. My friend had remarked that it had been vandalized after the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Scorn and contempt. Disrespect and derision.
Now we hope that’s not the case. We don’t need to bring that on ourselves more than is needed, but as Christians we need to be mentally and emotionally and spiritually prepared to meet that type of opposition. What does this psalm teach us about the world? Sometimes they’re not only going to win, they might even rub it in your face.
Third. What does this psalm teach us about the Christian life? What does this psalm teach us about you and me and how we should respond to both who God is and what the world around us is like?
First, that we are to be utterly dependent on God. What does this teach us about you and me? That we should be utterly dependent on God.
We looked at verse 2 earlier, but notice it again, and this time from the perspective of the psalmist.
Behold, as the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant
to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
until He has mercy upon us.
God is the Master. You and I, nothing more than lowly servants. The psalmist rightly sees his place in the world. He is lowly and he is dependent and he is subservient to the Master. He is in need of provision and protection. He is patiently waiting on his Master. He is trusting. The servant has nothing without the Master. He is utterly dependent on God.
So, church family, how dependent are we on God? Do we look towards His hand when we need something? Do we look and say, “I don’t have anything, God, unless You give it to me from Your hand.” Are our eyes looking to Him when we have a great need or great challenge in our life? You say, “God, I need You. I can’t look anywhere else, God. My eyes are looking towards You.” Just as a servant would look to the hand of his master for everything he needs, God, I don’t know what else to do, so my eyes are going to be looking to You because I have no other answers.
Listen to what our former senior pastor Mike Ross once wrote about this psalm. He said Psalm 123 paints us as shameless, prideless, needy servants who keep staring at our Master in heaven until He notices us and provides for us, which He always does. For self-sufficient and self-love Americans to be poor in spirit is really excruciating.
One of the great obstacles in our community and our context, maybe not specifically Christ Covenant but certainly included in that in a broader, just affluent south Charlotte culture, just one of the great obstacles is self-sufficiency. When challenges arise, when obstacles come, when opposition presents itself, many of our eyes turn where? Turn inwardly. We look at ourselves, what resources do I have? We look to our resources. We look to our knowledge. We look to our intuition. We don’t look up to God.
And I’ve commented on this before and I know other pastors have, but with our great affluence comes with it a sense that we can provide for ourselves, that we’re not dependent on other people, that we have what it takes. Maybe that’s not you and maybe it is you, I’m speaking broadly, I’m not speaking specifically here, but broadly this is an affluent church and an affluent community, and so broadly when needs arise and challenges arise, we just tend to look inwardly. Okay, what resources do I have?
And there’s a part of that that’s good and noble. But in the sense that also can threaten us spiritually, when we respond spiritually the same way we respond materially.
Friends, are our eyes lifted to Jesus? Lifted up to the One who is enthroned in the heavens. Do we look to the hand of the Master? Are we looking to the Lord our God until He has mercy upon us? Until He has favor upon us?
The first thing we learn about ourselves is that we are to be utterly dependent on God.
Second, we learn that we are desperately in need of mercy. This is connected to being dependent on God, but with a slight nuance. The psalmist is crying out for mercy. Three times he cries out, “have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.” You can almost hear the cry of desperation, of pain, of anguish in the psalmist’s voice as he pens this, have mercy upon us, God. O, Lord, have mercy.
The psalmist not only looks to the Master for provision, as it seems he’s doing in verse 2, he also looks to the Lord for salvation, as he does in verse 3. We don’t know what the sources of contempt were in the psalmist’s life or in that community, but they were enough to pen this psalm, begging God to help, begging Him for mercy, begging Him for grace, for favor to be with them once more.
So tonight, friends, no matter where you find yourself financially or relationally or vocationally. No matter where you find yourself, everyone here is in need of the mercy of God.
Do you see yourself as needing God in this way today? Tonight? Moving into Monday. God, I need Your mercy. And friends, if you find yourself here tonight, this could not be a more relevant question if you know that you are apart from Christ. Where will you find the mercy and grace that you need spiritually, eternally? You see, because the Bible teaches us that God created us. He created you and He created me, and He gave us life and He gave us breath and He made us to have a relationship with Him.
But you and I know that we have broken that relationship with God. We have sinned times without numbers. We have made mistakes. We have broken God’s commandments. We’ve sinned. We’ve erred from the path on which God has told us to walk. We’ve broken His commandments and Psalm 14 tells us this, it tells us that no one is righteous. No, not one. Not you and certainly not me.
So how can a sinful people, who have broken this relationship with God, be restored and once again made right with Him? Where can we find mercy and grace and favor when we’ve sinned times without numbers? And that’s where Christians say we can only find this mercy, we can only find this grace, we can only find this favor in the person and work of Jesus Christ, in Him alone.
You see, God sent His Son into the world to live the life that you and I could never have, and to die the death that you and I deserved, fully paying the penalty for our sin and our rebellion, and now this God of mercy, of grace, of favor, He stands and He offers it to you, if you would only believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is who He says He is, and He’s done what the Scriptures have said He has done.
Friends, tonight, if tonight is the first time of hearing this Good News, that you can find mercy, I would just invite you to come talk to myself or Pastor Eric or one of the other pastors here. We would love to share with you more about the Good News of the God of mercy and how He extends it to you.
What does this teach us about the Christian life? That we are utterly dependent on God, that we are desperately in need of mercy, and finally that we are to turn to Him in prayer.
Notice verse 3 and 4 is a prayer. It’s a prayer of desperation. Verse 1 and 2 may be considered the posture of prayer, but verse 3 and 4 it’s the substance of prayer. We don’t know all of the goings on in the psalmist’s life and what the hardships are and what his community was facing, but we do know that his response is this, it’s to turn to God in prayer.
Notice that he turns to God in prayer even when it seems like God is silent. We can look throughout the Scriptures and see that God’s silence is not something that’s unique. We long to hear God speak to us as He did Elijah in 1 Kings 19. We know that God is not ultimately silent as He has given us His Word and speaks to us. His Word is living and active, but sometimes as we mentioned, God does seem silent. That’s where the Scriptures press us to wrestle with Him in prayer.
Consider a few verses. Psalm 28:
To you, O Lord, I call;
my rock, be not deaf to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
O God, do not keep silence;
I cry to You for help and You do not answer me;
I stand, and You only look at me.
Andrew Murray has written this – it is God’s Spirit who has begun the work in you of waiting upon God, and He will enable to wait. Waiting continually will be met and rewarded by God Himself, working continually.
Psalm 123 is probably not the first psalm that you turn to in times of distress. But it is a psalm for real life. When everything and everyone around you feels like it’s moving against you, for when you don’t want to go home. Psalm 123 may not end with any reassuring hope, but it does begin there. It does begin there.
Look again at the very beginning of this psalm. The psalmist says this: To You I lift up my eyes. Even in the disappointment, even in the scorn and contempt, even in the silence, Psalm 123 tells us to lift our eyes to Him, who is enthroned in the heavens.
In a moment we’ll sing Christ, the Sure and Steady Anchor. Hear these words in verse 3: Christ, the sure and steady anchor, through the floods of unbelief, hopeless somehow, O my soul now, lift my eyes to Calvary. This my ballast of assurance, see His love forever proved, I will hold fast to the anchor, it shall never be removed.
Let’s pray. Lord Jesus, You are our sure and steady anchor, even through the floods of unbelief, even through hopelessness, even through the valley of the shadow of death. Lord, we have learned about who You are, we have learned about the world around us, and we have learned a bit about what it means to be a Christian in this world. Help us to lift our eyes to Calvary, to You we lift our eyes. We look to Jesus, our sure and steady anchor. In His name we pray. Amen.
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Subconscious Healing is situated in a comfortable and confidential setting in the south of Leicestershire. In the heart of Sharnford, we are approx 4 miles from Hinckley, 6 miles from Lutterworth, 12 miles from the centre of Leicester, 8 miles from the M1 and 3 miles from the M69.
There is secure off road parking available on site.
autism awareness week
My visit to meet Simon and Gloria at Claridges. Afternoon tea anyone?
Wow, has it really been 5 years since that amazing day? The best tea party I could ever imagine being invited to (well apart from a ‘Mad Hatter’s’), I was sat eating cake and drinking tea with Brendan Cole at Claridges, just Wow. How surreal! I kept waiting for Alice to jump out of a hole! What an awesome feeling to be invited to meet Simon Cowell and Gloria Hunniford and their guests.
But I am forgetting the most important part, why I am there?
Let’s rewind a few months.
If you have read any of my other blogs you will know son no. 3 has a diagnosis of Autism, he was diagnosed at 6 yrs of age. Although we have always known from a very young age that something was just not quite right, this diagnosis still came as such a huge shock to us. I am sure many parents will probably agree.
Our path to diagnosis was rocky and took many years of battles, as people who are going through it will empathise, but throughout some if this we had some amazing support from an amazing charity called face2face. This charity was ran by scope. I had an amazing befriender who was a huge support, she was a listener, a friend, an ear and was there when nobody else was. Now I am not saying that nobody else was there, but at that time it felt like I was supermum and carried everyone, I had to because if I didn’t then everyone around me would collapse. William was born as a BBA, a bit of a traumatic experience which then led me onto PND which I coped with but didn’t really deal with when you have a child who never sleeps. She taught me that I could put my backpack down and learn to look after me. She was an amazing befriender.
Being a mum of a child living with a disability is hard work, nobody wanted to help, to listen, to be there when he screamed, punched, kicked or had a meltdown. Why would they I wouldn’t or would I.
So as the weeks went on and life got easier, I realised friendships were there as I released the grip on the backpack.
Then I was asked to make a film clip for the health lottery. Me? Talk about being a mum with a child living with Autism? Really? Wow.
So we did!
Me and my befriender talked about how she had helped me and I talked about living with son no.3.
What it’s like sleepless nights, a friendless boy, the struggles, the lack of invites to parties, the struggles of mainstream school, living with family who just don’t understand the issues of an invisible disability.
A child who doesn’t eat, doesn’t wear certain clothes, like loud noises, but loves the firmness of hugs and cuddles.
I remember reading a poem about going on a trip to Holland but thinking your going to Spain with your friends. You get off the plane and realise it’s not what you expect, it’s ok, its sunny, there are nice people, and you get on.
That is what Face2Face has taught me. I have met some wonderful people over the years. I am not where I started when he was born. That doesn’t matter life moves on. People can’t all be expected to cope with ‘my’ stuff.
He is an amazing boy making friends and going to parties. Life moves on and changes. Holland is good.
So now lets fast forward to the invite, we are both sat in a tea party at Claridges, there are television screens all around us. Dotted around are celebrities, I remember it just felt crazy. Then the film played. Finally we are asked to go on stage to a standing applause. Wow! hugs tears and emotions. Autism is noticed, Disability is noticed! My son has helped to make Autism heard.
Date March 28, 2018
Tags aspergers, Autism, Autism awareness, autism awareness week, autism awareness week 2018, awareness, children, counselling, counselme, disabilities, Leicestershire, March, positive thinking, psychotherapy, subconscious healing, World Autism Awareness week
World Autism Awareness Week.
Autism is a lifelong, developmental disability that happens all over the world, not just in your country. Autism affects how an individual communicates with and relates to other people, and how they experience the world around them.
I see Autism every single day, this is not just because I am a counsellor offering my support.
This is because my child, son 3, has a diagnosis of Autism. He was diagnosed at 6 yrs of age.
So is that it for him now? Is that who he is now? Is that us as a family? Is that now the label forever?
Why?
Gosh, thinking back I remember buying and reading so many books when we were struggling. I would be that supermum who was prepared, who would get her son through the diagnosis and ensure him the help he needed but really my insides were like a washing machine on a fast cycle just Arrrrrrrrrrr. Constant thoughts of ‘Is this it forever????’
Thankfully we had amazing support and began our roller-coaster journey, which brought the lightbulb moment!
With this much needed help we learnt that Autism does not define who our son is, our son is who he wants to be!
After all, our number 2 son has asthma, but that is not who he is. So why should Autism be who our number 3 son is?
Ok so who knows what Autism is? How many of you would know the signs of Autism? Do you think you work with anybody diagnosed Autism, live with anybody with undiagnosed Autism?
Think about your work place?
Think about your friendship groups?
Maybe consider if you have children, yours or your children’s friends?
Now what is Autism for us?
I remember when we had son number 3, thinking there was something not quite right, he would never make eye contact, he did not sleep, this lasted until he was 6 years of age. He had huge sensory issues, loved lots of cuddles but then didn’t liked to be touched. As he was growing up he couldn’t cope with certain foods or clothes. Then there was the sensory issue with noise and light. His conversations were very much like a little old man rather than his age, very eccentric. He had a love/ obsessions and collections. This still continues, he can name every dinosaur, cat breed and Pokemon. Ask him a math question and he walks away (no he isn’t rain man)
Remember though, that if you meet one person with Autism you have met a person with Autism. My child still has a personality and he really has an amazing personality! Although he does miss the all important filter!!
Autism is not bad, it is not a disease. And no it is not catching. So yes children with a diagnosis of Autism can still be invited to play dates / to parties and sleep overs if they want. Adults still want friendships, want to go to work and want to be included in office parties even if they leave after an hour or only go when it’s paint balling or to a Spa day. It’s choice.
Autism needs awareness around the world, but not just for a week, because believe it or not, I will not be locking son no.3, in a closet after these 7 awareness days until the next Autism awareness week.
He is extremely lucky, he attends an amazing Autism specific school, he is now achieving and has a supportive network around him. He has 2 supportive and loving older brothers. But soon, one day he will go out into the big wide world as an adult with autism. As a mum that is a scary thought when you think of what is out there.
Living with son no.3 has taught me so much. Autism is not to be scared of.
We need not judge a square peg in a round hole. We are all different in this world that we live in. Accept difference.
Find out more about counselling.
Date March 26, 2018
Tags april, aspergers, Autism, Autism awareness, autism awareness week, autism awareness week 2018, awareness, bullying, children, depression, disabilities, Easter, health, March, mental health, positive thinking, World Autism Awareness week
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COVID-19 passings in the U.S. are currently more than 160,000 from over 4.9 million cases. In the wake of the passings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, Black Lives Matter fights to proceed. The joblessness rate is down to 10%, however people and families stress over the capability of ousting or dispossession as government monetary help has slipped by. In the meantime, contentions fly to and fro in the media and internet-based life over “drop culture” and whether wearing a veil is an acceptable general wellbeing strategy or an attack against fundamental opportunities.
I am worn out.
Starting the 6th month of stay-at-home requests and lockdowns and veils and shut organizations, living in this season of vulnerability, dread, and dissatisfaction channels me. Without a doubt, my canine collaborators love it and will most likely be painfully disillusioned in the event that I ever return to working in an office, however, I miss the simple in-person connection of others and the spur of the moment discussions that occur for the duration of the day. Zoom calls have surely relieved the burden as I have made sense of how to play random data on the web and sing together in gatherings, yet Zoom weariness is genuine. I miss having the option to stroll down the road and communicate with neighbors as we visit stores and eateries. I miss having the option to meet up over games and supporting my preferred groups. I miss having the option to meet up to take a shot at difficulties in our locale together. I miss love with real individuals and unmistakable fellowship components!
I am fatigued.
“‘Come to me, all you that are fatigued and are worried about overwhelming concerns, and I will give you rest.'” (Matthew 11:28 NRSV)
Photograph by Ana Cernivec on Unsplash
These expressions of Jesus from Matthew have given me incredible solace throughout the years, especially when I have grappled with burdensome musings and tension. I envision the inviting, open arms of Christ enticing me to sit and rest and retain the adoration that is all ameliorating and unlimited in manners that I don’t completely comprehend and still make some troublesome memories accepting may even be valid for me. I am appreciative of this greeting and long to sink into it. In crown time, this greeting feels significantly additionally convincing as I anticipate some arrival to commonality away from Zoom and away from the consistent racket of web-based life and news that is ever baffling and continually pervaded with outrage, criticism, hatred, and dread.
But then, what is the “ordinary” I look for? What is the encouragement to gain from Jesus that follows the call to rest? There might be a time of rest and solace, however, an arrival to “ordinary” with regards to the greeting isn’t the desire.
In the event that I am worn-out, discouraged, and on edge, Jesus is getting me out of that disarray and welcoming me to a better place to be available to another method of being. The same old thing has not worked for my enthusiastic, mental, physical, or otherworldly rational soundness, so there should be another way. “Ordinary” can’t be the appropriate response, yet Jesus is there to control me, on the off chance that I am available to give up to the call.
“For my burden is simple.” (Matthew 11:30)
I’ve missed the incongruity in the following section in regards to the effortlessness of the burden. From Merriam-Webster, a burden is “a wooden bar or edge by which two draft creatures are joined at the heads or necks for cooperating.” What on the planet sounds simple about a burden being set upon me? This seems like hard, tiresome work! Yet, it is straightforward in the event that I will be open and workable.
The time of crown time has offered me the space for reflection and examination. The inviting rest to project my considerations and weights upon Jesus is genuine, however, it is for revival and reclamation for another way. To take upon his burden is to learn and lean in and participate in the work. At last, in case I’m not stuck too firmly in a position of solace, I recall it is to participate in the work that drove Jesus on to the cross.
What is ordinary?
Considering my dissatisfactions and exhaustion, I think back upon what I’m worn out from, and I’m struck by the fact that I am so favored to be tired. Where I have real battles of heart, psyche, and wellbeing, I can recognize them and not limit them, yet I can likewise right-measure my view to realize the amount I must be thankful for and that I have to rehearse the demonstration of appreciation recognition to counter the cynicism.
My family is sound.
I have a cover.
I have enough food to eat.
I don’t fear being captured.
My better half and I have employments that permit us to make a decent living.
My “ordinary” in pre-crown time was quite acceptable. Furthermore, I am thankful. In any case, in the event that I am to take on Jesus’ burden and learn, at that point, some portion of that errand is to recall and realize that I don’t exist exclusively for myself. Having had the option to discover rest and recognize Jesus’ affection, some portion of the burden is to disguise it so I can impart it to others whose weight isn’t light and who is for sure very tired.
What is my burden?
Companions and neighbors who have wiped out friends and family from COVID-19.
Discouraged and on edge individuals living with psychological well-being analyze.
People stressed over not having the option to pay the lease or the home loan.
Families who ask they can discover approaches to stretch out some staple goods to take care of their kids.
Individuals of color stressed over whether they might be the objective of the police.
Entrepreneurs thinking about whether their vocation is in danger.
Representatives anxious holding on to see whether they’re close to being given up or furloughed.
My special rest has the chance to take up Jesus’ burden and be there for the individuals who can’t discover away at the present time. For the individuals who are worrying. For the individuals who are disappointed. For the individuals who feel weak. For the individuals who are disappointed. I have to tune in, learn, and be available where conceivable to stretch out Jesus’ effortlessness in solidarity to hold up under the weights of my kin in Christ and neighbors. I know my aptitudes and assets, and I realize I am honored. I can do equity, love thoughtfulness, and walk modestly with my God.
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“ Nature,” says Sir Humphry Davy, scenes being rendered poetically beautiful never deceives us; the rocks, the moun- by the pencil of an able artist; yet there are tains, the streams, always speak the same lines of demarcation beyond which even language; a shower of snow may bide the genius dare not venture, and which cannot verdant woods in spring, a thunder storm be transgressed without the most glaring may render the blue limpid streams foul and violation of good taste. It is where the asturbulent; but these effects are rare and sociations are such as are not only vulgar in transient-in a few hours, or at least days, themselves, but totally destitute of any claim all the sources of beauty are renovated. upon the feelings or affections of the mind. And nature affords no continued trains of Nor is it in the representation of scenes the misfortunes and miseries, such as depend most gross and degraded (though such do upon the constitution of humanity, no hopes little credit to the taste of the painter); yet for ever blighted in the bud, no beings full in them the violent passions which agitate of life, beauty, and promise, taken from us our nature are frequently most powerfully in the prime of youth. Her fruits are all and strikingly exhibited. Look, for exambalmy, bright, and sweet; she affords none ple, upon a representation of the lowest stage of those blighted ones so common in the life of intoxication, and surely the pencil of the of man, and so like the fabled apples of the painter can pourtray no subject more loathDead Sea, fresh and beautiful to the sight, some and repulsive; yet even here the assobut when tasted, full of bitterness and ashes.” | ciations are not necessarily such as are alto
gether debarred from connection with refined intellectual speculations. In contemplating
such a picture, we think immediately of the THE POETRY OF PAINTING. high capabilities of man, and of the danger
ous profanation and abuse of his natural In turning our attention to the poetry of powers, of the spotless infancy of the being painting, we enter upon a subject which before us, the love that watched over his forms the first connecting link between the youth, the hopes that were centered in his physical and the intellectual world. So far manhood, and that now lie grovelling beas painting is a faithful representation of ex- neath him in his fall. This class of subjects ternal nature, it belongs to the sphere of the then is not entirely beyond the limits of the senses ; but as it holds intimate connection field of poetry, though it certainly requires with some of the noblest efforts and affec- some stretch of fancy to prove them to be tions of the human mind, it is scarcely infe- within it; yet there is another class so derior to the art of poetry itself, in the value it cidedly and irrevocably excluded, that it derives from the diffusion of poetic feeling, may not be uninteresting to mark the differthrough the countless varieties of style and ence between them, and of these a single incharacter, in which it is exhibited to man- stance will be sufficient. kind.
I remember seeing in an exhibition of The poetry of painting is perhaps more paintings at Manchester, a picture of a huge felt, and less understood, than that of any red brick cotton-mill, so well executed, and other subject to which we can apply our so appropriately placed, as to look very thoughts; nor is it easy to define what is the handsome in its way; and no doubt that nature of the charm by which we are fasci- way was all-sufficient to the owner, who had nated on beholding a picture in perfect ac- a train of sweet and pleasant local associacordance with our taste, especially as this tions with this picture, enjoyed snugly to taste varies so much in different individuals, himself, which if they were not poetical, had and even in the same becomes more select most probably a weightier charm, and one in its gratifications, in proportion as it is which he would not have exchanged for the more cultivated and refined.
lyre of Apollo. The surface of the picture That the poetry of painting is not mainly was almost entirely covered with the brick dependent upon the choice of subjects is building, and by its side was the all imporclear, from the most simple and familiar tant engine-house, with tall spiral chimney
pointing to the sky, but alas! with no hea-racters-portrait, landscape, and historical venward purpose. It was the picture of a painting. Of these three, portrait painting manufactory, and nothing more—most pro- is decidedly the least calculated for the disbably the owner wanted nothing more. play of poetical feeling, not only because it There was not, as there might have been, is generally practised under the arbitrary a broken foreground, denoting the rugged will of those who possess neither taste nor course of one of those polluted streams understanding in the fine arts, but because which murmur on (for what can still the there are so few subjects really worthy in voice of nature ?) with the same melody as themselves, and these few are too frequentin its native woods, before the click of rat- ly beyond the reach of the artist; while the tling machinery broke in upon the harmony rubicund and wealthy citizen, having grown of man's existence. There was no pale girl, sleek upon turtle soup, after retiring with his with darkened brow and dejected form, re- rosy consort to their Belle Vue, or Prospect turning to her most unnatural labours, a liv- Cottage, in the suburbs of the town, deems ing and daily sacrifice to the triumphs of it a suitable and gratifying appropriation of
a national prosperity; there was not even that some portion of his hard-earned wealth, to deep and turbid stream, that dense and per- employ one of the first artists of the day in petually rising fountain of thick smoke, burst- making duplicates of forms, which a fulling, as if with indignation, from the gross sized canvas is scarcely wide enough to conconfines of its narrow birthplace, first dart- tain, and faces, in which the expression of ing upwards in one compact and sable pil-cent. per cent., and the distinctions of white lar, as if from the crater of a volcano, and and brown sauce, are the only visible chathen folding and unfolding its dark volume, racteristics. until, assuming a more ethereal character, While the painter is at work, sacrificing it floats away upon the gale, and ambitious all that is noble in his art to the sad necessiof a higher union, mingles at last with the ty for sordid gain, the gentleman insists upvapours that sail along the purer regions of on a blue coat and buff waist-coat, but above the sky-no, there was nothing in this pic- all, upon a gold headed cane, which necesture but a cotton-mill; and the wealthy sarily mars the picture with a bright yellow owner, with a praiseworthy feeling of grati- spot full in the centre. This however is a tude and respect for the origin of his pros- trifle by comparison, for the buttons help to perity and distinction in the world, had done carry off the glare of the gold, and the artist his best to immortalize the object that was revenges himself by making the hand apnot only the most important, but the dearest proximate to the same colour. It is in atto him on earth. Yet notwithstanding this tempting to delineate the august person of was, in the opinion of at least one individual, the lady, that his skill and his taste are put a picture of great merit, it was unquestion to the severest test. With consternation in ably of that class to which no single poetical his countenance, he eyes the subject before idea could by any possibility be attached. him, and in the first agony of despair, que'It is true that such a building as was here ries within himself whether he cannot really represented, need not be without its intellec- afford to lose the offered reward. He ventual associations. It might give rise to some tures to remonstrate with great delicacy on of the most profound speculations relative to some particular portions of the dress. But trade, commerce, and the wealth of nations; the lady is inexorable. It is a dress for all that I maintain is, that this picture could which she has paid the highest price, and not in any way call forth the passions or must look well. Money rules the day, and affections of our nature, or awaken those the painter, covering his palette with double emotions of the soul which constitute the portions of red and yellow, commences with very essence of poetry.
his task. Upon the head of the fair sitter is In order to render the poetry of painting a pink turban, interwoven with a massive a subject more tractable in an unskilful and gold chain, surmounting a profusion of flaxen inexperienced hand, it will be necessary to ringlets, in the midst of which twinkle out consider it under its three different cha- | two small blue eyes, faintly shaded by thin
eyelashes of the palest yellow, while cheeks bird found in his woodland rambles, to place that might vie with the deepest peony, and on the maternal bosom, which has so fondly a figure upon which is stretched, almost cherished him, that he believes it to have without a fold, a brilliant orange dress of benevolence enough for all the wants and costly silk, make up the rest of the picture. sufferings in the world.
It is upon the same principle, and with It is possible that the same artist may be similar restrictions, that portrait painting is called in to paint the portrait of a poor gengenerally practised in the present day. tleman, who having nothing else to bequeath But let the painter rule his subject, and the to his children, is prevailed upon to leave case will be widely different. He who is them a likeness of the form they have been worthy of his art sees at once what are its accustomed to venerate. The painter finds capabilities. His imagination immediately him in a mean and humble dwelling, dressed places the object before him in some appro- in a manner that too plainly shows his long priate situation. He assigns to it a charac- acquaintance with urgent wants and narrow ter of which it may be wholly unconscious-means. Yet in the noble outline of the face, one to which it was by nature peculiarly the fair and finely moulded forehead, when adapted, though circumstances may have for a moment its wrinkles are smoothed consigned it to a totally different destiny. down, but above all, in the symmetry of the
Perhaps there is no class of pictures in mouth, and the graceful motion of the lips, which the painter's want of taste is more he reads the sad history of that gradual fall frequently displayed, than in the portraits from high station and noble fortune, which of children. We see them standing like has never through the whole of a long life wooden images, holding in one hand an been able to degrade the soul; and in paintorange never meant to be eaten, or flowers ing the portrait of this poor gentleman, he which it is evident they have not gathered; makes a picture worthy of a place amongst their hair smoothly combed, their frocks un- the aristocracy of the land. ruffled, and their blue morocco slippers un- Or he may be required to exercise his art sullied by the dust of the earth. In short in painting the likeness of one of the celethey are always dressed in their best to be brated belles of the day. It is possible that painted, and the mother is often as solicitous the arbitrary laws of fashion may have conabout the pink sash, as about the likeness. cealed the beauty of a form that is perfectly The subject is unquestionably one of great Grecian in its contour. The painter casts difficulty, because the beauty of childhood down the stately and unnatural fabric from consisting chiefly in the light easy move the head, and leaving a few dishevelled ment of the playful limbs, it is almost impos- ringlets to wander over the snowey temples, sible to make a child perfectly natural when binds up the rest of the hair so gracefully at rest, and not sleeping; and it is here that behind, as just to leave visible the noble pilthe skill of the able artist is exercised in lar of the neck, which proudly supports the carrying on our thoughts to what the child whole. It is also possible that the rigid will the next moment be doing. If he does rules of polished society, or early discipline, not place in its hand a bunch of flowers, he or sad experience, may have rendered cold, throws into his picture a vivid atmosphere, constrained, or artificial in its expression, a in which we are sure that flowers are grow-countenance that was originally capable of ing; and by slightly ruffling the fair hair, exhibiting the deepest passions, and the finletting loose the folds of the dress, quicken- est sensibilities of our nature. The artist ing the expression of the eye, and giving a whose eye is quickened to an almost superplayfulness to the almost open lips, an idea natural acuteness of perception, sees all this; of life and motion is conveyed, and we are and in painting the portrait of one who is by deluded into the belief that the very next compulsion a mere fine lady, he invests it moment the child will start off in pursuit of with the beauty and the pathos of a heroine. the butterfly, and that he will bring home Nor is it in the skillful management of with him a handful of flowers gathered from expression alone that the poetry of this art the gorgeous carpet of nature, or a wounded consists. Though this is unquestionably
the most important, there are minor points, specify in what the poetry of the art consists. which cannot be neglected without so glar- | There are certain fundamental principles, ing a violation of good taste that the eye is from whence our ideas of the beauty of naoffended; and as we have often had occa- ture are derived, which the slightest sketch sion to remark, no sooner are the senses is capable of illustrating, but which cannot unpleasantly affected, than the powers of be neglected without offence even to the the mind are arrested in their agreeable most indifferent beholder. Of these princiexercise, and the poetic illusion is totally ples, light and shade are the most important destroyed. In the choice of costume, it is and conspicuous. Thus two objects, one to highly essential to the poetical charm of the receive the rays of light, and another to reportrait, that every thing wearing the cha-ceive the shadow of the first, are sufficient racter of constraint or conceit should be to constitute a picture. Let one of these be avoided. All those striking peculiarities the massive stem of an old tree, grey with which belong only to a class of beings time, and shattered with the storms of ages, whose feelings and avocations are entirely wearing round its hoary brow a wild wreath separate from the sphere of high men- of clustering ivy, and stretching forth one vertal refinement, or intellectual power, will be dant branch, still clothed with dense foliage rejected by an artist of good taste. The as in former years. Let the other be the coarse habit of the monk may be made sub- weedy banks of a silent river, in whose clear servient to the poetical interest of a portrait, depths the shadow of this ancient tree is rebecause it is associated in our minds with flected, and we have at once a scene of ideas of reflection, study, and strict mental sufficient interest and beauty to rivet the discipline; even that of a peasant is admis- eye and fascinate the imagination. Still sible, because his hardy frame may be ani- much must depend, even in a scene so simmated by the bold independence and rude ple as this, not only upon the skilful conduct energy of a mountaineer ; but he who of the pencil, but upon the poetical feeling would paint a butcher or a harlequin in of the artist. Perhaps the subject may be their characteristic costume, must forfeit better understood by illustrating it with a every pretension to the poetry of his art. case in point.
The local partiality of the Dutch painters It was, a few years ago, my good fortune has rendered this error strikingly conspicu- to receive instruction from a gentleman, * ous in some of their historical pieces. who, whatever may be his other pretensions, Whatever
may be the merits of this school must be unanimously acknowledged to be of artists, the national prejudice which re- one of the most poetical artists of the present tained the faruiliar costume, habits, and cus- day; a fact which is sufficiently proved by toms of their own peculiar people, even the fearless and independent manner in when representing the higher scenes and which he can snatch up the most barren subcircumstances of life, proves them to have ject, and invest it with a mysterious beauty been but litlle qualified for the most noble of his own creating. The piece which this and interesting branch of their art.
artist first gave me to copy, was a pencil Besides the choice of costume, and of far sketch of a rude entrance by a little wooden higher importance, is the proper adjustment bridge, over a narrow stream, to what might of colours, and other mechanical branches be a copse-wood, or indeed a wood of any of the art of painting, which cannot properly kind; for the whole picture contained nobe discussed in a chapter on poetry, but thing more than three or four trees, a few which are or unspeakable importance in planks of time-worn timber, and the reedy producing that delightful combination of banks of this stream or pool. My task was form and colour by which the eye is so en performed with diligence, and with no little tirely gratified as to repose in perfect en- self-approbation, for my friends pronounced joyment and to leave the imagination to it to be admirable; and I saw myself that wander as it will. Entering upon the subject of landscape
Mr. Cotman, now professor of drawing at King's painting, it becomes much less difficult to | College, London.
the foliage of the oak was edged round with imagination beyond what was perceptible to the most accurate precision, the rooks in the the eye, farther and farther, into the silent distance were eked out with the same econo- depth of the forest. my of number, and the bulrushes that stood From what I then saw of the metamorin the water were all manifestly tipped at phosis wrought upon this picture, and what the ends. While my heart bounded with I have since learned by observation and exinternal triumph, I drew forth the interesting perience, I am inclined to think that the poedeposit from the portfolio in which I had con- try of landscape painting is dependent, in a veyed it into the presence of my master, and great degree, upon the idea of atmosphere impatiently watched the expression of his being clearly conveyed to the mind. That eye as he glanced over it. After looking at scene, however laboriously or delicately exit for some time with less and less of what ecuted, which, from its want of general harwas agreeable in his countenance, he at last mony, conveys no such idea to the mind, gave utterance to a low growl of disapproba- deserves not the name of a picture; but that tion, and finally pronounced it to be bad in which draws forth the emotions of the soul two ways-bad as a copy, and bad as a by a correspondence with impressions made drawing. Although I was at that moment upon it by the sun, the sky, the seasons, or very much inclined to execrate the art so the hour of the day, may be highly and inoften called divine, I have since learned to tensely poetical, though simple and unprelook with feelings of interest almost like af- tending in itself. This idea must be strongly fection upon that simple drawing, to which impressed upon the memory and the imagimy master, with a few strokes from his own nation of the painter before he begins his able and accomplished pencil, gave a char- task. As in the natural world the colour acter at once touching, beautiful, and poetic. and character of every visible object is afWhat was practically the work of this pen- fected by the air which is invisible, so in all recil, it would be foreign to my purpose (even presentations of external nature there must be were I able) to define. It is sufficient to say, that perfect harmony pervading the whole that through the illusion of the eye, the mind scene, which is in keeping with any particuwas forcibly presented with the ideas of lar state of the atmosphere, of which the space and atmosphere. My drawing repre- artist may wish to convey an impression to sented nothing but an even surface, covered others; and thus, through the medium of with a minutely extended texture, woven form and colour operating upon the eye, the according to the pattern, of oak leaves, reeds, mind receives distinctly and forcibly the idea water, or whatever the uninitiated pencil of that which possesses neither form nor colmight vainly attempt to imitate. In the our in itself, and which no eye is capable of same picture, after it had received a few beholding. touches from an able hand, the most unprac- I never saw the want of atmosphere more tised eye might behold a distinct representa- striking than in a picture full of peacocks. tion of a quiet day in autumn. The rooks, It was intended to illustrate the fable of the which had been stationary and silent, were presumptuous jackdaw adorned in borrowed now winging their way towards that woodland plumes; but the jackdaw was only to be scene, cawing at intervals with the musical found upon examination, for there were three and melancholy cadence, which at that par- peacocks nearly as large as life crowded inticular time of the year, and especially at that to a moderate sized painting, and two of particular distance, turns their harsh tones to them having their tails expanded, the canmelody. The passage of the wooden bridge vass was literally covered with feathers. had now become quite practicable, and after These feathers, it is true, were beautifully looking down into the bosom of the unruffled executed, and had the piece been called a water, you might enter upon that unfre- picture of peacock's feathers, it might have quented path, and hear the rustling of the been admired; but there was a total absence withered grass beneath your feet; while of some of the most essential parts of a scene, high overhead were the majestic branches and the eye turned away with weariness of old and stately trees, extended by the or disgust, while the mind remained unin
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In 2012, their family photo included the two of them. The next year, 2-year-old Nevaeh joined the image. This Thanksgiving, Zaden, 2, and Angel, 16, are welcome parts to the picture.
The couple adopted Nevaeh and Zaden through Buckner International in Lubbock, Texas, with Zaden’s adoption happening Nov. 21. The couple continues to care for Zaden’s brother Angel through foster care.
“We’re incredibly blessed,” Ann said. “I feel like our family is whole.”
The growth in the Ulmer family is the result of their faithful commitment to foster care and adoption. Their journey began before they were married. Ann has a genetic health issue, prompting a discussion about the possibility of adopting later in their relationship.
Years later, Ann saw a photo gallery at the mall of children available for adoption. She went home, and the couple resumed the conversation about adoption, soon pursuing it as a call they felt upon their lives.
At first they dreamed of adopting a pair of siblings under the age of 6, but that didn’t seem to be working out. The Ulmers fostered two brothers for a while, then they returned to their biological homes. The couple continued putting their names in for children, but was not matched up. From May 2012-February 2013, they waited.
Frustrated, the Ulmers turned to prayer.
“There were a lot of nights that I laid down and prayed and a big chunk of the prayer was asking God to match us up with the right child,” Jon said. “Part of praying that prayer was a reminder to me to trust God.”
“We gave up control,” Ann said. “We had a plan, and God had a plan that was different from ours.”
In February 2013, Nevaeh was placed with the Ulmers. A few months later, they were fostering Zaden and Angel. They adopted Nevaeh in May 2014. They adopted Zaden on Nov. 21 in National Adoption Month.
The following Sunday, Zaden and Angel were baptized, which was particularly meaningful for the family.
“We’re Lutheran, so infant baptism is part of our practice,” he said. “We made the conscious decision not to have them baptized until they were our children. Angel is 16, so he chose to be baptized. For us it’s significant. Zaden is our little guy, and we’ve chosen to have him baptized.”
For Thanksgiving, the family took a road trip to see extended relatives, allowing them to enjoy the moment.
“To be able to see our family fit right in and connect and be part of the cousins is a pretty touching thing,” Jon said. “For both our parents, these kids have been grandkids since the day they walked in the door.”
It may have taken longer than they’d like, but the Ulmers have seen God’s timing serve them better than their own. It’s certainly given them plenty to be thankful for.
“I guess I’ve gotten everything I wanted,” Ann said. “So we’ve got two under the age of 6 and another who is 16.”
John Hall is the associate director of public relations at Buckner International. Get in touch with him at jhall[at]buckner[dot]org.
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By Andrew on July 17, 2013 • ( 10 Comments )
I wasn’t in the greatest of moods this morning when I woke. I had slept relatively well (who wouldn’t after most of a bottle of Montenegrin Chardonnay?) but was still narked that I had been taken in by the wide boy who had turned the patch of land behind his apartments into a ‘camping’. OK, I had paid only 5€ for the privilege but it was clear that he had lied to me the previous evening about the other sites; ‘it’s been turned into a hotel…’ & ‘it’s four kilometres away and it’s dirty…’. I have no doubt that both other sites existed and were fine. Despite my current tendency to run to the nearest hotel as soon as I find something to dislike about a campsite, I do like campsites; they are (generally – see later comments) full of my kind of people. Or should be. Interesting, erudite, probably middle-class… I’m sure hotels are full of these people too but because of the nature of the hotel set up (for example, you don’t go and knock on your neighbour’s door to ask for a mallet to bash your pegs into the ground in a hotel although now I mention it I am tempted to give it a try and see what reaction I get), conversations with other guests are limited. You can find any old excuse to get a conversation going on a campsite and its that aspect that I was cruelly deprived of by Ulcinj’s answer to Del Trotter. I did actually have a chat with an Italian guy who had also succumbed to Del’s charm, in Italian I’m proud to say but then I started knocking back the Chardonnay…
My morning malaise wasn’t helped by the first two encounters of the day. The young girl at the first bakery I came to told me to remove Reggie from the terrace so I did so, removed myself as well and my business and then, whilst crossing a pedestrian crossing outside the bakery was nearly flattened by a Serbian who was trying to cross the road in his car via the same pedestrian crossing. Idiot. However, things started to improve with the next two people I came across who were far more delightful. Both, interestingly, were Kosovans… The first was a Lycra-clad cyclist who joined me for a few minutes as I cycled out of town. He was working in the resort and explained how he liked to do forty kilometres before teaching the kids so I assume he was some kind of ‘animateur’ in a resort hotel. He was cheery and was inquisitive as to where I had come from and where I was going. The second was a boy of about 12 years old called Blend. I hope he is reading this now as I gave him my business card after our short encounter in the bakery that he was in charge of for the morning. He didn’t ask Reggie to move on so got my money. I asked him if he spoke English and he did. Very well indeed, with a slight American accent which he put down to watching lots of films. He was very softly spoken and real delight. I bought a couple of croissants and he asked if he could sit next to me as I munched my way through them. We chatted for a few minutes about where he had learned his English, where he came from and the fact that one day he would like to visit Britain. I hope he does. During the 1990s when Kosovans first came into the conscience of the rest of Europe (who even knew where Kosova was prior to the Balkan wars?), the image portrayed of the Kosovan people was of a downtrodden, sad group forgotten about by the rest of Europe. Here were two Kosovans – one in his late 20s the other barely in his teens who were dispelling that image in a matter of 30 minutes. My mood was uplifted to say the very least! I do need to find out more about where Kosova currently sits politically. Aida at the British Council in Tirana spoke about the Kosovan people becoming part of a greater Albania (“they are Albanians”) and here were two Kosovans working within the European Union. How does that work? They appear to have freedom to work within the former states that made up the former Yugoslavia but by coming to Montenegro, what’s stopping them from simply moving elsewhere within the EU? I am finding the patchwork of Balkan countries more and more fascinating as I find out more about them. Expect a heavy dose of it in the book… If anyone can recommend a good book explaining the Balkans, please let me know. I would imagine that Misha Glenny has probably written one.
I headed north out of Ulcinj and it was a long, slow climb. I had arranged to meet Twitter contact Aleksandar Jahaj (@3in3ule) in his home town of Bar for a chat at 10am. Today has been the first day of cycling where I have been deprived of my normal access to 3G. My Vodafone ‘Eurotraveller’ package considers Montenegro to be part of ‘the rest of the World’. May I point out to Vodafone that Montenegro have a football team that are playing England at Wembley in the European qualifying group for the World Cup in the autumn and also enter contestants for the Eurovision Sing Contest. They are part of the EU for goodness sake [STOP: see comments section for this post], use the Euro and don’t give a toss about driving while they are using their mobile. They must be European! But not for Vodafone… So whilst in the country I’m limited to WiFi. The result of all this is that I realised just how dependant I have become about using Google Maps for locating my position. Today I was struggling with my 1:300,000 map. Had I already passed Bar? I really wasn’t sure…
Fortunately it turned out that I hadn’t and I managed to find the main square in the town and sat under a statue of Knez Vladimir. Anyone know who he is? I texted Aleks to say that I had arrived and within a few minutes he too was standing next to Knez. We walked down to the shore and drank a coffee and ate ice cream whilst chatting about what exactly Montenegro is, where it has been in recent years and where it is going. He did the job that Aida had done back in Tirana. Very interesting stuff. Aleks was also able to point me in the direction of some interesting stop offs en route to my destination of Tivat. In the end I didn’t stop at Petrovac but I did pause and delight in the beauty of the presqu’île that is Saint Stefan (see picture below) and then took a late lunch in the beautifully-preserved old town of Budva. As I approached Budva I did wonder what I was letting myself in for. Tourists everywhere! (I’m a traveller…) Cars containing tourists everywhere. Shops to cater for tourists everywhere. I kept following the signs for ‘stari’ town in the hope that the tourists would have been creamed off by the beach by that point. They had and the old town was delightfully calm and quiet. I wandered around for a few minutes before finding a restaurant where I ate pasta to boost my energy levels. One of the waiters was interested by my bike and we got chatting. He would like to get into cycle touring but he said there were no places to buy a decent bike in Montenegro. He asked for the type of bike that Reggie is and I wrote it down for him. He’s going to watch the England v. Montenegro match in September at Wembley (hence my detailed football knowledge above) and is going to investigate the purchase of one of Reggie’s cousins. He asked me if I knew of Yorkshire. Err… Is Patriarch Irinej an orthodox Christian? He had been to Bradford of all places and loved it. Bradford? Beautifully-preserved Adriatic coast town drenched in the sun? Where would you rather be? I’ll let that one hang. His mind however was made up and it was Bradford hands down.
Budva to Tivat was gradually uphill for 10 kilometres then gradually downhill for 10 kilometres. The drivers in Montenegro had, up until leaving Budva been a refreshing delight after the horrors of Albania but the road to Tivat had me thinking again and I am not proud to admit that the middle finger of my right hand saw some serious action this afternoon along with some Chaucerian expressions that would have given even Chaucer heart palpitations. It was a strange coincidence then that I was also experiencing heart palpitations upon seeing the campsite on the outskirts of Tivat called ‘Auto Kamp Bova’ which appeared to be run by Steptoe and wife. He was in the process of using welding equipment to dismantle a car engine at the entrance. I could feel Reggie trembling beneath my thighs and the guided tour by Mrs Steptoe gave me no reason to hang around and find out if he had reason to be fearful. The campsite in Carry On Camping would have been more welcoming so its rather ironic then that I have ended up in the three star Hotel Palma (again!) which could have a blue plaque outside the entrance stating that Carry On Abroad was filmed here. As I type I am one of the few punters who is sitting in the bar listening to the resident singer who is knocking out every hit of the 1980s you have heard of (and quite a few that you haven’t). The strange thing is that the others in the bar are actually tapping their feet… (OK, I admit it, I am too…) “We don’t need no education…” has just started. In a Serbian accent. “Hey! Teacher! Leave those keys alone…”. Perhaps he can read over my shoulder.
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Winecyclist says:
July 18, 2013 at 8:38 am
It’s not Kosovans, it’s Kosovars. Also, regarding off-line navigation. I use NavFree too — highly recommend it.
jim says:
July 18, 2013 at 6:53 am
O.K been doing a bit of browsing this end and a lot of people are raving about NAVFREE , downloadable for iphone and android, Basically it allows you to download the maps and store them so you don’t use up data (Unlike google maps) The IKI page says it does slovakia and slovinia and most of europe. It uses openstreetmap, Which I use a version of in the u.k and it is more accurate than O.S on my bike GPS. It might take a bit of data so go wifi to download it… Best of luck
Jim
July 18, 2013 at 5:56 am
I really appreciate the mention,and the kind words! I hope we’ll see again,in ENGLAND! Haha! Have a nice trip!
Andrew says:
July 18, 2013 at 6:02 am
It was a pleasure meeting you Blend. Good luck with your studies. I’m sure you will go far!
Andrew says:
July 18, 2013 at 12:18 am
Thanks for the clarification. My assumption (which initially surprised me as I didn’t think it was in the EU) is based upon the currency but… http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montenegro_and_the_euro
jim says:
July 17, 2013 at 9:38 pm
Wondered what had happened to Reggies tracker this A.M… Must have been lack of 3g
Andrew says:
July 17, 2013 at 9:45 pm
Exactly! Back to business as normal on cycling day 16 I hope!
July 17, 2013 at 9:28 pm
I really don’t understand how you manage not to find more and better campsites along the way. When you get to Croatia, there is always another campsite never more than a few miles away.
keep up the good work.
Winecycling says:
July 17, 2013 at 8:28 pm
Kosovars.
Andrew says:
July 17, 2013 at 8:36 pm
What about them?
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All of the blog articles on this blog are my own personal OPINION. They do not reflect on any other people in my life that I may associate with, my children or my spouse.
This begins it...
I finally had to explain to a friend about choice. He caught the tail end of a Kerry Cassidy and Miles Johnston interview. It was about portals, spiders, and black magic and the stupid games going on now. He said that if you look at the thousands of movies and stories out there about this… I said that since 1965-Star Trek we have been inundated with this type of info. But it’s about sovereignty and choice, not a freak out. We must wake up, declare Sovereignty – Stand up and say No. But we have to awaken to do that. If we keep our heads in the sand, we will become pets – worse, slaves. It’s the Choice between sleeping slavery and autonomy.
We must awaken to the powerful souls we are, our intent and willpower, our ability to create and dream and realize that, that is exactly what is creating our reality on this rock – we are Not powerless.
I’m a pretty strong individual. I use my will and intent with awareness. Should I die all that power will be let loose. That avenging angel will be free and I will find you. I know this to be me. So, go ahead, piss me off – kill me, Make-My-Day, see what happens then…
The rest of humanity needs to know what the human body cloaks. The powerful righteousness that lives within us. This beauty and strength must awaken.
We must awaken. We really are our own Saviours. My soul, each of our souls, are ancient, powerful, divine beings, glowing with light and power. We can not afford to ignore this any longer. The eleventh hour is here. No more waiting. No more hiding. No more programming or lies. It is over. It is time to be irritated enough to smack the ankle biters off and take action. Awaken sleepers!
It is time to face those at our backs with the fire of our immortal souls burning in our eyes and say STOP! You are done! Time for you to go, leave. We are kicking you and yours out.
We would stand so tall and powerful that just our awareness would make them shrivel in the light and scurry away under the terrible glance of our full attention, righteous fury and wrath.
“Sleepers wake!” A voice astounds us, the shout of rampart-guards surrounds us: “Awake, Jerusalem, arise!” Midnight’s peace their cry has broken, their urgent summons clearly spoken: “The time has come, 0 maidens wise! Rise up and give us light…”
For we are our own light – our own immortal souls are the bridegroom and it is time we re-member who we are.
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Through this Doha, Kabir is trying to emphasize the importance of teachers in our life. He says that a Guru (Teacher) and God are standing in front of you, then whose feet you will touch and give honor to? Then he says that Guru deserves the first right to get the honor as he affectionately teaches to know God by giving knowledge. Therefore, the importance of the Guru is more than the God.
I believe nothing could have better put an end to this argument than this Doha. We all agree that teachers are the stepping stone and guiding light of our life. We all might have one or more teachers whom we admire from the core of our hearts.
I feel lucky to have been surrounded by such teachers who motivate me to be a better person, not only for my own sake but also for the sake of the whole of humankind.
So today, on September 5, which is celebrated as a tribute to the contribution made by teachers to our society, let’s take a moment to remind yourself of your favorite teacher and let them know through a call, text message, or a letter that they mean so much to you. Let them know that they have played an important part in shaping you in the right direction. Let them know that they’ve succeeded in their profession by being kind, empathetic, encouraging, and understanding. Time is running out, what are you waiting for? Go and hit the button.
Okay. So, after wishing your teacher some good words. Let’s now remember some of the great teachers our country had to date. Teachers who knew no bounds. Teachers who taught us beyond the boundaries of four walls.
True teachers are those who help us think for ourselves.
We celebrate Teacher’s Day on the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. He was a great teacher, philosopher, author, and great human being. He was a meritorious student and completed his studies through various scholarships.
Would you like to know why we celebrate this day as a teacher’s day? So, the story goes like this. When Radhakrishnan was on the post of president, his students approached him and asked for his approval to make his birthday, which is the 5th of September a special day. But instead of accepting their request, Radhakrishnan suggested that this day should be celebrated as Teacher’s Day to recognize and honor the contributions made by teachers, not only to their students but also to the whole society. And since then, we celebrate this day as Teacher’s Day.
Quotes by Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
“When we think we know we cease to learn.”
“Books are how we build bridges between cultures."
“The true teachers are those who help us think for ourselves."
“The end-product of education should be a free creative man, who can battle against historical circumstances and adversities of nature."
“Teachers should be the best mind in the country."
Chanakya is considered to be one of the greatest teachers of all time. We all must have read his advice in the form of Chanakya-Niti which guides us on every aspect of our lives, be it relationships, war, personal and public life. He goes on to explain the tactics and lessons that we should learn to better cope with the extremities thrown at us by our life.
Chanakya excelled in philosophy and Economics and was a professor at the University of Takshashila. It is believed that he was humiliated by a great king named Dhanananda, and to take revenge, Chanakya took a boy off the street, and trained him in planning, plotting, and strategizing to win over the kingdom of Magadha. The name of the boy was Chandragupta Maurya.
There’s a famous quote from Chanakya that says;
“Before you start something really important, always ask the following three questions – Why are you doing it, what is your definition of success, and what are your chances of succeeding?”
Chanakya not only taught us the greatest lessons of economics, Statecraft, and management but he also went on to teach us the greatest of life lessons that help us sail through life that is sometimes unpredictable and cruel.
Through his teachings, he has won generations of disciplines that were not directly taught by him but learned through his thoughts that were stored in history. He will continue to inspire, motivate and guide the coming generations and his name will forever be imprinted in our hearts as “The greatest of all teachers.”
Education is our best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats beauty and youth
The wise man should restrain his senses like the crane and accomplish his purpose with due knowledge of his place, time, and ability.
Education beats the beauty and the youth
Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person.
He who lives in our mind is near though he may be far away; but he who is not in our heart is far though he may be nearby.
Being the first female teacher of India, the work of Savitribai Bai Phule is no less than an act of great bravery. She fought for the education of women when it was considered a sin to send your girls outside the home.
She was taught by her husband when she used to visit fields to give him his afternoon meal. When this news reached Jyotiba’s father, he outcaste them. But this didn’t deter the faith of the couple. They went on to establish the first girl’s school in Vishram Bagh Wada, Pune.
For their audacity to go against societal norms, they were vilified by the orthodox section of society. When their harsh words didn’t break the faith of Savitribai, they went on to throw filth, eggs, rotten tomatoes, and cow dung. Instead of being angry at them, she would gently reply, “My brothers, I am doing the noble job of educating your sisters. The cow dung and stones that you are pelting on me are not a deterrent but rather an inspiration for me. It is as if you are showering petals on me. While I vow to serve my sisters, I also pray, 'May God bless you.'"
Also, to deal with this situation, she used to carry one extra saree along with her on way to school. So that if the saree she was wearing got soiled by dirt, she can change it once she reached school and then can start with her teaching. While returning home, she would again change into a filthy saree to take filth from society.
Her poetry books named “KAVYA PHULE” and “BAVAN KASHI SUBODH RATNAKAR” continue to inspire us to date with their hard questions on caste and gender. Her poem, “Go, Get Education” encourages people to free themselves through education.
Her contribution to the field of women’s education is valuable. All women of our country owe her respect and a great deal of gratitude. Women's emancipation was never an easy task, but the contribution of Savitri Bái is something that has provided wheels to the movement in this direction.
Quotes by Savitri Bai Phule
“The lack of learning is nothing but gross bestiality. It is through the acquisition of knowledge that (he) loses his lower status and achieves a higher one.”
“We shall overcome and success will be ours in the future. The future belongs to us.”
“Sit idle no more. Go get an education.”
“Stories don’t lead to results. They lead to questions. Stories help children ask the question—why? These make children curious and critical thinkers. This thinking leads to the changes we see on the ground”
"Our patriarchal societies, especially the communities we work with, do not appreciate their mindsets being questioned. And there I was going home to home, investigating their girls and talking about their right to have an education! I remember having countless doors slammed in my face and the mistreatments hurled at me and my team. They would call us mad dogs!”
Rabindra Nath Tagore was a poet, writer, playwright, songwriter, and philosopher, but above all, he was a great educator. He taught beyond the scope of books. He taught his students to learn from personal life experiences, as he believed that life is the greatest of all the teachers.
He preferred teaching his children in the company of nature. He wanted them to feel the flowing air, the soothing sound of it, and everything that exists in between. In his Ashrams, students were taught to rise early in the morning, to draw water from the well for their bath, and to make their beds. Tagore believed in freedom of mind and he helped his disciples to find that freedom on their own.
We all enjoy one of the great poems by the name “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high” which goes like this;
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Quotes by Rabindra Nath Tagore:
“The highest education is that which does not merely give us information, but makes our life in harmony with all existence”
“We rob the child of his earth to teach him geography; Of language, to teach him grammar; His hunger is for the epic, (but) he is supplied with chronicles of facts and dates”
“At first, children must gather knowledge through their life because children are in love with their life, and it is their first love. All its color and movement attract their eager attention, and then they will renounce their lives to gain knowledge “
“Luxuries are the burdens of other people's habits, the burdens of the vicarious pride and pleasure which parents enjoy through their children”
“The mind of the child is always on the alert, restless, and eager to receive firsthand knowledge from mother nature. Children should be surrounded by the things of nature which have their educational value. Their minds should be allowed to stumble upon and be surprised at everything that happens in today's life”
Image source: unsplash.com
Gautam Buddha was born in the royal dynasty in Lumbini. At the age of 29, he left his kingdom and family behind in search of truth. He wandered for 6 years and finally got enlightenment while meditating under the Bodhi tree in Gaya. After this, he started preaching his message of love and non-violence across regions. In this way, he got many of his followers who joined in the journey of self-discovery.
He contributed various great philosophies such as Meta-Physics, epistemology, and ethics. He also gave 3 ideals of Buddhism namely, The Buddha, The Dharma, and The Sangha.
On his journey to finding the truth, he came up with four noble truths. They are;
In life, there is always suffering.
There is a cause of suffering. And the cause is desire and ignorance.
The suffering can be eliminated.
There is a path to eliminate suffering.
He also gave noble eight-fold paths. They are;
Quotes by Gautam Buddha
My teaching is not philosophy. It is the result of direct experience...
My teaching is a means of practice, not something to hold onto or worship.
My teaching is like a raft used to cross the river.
Only a fool would carry the raft around after he had already reached the other shore of liberation.
To cease from evil, to do good, and to purify the mind yourself, this is the teaching of all the Buddhas.
Just as the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt, so also this teaching and discipline have one taste, the taste of liberation.
To live a single day and hear a good teaching is better than to live a hundred years without knowing such teaching.
Yet the Teaching is simple. Do what is right. Be pure. At the end of the way is freedom.
Swami Vivekananda was born in Bengal. He was a monk, philosopher, and author. He introduced philosophies such as Darsana, Vedanta, and Yoga to the western world. He is credited with raising interfaith awareness and elevating the status of Hinduism to a major world religion during the late nineteenth century. He founded Ramkrishna Math.
He emphasized that you should first believe in yourself, only then will you be able to believe in God. He told us that we have to grow from the inside. No one can teach you life lessons until you are not willing to teach yourself. No one can make you spiritual. You have to take control of your own life. Because there is no greater teacher than your soul.
He also taught us to hold on in the face of adversity. He told us that persistence is the key to achieving your goals. Hurdles are destined to come when you embark on a difficult journey, but you have to fight them and not give up in the face of adversity.
Quotes by Swami Vivekananda
All the wealth of the world cannot help one little Indian village if the people are not taught to help themselves. Our work should be mainly educational, both moral and intellectual.
Educate and raise the masses, and thus alone a nation is possible.
Education, education, education alone! Traveling through many cities of Europe and observing in them the comforts and education of even the poor people, there was brought to my mind the state of our poor people, and I used to shed tears. What made the difference? Education was the answer I got. Through education comes faith in one’s Self, and through faith in one’s Self the inherent Brahman is waking up in them.
Education is not filling the mind with a lot of facts. Perfecting the instrument and getting complete mastery of my mind is the ideal education.
Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man.
He was an aerospace scientist and statesman who served as the 11th President of India. On account of his efforts in the field of missile development, he came to be known as the Missile Man of India.
He rightfully said;
“If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother, and the teacher.”
He inspired young people to think differently. He inspired them to have the courage to be different, courage to invent, courage to travel the unexplored path, courage to discover the impossible, and courage to conquer problems and succeed.
He encouraged youth to dream big and devote single-minded focus to achieving that goal. If you work hard to make something possible, it doesn’t seem impossible.
Kalam was in the field of science, but his work was solely based on ethics, humanity, and integrity.
Quotes by Kalam
The nation's best brains may be found on the last benches of the classroom.
All of us do not have equal talent. But, all of us have an equal opportunity to develop our talents.
Excellence happens not by accident. It is a process.
The purpose of education is to make good human beings with skill and expertise... Enlightened human beings can be created by teachers.
Creativity is seeing the same thing but thinking differently.
A small aim is a crime; have a great aim.
Educationists should build the capacities of the spirit of inquiry, creativity, and entrepreneurial and moral leadership among students and become their role models.
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Our handcrafted one of a kind pieces are made from one of the strongest and most durable woods on the planet, white oak. There is a reason that coopers from around the world use this rugged wood when making their barrels. White oak is naturally water and rot resistant due to its closed cellular structure. It has been widely used in shipbuilding, as well as interior and exterior construction for centuries. White oak is the worldwide "go to wood" in the fine art of aging wine and spirits because of its incredibly unique properties.
All of our furniture and accessories come from the finest handpicked white oak barrels. They have lived out their lifespan as vessels for aging the finest wines from around the world. We upcycle these barrels into some of the finest and most durable and artistic furnishings that you could ever own.
Whether you are looking for unique home or business decor, or just a simple gift, we are here to make your vision a reality!
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If you would like to inquire about a new or existing order by phone, please contact us directly by phone or text at
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This month, a Silicon Valley startup called Frank that aims to serve nonprofit groups and their donors paid these expenses: $24,514 to nine people for product development and design, $3,124 to the VLP Law Group for patent work, $3,271 to Trinet for HR services, $99 to Dropbox, $54 to Google and $7 to Github. Its bank account balance, as of last week, was $97,477.
Too much information? Daniil and David Liberman, the Russian-born brothers who are leading Frank, don’t think so.
“If we want nonprofits to be transparent and donors to trust us, we have to be radically transparent ourselves,” the Libermans say.
That is the purpose of Frank: To make nonprofits more transparent, and by doing so help them build trust with donors. It’s a bold, radical idea. It’s going to be a hard sell to nonprofits. But, at the very least, it’s a reminder of how far nonprofits and foundations have to go when it comes to transparency–and how far they could go if they chose to.
Why would nonprofits want to be so open? “The main incentive is better relationships with supporters, especially when nonprofits work with young donors,” says David. “If they want a deeper interaction, this is the best way to build trust.”
“Some organizations may be really afraid of this,”Daniil admits, “but those that are really efficient should realize it is a great opportunity.”
A family business
Frank is a family business, in spades. It was started by five Liberman siblings: Daniil, 33, and David, 32, who live in Palo Alto and spoke to me the other day via Google Chat, and their brother Gabriel and sisters Mariya and Anna, who are in Moscow, where the family grew up. An older brother, Michael Liberman, is a former Goldman Sachs executive and chief operating officer of hedge fund BlueMountain Capital.
The Libermans are funding Frank with earnings from several prior startups: a game development company called Sibilant Interactive, a Russian social network for gamers and an animation studio that produced a satirical series for Russia’s largest TV network.
They told me that the idea for Frank predated all those businesses. In fact, they first presented it to Russian authorities years ago.
“You can pretty much imagine the reaction,” Daniil said. “We were offering them an ultimate solution to corruption.”
The technology behind Frank is relatively simple: Its software publishes transactions from a bank account onto a website or mobile device, with no human intervention, so the data can be trusted.
The Libermans expect to start small–with crowdfunding campaigns, or a group of parents raising money for a school, or a community charity. While they will initially target nonprofits, they can imagine the platform being used by local governments to show citizens how it is spending money, or by factories that want to show brands they are paying workers fairly.
The challenge for the Libermans will be balancing their desire to provide transparency, which is almost always a good thing, with their users’ desire for privacy. Will nonprofits want to make the salaries of their workers public, or let donors know where the executive director stayed during that conference in San Francisco? Will they want to show donors how much they are paying consultants to help with fundraising?
“This requires a gentle approach when we talk with nonprofits,” says Daniil Liberman. “Even those who think it is very cool, they immediately start thinking what if, what if, what if.”
Smart nonprofits should not dismiss Frank out of hand. After all, compensation for their best-paid staffers is already made public on IRS forms (although, annoyingly, those forms are often way out of date). Some for-profit companies practice what is called open book management to good effect, sharing financial data with all of their workers. “Radical transparency, the idea of everyone knowing everything, could actually be a major driver of increased organizational performance,” an entrepreneur and an academic wrote several years ago in Harvard Business Review.
The Libermans will also try to persuade nonprofits that Frank will save them time and money on bookkeeping, tax and financial reporting. They plan to charge fees to nonprofits that want to use the platform, although they are also talking to west coast foundations about financing pilot projects for grantees. It will almost certainly take support from donors to get nonprofits to be more open.
This is likely the first time most of you have heard about Frank. It may be the last. But I hope not. I’d like to see the platform evolve and grow, by working with nonprofits and foundations. Even better would be a platform that, along with financial transparency, could deliver more shared insight about the impact. Guidestar has just taken a step in that direction with its Platinum tier.
Whether or not Frank gets traction, nonprofits, government and businesses are sure to face rising expectations of transparency from donors, citizens and customers. It’s harder than ever for institutions to keep secrets–think about the recent reporting on the Wounded Warrior Project and the American Red Cross, the Panama papers, the Exxon Mobil climate change story, Edward Snowden or cell phone videos from inside factory farms.
I’ll spare you the famous Louis Brandeis quote (now 103 years old!) and instead say that embracing radical transparency could be a way for daring nonprofits to set themselves apart from the crowd.
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7 thoughts on “Radical transparency: Let me be Frank with you”
May 23, 2016 at 2:54 pm
I didn’t notice a mention of the transparency feature I’d love to see for large, influential non-profits, which is information on funding sources.
It is often quite a challenge to “follow the money” to find out if there is any financial motivation for taking certain stances, advocating for certain actions, or fighting against certain competing technologies.
May 23, 2016 at 4:28 pm
Thanks, Rod, and I can guess which technologies you might have in mind. Most environmental groups are quite open about their corporate funding but I agree that TOTAL transparency is that area is what we should require of tax-exempt nonprofits.
May 22, 2016 at 7:23 pm
really interesting. i had not heard of this, Marc and am glad you wrote this post about this.
And, I wouldn’t want to have to spend too much energy defending paying market-rate salaries to the exceptional people who work for me if a donor thinks that they should all volunteer or work at a substantial discount. So yes, i’m one of those non-profit CEOs who would say ‘what if,’
I’d feel better if the platform allows for more storytelling around the rationale for certain expenditures rather than assuming each one is self-explanatory. Acceptance of the need to support non-profit infrastructure needs to reach a higher level before something like Frank can raise fewer immediate concerns.
May 22, 2016 at 8:00 pm
Dan, no doubt there are issues here, and there is space for comments and explanations on the prototype that Frank shared with me. I don’t think the product is quite ready yet but directionally I like what Daniil and David are doing. Thanks for reading the blog and good luck with your new gig!
May 22, 2016 at 4:44 pm
It’s definitely a noble idea, and I agree with increased transparency. But I do think there is a rational limit. There is a point at which people (especially critics) might latch onto minutiae and make a big deal about it. Like why are they paying any money to Dropbox at all? Google offers non-profits free accounts, and 30GB of equivalent storage per account. Running out of space? Create another account and you get another 30GB. And why are there no entries for rent, utilities, insurance? And wasting money on patents? Really?! That seems like a poor use of funds. Anyway, hopefully you can see my point. I’m not sure where the exact balance point is, but I do know there is one. Otherwise be prepared to have a discussion about how much you are spending on toilet paper and toner cartridges (don’t you know the generics are just as good, and cost a fraction of the brand names?!)
May 22, 2016 at 8:09 pm
Excellent points, Dave. (Although maybe nonprofits should be buying the generic toner cartridges?) One reason why I like Frank (that I didn’t mention in the post) is that it is up to date. I often visit foundation and nonprofit websites and find the most reason IRS Form 990 is a year or more old. Check out the website for Shining Hope for Communities, an acclaimed NGO; its most recent 990 is for 2013. Hard to know why.
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How to receive partial orders/what to do when the supplier doesn't deliver everything you've ordered.
How to order from a non-default supplier
How to navigate the Order History page
How to receive purchase orders and credit requests.
Updated May 04, 2022 00:08
You need Stock permission to create, send and receive purchase orders. If you don't have access to this module, ask someone with Managers permission to update your user permissions.
You need to have entered your delivery details, supplier details and stock items before you can generate, send and receive a purchase order/credit request.
It is important you have a copy of the supplier invoice for your order on hand so you can match the details exactly.
Once you have received purchase orders you are able to export these to Xero for payment.
To access head to Stock and then Ordering, Outstanding Orders.
This page shows a list of any purchase orders/credit requests which have been sent to suppliers but not yet received.
Select the appropriate purchase order from the list and to open it just click on Receive.
This will take you to the purchase order.
Firstly, change the date received and date invoiced to match the date on the invoice or packing slip from the supplier. Click on each field and select the matching date.
Enter the invoice number (from the physical invoice you have) into the text box on the right-hand side of the purchase order. Click on the text box and type this in.
Go through the list of stock items and match them against what is on the invoice, you need to ensure that the quantity delivered on the purchase order matches the quantity delivered on the invoice.
You will also need to check that the unit cost matches on the purchase order & on the invoice.
If you need to add an item that is on the Invoice but not on the original purchase order e.g. Keg Deposits, add them by clicking on +Add Item and typing in the product name, select the product and ensure the quantity and price matches the invoice.
If a supplier fails to deliver an item from the original purchase order you can delete it from the template by clicking on the red x beside the item.
Some suppliers will charge you freight, this will need to be added into the text box in between the subtotal & the total including GST boxes.
When you have matched all items you will need to check that the subtotal and the total including GST match on the purchase order to within 10 cents of that on the invoice. Note rounding differences may occur with regards to how the supplier rounds versus how Loaded rounds
When you're happy with all the details click Receive Goods.
This will move the purchase order to the orders by suppliers and orders by item page. If you ever need to find received purchase orders or credit requests you can use the Order History page.
Follow the same process for Credit requests but select Credit Goods instead of Receive Goods - the value and quantity will automatically save as negative.
Other articles and resources that you might find useful.
How to generate & send purchase orders and credit requests
How to navigate the orders by suppliers page
How to export invoices to Xero
How to review a stocktake
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How to export invoices to Xero
How to create and send a purchase order or credit request
How to direct order through Loaded
How to receive partial orders/what to do when the supplier doesn't deliver everything you've ordered.
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I’ll start by saying that I had expected some catch some flack for being an RD and “supporting” Weight Watchers by learning about the new PointsPlus program and attending meetings myself. But I’ve thought long and hard about 1) learning about the new PointsPlus program at all, 2) attending, and 3) blogging about it for the world to judge. My recent weight struggles are related to a fairly recent diagnosis of PCOS and insulin resistance. But below you’ll find my thoughts on this all — good, bad, and ugly. Grab some popcorn and a beverage…this could be a long one, folks.
Firstly, I lost 75+ pounds on Weight Watchers. After Atkins and South Beach and several others had failed, Weight Watchers helped me at 190lbs and 14 years old when I was unhappy and leading a very unhealthy life. Weight Watchers is what lead me to wanting to become a dietitian and help others attain a healthier and happier them. In college, at 19, I lead Weight Watchers meetings. Helping inspire others to lose weight helped me keep my weight off and gave me the skills I needed in speaking with individuals both one-on-one and as a group. I truly feel that facilitating Weight Watchers meetings is what has me teaching college and loving it. So it’s no wonder as to why I will always be grateful to a program that lead me to where I am and who I am today.
It would be vain and insensitive for me to say that anyone wanting to lose weight should see a dietitian, and only a dietitian. While RD’s are the nutrition expert, seeing a dietitian is not realistic for most people, especially on a regular or semi-regular basis. While there are certainly weight loss programs lead by RD’s out there, they are far and few between, especially when comparing them to the accessibility and feasibility of Weight Watchers meetings across the US. As a professional in PREVENTION, I would never discredit a company such as Weight Watchers, who employs MANY Registered Dietitians and who has the common goal of helping overweight and obese individuals meet their weight loss and health goals. With epidemic proportions of overweight and obesity, how could I not support such efforts?
I would argue that Weight Watchers works for 3 very simple reasons:
1. Accountability. You go weekly, weigh-in, and learn tools necessary for calorie restriction, balanced dieting, exercise, and so on. And more than all of that, is seeing others on a regular basis who have the same goal as you.
2. Journaling. Weight Watchers has always emphasized food journaling. I blogged about food journaling on Friday and several of you commented that food journaling made you obsessive or fed (no pun intended) your ED behaviors. While I am not discrediting those points (they are very valid), I believe food journaling to be a reliable tool for self-assessment and accountability. Diet records are kept for a plethora of reasons and as a practicing dietitian, I heavily rely on patient’s food journals to help tailor nutrition education and stimulate behavior change.
3. Calorie restriction and healthy eating. If followed as designed, Weight Watchers provides a diet that is varied, flexible, balanced, and adequate. For those that don’t believe Weight Watchers gives you parameters with which to work, while providing the framework for a healthy diet, you are wrong. Weight Watchers builds their healthy eating guidelines off well-researched and well-published information regarding macro and micronutrient balance found in a healthy, balanced diet.
In reference to the new PointsPlus program, I believe there are positives and negatives. The major change from the Points to the PointsPlus programs is macronutrient composition. The new program is designed to be low-fat, high fiber, lower carb, and high protein. Generally speaking, if a food has more protein and/or fiber, the food will be lower in PointsPlus. Similarily, if a food is high in fat and/or carbohydrate, it will be higher in PointsPlus.
While I believe a higher protein diet to be helpful with satiety, most Americans consume plenty of protein each day. And while higher fiber foods are lower in PointsPlus, carbohydrates overall cause a major jump up. Fat also causes PointsPlus values to be high. Just when we were starting to get the jest of “good” and “bad” fats, Weight Watchers is sort of going back in time to say that all fats should be strictly limited. With my 29 daily PointsPlus, for instance, 1/2 avocado would run 6 PointsPlus, 1 oz. almonds would run 4 PointsPlus, 1 Tbsp peanut butter would run 3 PointsPlus, and 2 tsp olive oil would run me 2 PointsPlus. I could and would eat all of those foods throughout the day, however, they would account for nearly 52% of my allotted PointsPlus for the day, without providing much volume of food.
However, the new PointsPlus program continues to issue Activity PointsPlus which are earned for performing physical activity, as well as a Weekly PointsPlus Allowance of 49 PointsPlus. While I would argue that many people use both sets of additional PointsPlus for “discretionary” calorie foods (alcohol, sweets, etc.), they should, for the most part, be used on wholesome, nutritious foods such as avocados, peanut butter, nuts, and heart-healthy oils, for example.
This would be a good time to mention that MOST fruits and vegetables are “free” foods on the new program, meaning they have a 0 PointsPlus value. On the old Points program, a banana had a Points value of 2 and most fruits had a Points value of 1. While these Points numbers are low, many people received only 18 Points per day and felt they were “wasting” Points spent on fruits. In an effort to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, most fruits and vegetables no longer “cost” any PointsPlus. I believe this to be a very positive change, so long Weight Watchers continues to educate on hunger and satiety signaling and portion control. Just because fruits are a “free” and wholesome food, doesn’t mean we need 22 cups of watermelon in a day! At the end of the day, calories are calories regardless of their source and in order to produce weight loss, a calorie deficit must be made.
The higher protein, lower-carb change has its pros and cons. What I would encourage Weight Watchers members to take into consideration is the quality of carbohydrate they are consuming. Low-carb tortillas, for example, are often packed with preservatives and unnecessary ingredients. I would urge people to not always go for the lowest PointsPlus item, and to consider the wholesomeness of the food (check out ingredient lists!). Just like with healthy fats, consumers are beginning to find value in whole foods that have not been overly processed. Consumers and Weight Watchers members alike should continue selecting foods that are closest to their natural state without a laundry list of 9-syllable ingredients.
As for exercise, don’t do what I did years ago: exercise to eat more. As tempting as that is, food should not reward workout efforts. While properly fueling and replenishing is important, Weight Watchers members should avoid exercising in order to over-eat, or to compensate for over-eating. Activity PointsPlus should, for the most part, be used appropriately for wholesome, nutritious foods. And please don’t get me wrong, if you exercise, you do require more calories, even for weight loss. However, when you rationalize that exercise = splurge, it’s not reinforcing healthy changes for a lifetime.
Similarly, Weekly PointsPlus Allowances are meant to be used. It has been a long-standing belief that if you don’t eat your Weekly PointsPlus Allowance, you will lose weight more quickly…but that is not always the case. The body can be finicky when it comes to weight loss and under-fueling the body can lead to plateaus and under-nutrition. Listen to your body, eat mindfully, and consume a healthy, balanced diet — the numbers work themselves out.
And when you meet your goal, stay there. That’s the hard part…the part I find most difficult. For those like myself who have been overweight since childhood, we are designed at the molecular level to re-gain weight. As humans, we stop making fat cells by early adulthood but we never lose these fat cells throughout life. The more fat cells the body contains, the easier weight gain will be. The cells are always there, waiting to store any access calories as adipose (fat). This is why childhood obesity provides such a scary glimpse into the future.
I hope this has been helpful and enlightening for many of you. If you’ve made it this far, thank you. While my blog is a recording of my life and my thoughts, I would appreciate any negative comments be left unsaid. It is no secret that I have in the past, and will probably always struggle with my weight. Thankfully I now know why, in part, I struggle more than others. But as a 25-year-old woman, I see a family in my future. Not tomorrow, and probably not next year, but sometime…and I want to be as healthy as I can be when bringing a baby into this world — a baby that will hopefully not have to fight obesity from such a young age as I did.
Some of you may find the above makes me more “real”…others may fault me for being dietitian who struggles to maintain a healthy body weight. But this is me, and I am proud of every bit of me — chubby, fluffy, or perfectly lean It’s taken me years to get here, and I plan to continue loving and appreciating myself just as I am.
January 10, 2011 / 7:18 am
Thanks for your thoughts on the new WW! I definitely agree that WW is ignoring the good fats and it bugs me. I would love to eat half an avocado on a regular basis but I’ll starve the rest of the day because for 6 points, I can have something else that actually fills me up! But overall, I think WW improved upon their last program. And, at least in my meetings, they are stressing that we eat fruit until we are satisfied, not until we’ve consumed a rain forest of bananas!
January 10, 2011 / 8:26 am
Thanks for the review. It was very informative!
January 10, 2011 / 8:44 am
Very good points. I’ve never done WW but I do think it sounds like a pretty solid program.
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg
January 10, 2011 / 9:16 am
My sister lost thirty pounds on WW a few years ago, and loved their program! I’ve been wondering about this new one– thanks for the explanation!
January 10, 2011 / 9:19 am
Awesome post! I’ve been curious abt WW, but never tried it. I think it’s great that you put your struggles and personal feelings into the posts. We are all only human, and every BODY is different. As a mother of 2 girls, one being stick thin and the other being over her ideal weight, I’ve learned that metabolism and genetic make-up play a huge part in weight. Your struggles with weight in the past have probably made you a much better dietician and teacher!
January 10, 2011 / 10:10 am
I’m a big advocate of WW – helped me at my heaviest a year or so after graduating college and starting work. I was shocked and amazed how changing my diet alone (I still didn’t exercise) could help me lose weight. Crazy eye opener!! I just did the online version, but it was great. Even that quickly taught me lessons about good and bad foods…but mainly portion control. At the time (and maybe still now), I even said that we should have had a WW-esque class in high school. Never was I taught helpful things about food. You know the pyramid and the food groups, but we never went through the practical application. If I decide to get serious about losing weight again, I will definitely be back at WW’s door. Great post!! Boo to any of those negative people. Have a good day ;)!
January 10, 2011 / 10:24 am
Thanks so much for your review of the Weight Watchers program! It was interesting to see your thoughts. My mom has had success with the program but I have always stayed away because I felt like it was difficult to eat protein and healthy fats. It is dissapointing that they still haven’t addressed healthy fats. I do think that having most fruits and vegetables be zero points will encourage people to eat them.
I have always felt that the way I treat my body is not reflected in how it looks. Despite my efforts to eat well and stay active, I have always struggled with weight. I truly believe that some of us just have to work harder. The fact that you are so honest with your struggles is what drew me to your blog in the first place. Keep doing what you are doing and always remember that weight is only one component of overall health.
January 10, 2011 / 10:49 am
Loved your WW review, Nicole! I have to say, from what I know about the changes the program I am happy to see (most) fruits/veggies aren’t counted as points. I remember when my mom has been on it (off/on for the past 15 years or so), she really ate a lot of the WW processed snacks…which of course did nothing to hold her over most of the time. I love the focus on real food and I love your outlook on it all, too!
January 10, 2011 / 11:30 am
Wow – the new program seems confusing! I did try it once, but got all tied up in the counting. I agree heartily with the point about eating non-processed food – relying on packaged or processed food can’t be sustained forever. I think it’s amazing that you are real and out there – I find it much easier to take advice from someone who can empathize.
January 10, 2011 / 12:25 pm
I wholeheartedly agree with you Nicole. I am not a dietician…but do have some nutrition training, from my years studying to become an RN. I was feeling a bit like WW was taking a step back, when they deemed CARBS=BAD ( and athough they dont say it outright, that’s the message) and ALL FATS=BAD as well. Personally, I have always felt as humans, we were meant to eat whole grains as part of a healthy diet. We are not carnivores exclusively, and I agree its true most Americans eat plenty of protein. I never subscribed to the whole low carb way….of course, I think carbs need to be healthy ones, but I don’t understand why this plan sort of discourages whole grains now. ( although I will admit I have been using some low carb tortillas since this new plan started…and i haven’t done that in the past) I also think increasing the point value on an avocado just dosen’t make sense to me. On one level, I sort of feel betrayed by ww. But on the other hand, I was never forced to eat only 18 points….I only got down to 22. I am sorry for those ppl on WW who think or thought that eating baked chips everyday was a healthy way of eating or having a ww ice cream bar everyday was fine….but that isn’t and never was me. But who knows? I lost a decent amount of weight on the old ww plan (36 pounds) but have yet to see significant loss on this way….but I have only given it 100% this week, so I guess the jury is out. Time will tell.
Anyway….excellent review. I might link this up to one of my own blog posts. Thanks!
January 10, 2011 / 12:27 pm
I don’t know what comments were said, but I see nothing wrong with you attending weight watchers meetings. As dietitians, we are still only human. I struggle with my weight and eating at times just as anyone else does. To me, I think that can only make us better RDs since we can relate to a patient’s struggle. I can’t wait to read more about your journey.
Heather @ Get Healthy With Heather
January 10, 2011 / 12:30 pm
Thanks for all the WW info! I love your approach and honest thoughts you share. Don’t ever stop that girl!
January 10, 2011 / 2:13 pm
This is such an informative post, Nicole. You were very thorough in your review of WW and I really learned a lot! I’ve never done WW but after reading this I think it sounds like they have a pretty good plan!
January 10, 2011 / 2:50 pm
Thank you for reviewing this point system and giving your input. I, too, have always struggled with my weight and it is always so difficult to determine if a program like this would help or cause more issues than it solves.
Trish
January 10, 2011 / 2:59 pm
As someone who found great success on Weight Watchers in the past (and had to battle people who told me it was a bad program) I really appreciate everything you wrote here.
When I went to my first meeting I knew so little about how to really eat healthy. I’m sure that’s the case for most people who show up at their first meeting. And I think after you put aside counting points and all that, the core of the program is how to live a healthy life. Even after I left Weight Watchers and stopped counting points, everything I learned stuck with me.
I guess I just think it’s great that there’s a program out there that puts an entire healthy lifestyle into perspective and addresses the issues in a way that a person like me can understand and apply to her life.
RD or not, I think it’s awesome that you’re checking out the new program. It gives you the opportunity to critique it and use what works in your own life. I have no idea what anyone could find to criticize in that, but I guess some people can always find something!
Thanks again for being the kind of common-sense sort of healthy person that makes people want to get healthy themselves!
January 10, 2011 / 3:11 pm
Being a WW member myself, I loved reading this post. I really took to heart what you said about choosing foods wisely….thank you for that!
January 10, 2011 / 3:15 pm
This was really information–thank you for taking the time to write this! I learned several new things and it makes me like you even more for being open about your struggles. I lost about 40 lbs on the previous WW program and gained it all back plus with thyroid problems. I’ve been working on loosing, but I’ve also changed to a more healthy, natural, and mostly vegetarian diet and WW had bothered me b/c of the reliance on processed foods. I’m still not sure if I want to jump back on board, but this has given me more food for thought. Thank you for sharing your struggles–it makes it seem more real for me that even with healthy eating, the weight doesn’t just fall off. I can easily forget that others can struggle with the same things. Good luck and keep posting about this!
January 10, 2011 / 3:55 pm
Thank you so much for always sharing your experiences so honestly and wisely – you are such an incredibly RD both because of your knowledge base and because of the wisdom you gain and are willing to share from your personal experiences! I always feel so enriched and enlightened and informed after reading your posts – thank you! I’m also happy to be able to forward this post to several friends who are part of the WW program – thank you again!
January 10, 2011 / 4:18 pm
This was a very informative post! And I think it’s great that you share your first-hand experience with the program! I’m sure people who consider joining the program will find your thoughts very helpful!
January 10, 2011 / 4:41 pm
I’m an RD in SWMO and I have gone to Weight Watchers for as long as I can remember. I don’t feel bad about it. I have been able to maintain my weight and lost all my baby weight using this program. For me it’s just the right accountability for me and being a dietitian it reinforces healthy habits I already have. And it does give us a way to relate to our patients that weight loss or eating changes are never easy. Way to go! I enjoy reading your blogs.
January 10, 2011 / 4:47 pm
Thank you for your feedback on the new program! My husband and I need to lose weight, and have been struggling with the best way to go about it. WW was on top of our list, and after hearing your feedback (feedback from someone who is a RD and knows what they are talking about, as well as someone who has gone through the program), I think this is the best way for us to go about losing the weight. Thank you!!
January 10, 2011 / 5:05 pm
Thanks so much for posting about this Nicole! I’ve actually been wondering a lot about these new changes and found this post to be super informative. You’re the best!
January 10, 2011 / 7:52 pm
This was a great review. While I have never officially joined WW I have studied their previous points program and I have read up as much as I can on the new Points Plus program. While I agree it does have some flaws (as in all carbs are bad or all fats are bad) I think overall they are trying to improve the program by focusing on high fiber. I think their thought process is to get people to take a look at their carbs and focus on making a choice for a carb that is higher in fiber (which often will be a more whole grain).
I agree completely that they at some point need to figure out how to allow for good fats such as avocados, nut butters and olive oil.
Overall I think WW is a great program, we have way to many people that are completely clueless about food and the daily percentages our body needs of fat/protein/carbs. I believe they overall educate people to choose healthy proportion sizes, plan for foods and journal. As people begin to make those conscious efforts they in turn begin to learn about good fats, high fiber/carbs and adequate proteins.
Oops, sorry I just realized I hijacked your comments a bit, sorry. It was a great review and even more great hear from an RD their perspective on it.
January 10, 2011 / 8:57 pm
I completely relate to you Nicole!
I’m an RD working in Chicago and I actually lost weight in college through WW. I’m not ashamed to admit it! Just because we know WHAT to do to eat healthier doesn’t mean it’s easier for us or we have some kind of magical will power! I’ve struggled with my weight my whole life too and that is a reason I got into dietetics.
January 10, 2011 / 9:42 pm
Loved reading this post! I am going to link to it tomorrow – and I am another person who lost 70 pounds on WW in 1999 – we both know it works!
Weighting For 50
January 10, 2011 / 9:55 pm
I’m on ww at the moment, and loved your thoughts and insight on the program. Glad to hear the pros and cons from a professional! Have a great week!
January 10, 2011 / 9:58 pm
Great post Nicole. Thanks for the review on the new Weight Watchers program. I had heard bits and pieces but good to hear from someone who has your experience. Keep up the great work!
January 10, 2011 / 10:36 pm
Good informative post! I think the new program is pretty good and will be helpful for many people to lose weight and keep it off.
January 11, 2011 / 12:11 am
Thanks for sharing Nicole! No one coud fault for being so honest – don’t worry!
January 11, 2011 / 7:12 am
Great post Nicole. It takes a lot of courage to write posts like this. This is what makes you a fantastic blogger. You’re so..CANDID in this post! It’s great. ANd, I needed the Weight Watchers review, so thanks I agree that most people can’t afford an RD, at least they can’t afford one for constant follow-up, so programs like this are sometimes more feasible. I’m glad they’ve changed their rules, they sound much better, in my opinion.
January 11, 2011 / 10:30 am
I just joined a WW at work program, and am trying to figure this whole thing out!
“Generally speaking, if a food has more protein and/or fiber, the food will be lower in PointsPlus™. Similarily, if a food is high in fat and/or carbohydrate, it will be lower in PointsPlus™.”
Shouldn’t it be the high fat/carb food is higer in points, and not lower?
January 11, 2011 / 10:37 am
Awesome review. I agree completely. I lost 57 lbs on WW in 2002 (online). I still have my online membership. I am flirting with the new plan. I love that fruits are free now (I always ate them anyway). But like you, I like my nuts and avocados, and I’m not a big protein eater.
Keeping it off is tough. Losing those 5 lbs I gained over vacation is very hard, because it will come off fast but the habits don’t stick.
Ammie
January 11, 2011 / 11:41 am
Thank you for your perspective. I’m a current WWer, was on the old program and transitioned to the new. I found the transition relatively painless and am enjoying the new plan tremendously! Thanks again.
January 11, 2011 / 11:52 am
I really appreciate your thoughts on the Weight Watchers program. I have recently started Weight Watchers online, and I love it so far. I certainly want to make sure that I am chosing a healthy lifestyle, and you have clarified some things about the program that will allow me to use my WW points more wisely.
January 11, 2011 / 4:28 pm
I’ve bookmarked this post as there were a lot of great points I forget when doing my own weight loss thing. If I didn’t already have something that worked this post would have convinced me to try WW!
(It works when I stick to the plan…lol)
January 11, 2011 / 5:58 pm
Thank you for being so honest, Nicole. I hadn’t familiarized myself with the new WW system, so I’m glad you’ve spurred me to learn more about it. I recall learning in one of my classes that WW is actually one of the best weight loss programs out there for helping people lose weight AND keep it off.
I’m glad WW has helped you, Nicole – and now you are helping others by being a professor!
Kasey
January 11, 2011 / 9:45 pm
Great post Nicole! I admire your honesty and see nothing wrong with a RD attending a WW meeting. Also, thanks for explaining the new point system. Your review was very helpful!
January 12, 2011 / 5:06 pm
Thank you for your honest and informative review. I agree with so much of it! When I did WW, one of the things I never understood was why my friend’s nutrition-void 100 calorie snacks were the same as my banana. Crazy. I think WW needed an overhaul, as painful as that may be. So much has been learned about nutrition since the inception of the Points program years ago.
January 12, 2011 / 7:50 pm
I think WW is the best weight loss program out there because it really teaches people how to eat properly! I think the PointsPlus program sounds great because I love avocado! and nuts! I think it’s great that you are doing WW and just having that support team once a week will help tremendously! Good luck!
January 13, 2011 / 11:42 pm
Thanks for posting this because I was also curious on the new Weight Watchers program. I love your blog and especially your recipes! I really appreciate that you write your opinions (and grade) with the nutrition facts. You do a great job, and I bet you are a fun teacher! I’m a RD as well and love reader other dietitian’s blogs
Keep up the great work!
January 18, 2011 / 1:48 pm
Thank you SO much for the outline of the new program! I have used Weight Watchers in the past and have been searching for the layout of the new program! This was just what I needed!
Author
January 18, 2011 / 9:50 pm
You are so welcome! Glad it helped!
January 29, 2013 / 4:22 pm
Thank you for your informative post. I found it by asking for avacado points! I have done ww several times, starting in college at $3.00 a meeting ant got lifetime. I rejoined after each child. A a few more since then. 40 years later I’m still struggling with weight issues. I am now a snowbird living in a small town in AZ with no meetings. So I am attempting to do this on line. Reading blogs gives me the meeting fix I’m missing.
The one problem I see with weight watchers is their maintenance program. I have mentioned to a few leaders how great it would be if they had a meeting just for life timers even if we had to pay. We have different issues than beginners. Any way thanks for your blog
Author
January 31, 2013 / 9:19 am
Thanks for reading, K!
March 28, 2014 / 9:30 am
Very glad I stumbled on this- I completely agree with the bad fats vs. good fats- frustrated that WW puts them in the same category- so nice to hear your agreement. Great article!
May 18, 2015 / 7:00 pm
As a fellow RD and lifetime WW member, I couldn’t agree more. So, after 2 kids and life…I am once again starting my WW journey.
February 24, 2016 / 12:56 pm
Thank you so much for sharing your struggles, as I know it is not easy to put yourself out there.
March 15, 2018 / 8:40 am
I really like this article. Weight Watchers is excellent for people just starting to improve their habits, I like to relate them to elementary school for the obese. It makes you start reading labels, and writing things down, and just gave me a better idea of how much I should be putting in my mouth. At first all you want to do is figure out the lowest points so you can stuff your face as much as possible!!!! The good thing about that is you get exhausted pretty quick, and then start learning that you just can’t eat to get full. For some the realization comes pretty quick that we are only eating to live, not living to eat! Although people think they can obtain a regular dietitian, the internet today it so loaded with information, that we have no excuse to find useful articles as this, to guide us along the way. Thank you for your very helpful information. Thrive and live strong!
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Why Resilience is the Number One Skill Today
[Updated: 28/06/2021] Today, when the health pandemic affects all areas of human life, and the job market is going through unprecedented turbulence, you need strong resilience skills to cope with challenges. These skills are crucial in the post COVID world. How fast you recover, renew your energy, and open up to spot new opportunities, show … Continue reading Why Resilience is the Number One Skill Today
November 14, 2020 August 10, 2021 Devcurate Guest Contributor
A Better Approach to Career Search
What will you be doing instead if your current career option completely vanishes? What is your career option if money is no longer a problem?
October 20, 2020 May 15, 2022 Devcurate Career Nuggets
3 Steps to a Successful Career Change for Mid-Career Professionals
When you feel stuck in your current job and you look for a more rewarding career, it’s difficult to make a career change especially as a mid-career professional. You’ve established a streak of skills and experience tailored to the current industry you’re in and it’s scary to pivot the career direction into a new path. … Continue reading 3 Steps to a Successful Career Change for Mid-Career Professionals
October 9, 2020 May 15, 2022 Devcurate Career Nuggets
How to Build an Effective Job Hunting Strategy in the New Normal
Amidst the pandemic, it's difficult to imagine job opportunities. Aid it with a job hunting strategy to find a job easier next time!
September 22, 2020 May 15, 2022 Devcurate Career Nuggets
Growing your professional network has become more difficult than ever. Gatherings and events are called off indefinitely and there’s no certainty when we go back to normal. While many professionals have found themselves challenged by this new situation, the “new normal” is not entirely full of gloom. There are better ways to build your network … Continue reading A Foolproof Guide to Post-Crisis Careers with Smart Networking
August 5, 2020 May 10, 2021 Devcurate Uncategorized
[Updated: 10/05/2021] When was the last time you found yourself overwhelmed with hundreds of jobs to check, applied for them, and waited months for an interview? This is one of the common reality talents face. With the uncertainty COVID-19 brought, job searching is increasingly a stressful professional activity. It can be a matter of quality … Continue reading How a Niche Job Board Can Help You Land Your Next Job
July 22, 2020 July 24, 2020 Devcurate Uncategorized
How ‘Safe’ is it to Make a Career Change in the Midst of a Pandemic?
For over 190M professionals recently laid-off and more employers are looking into downsizing, a career change at this point is pretty wild. What started out as a health pandemic is now seemingly a long-lasting set of obstacles for every one of us to stay afloat. The job market itself went from awesome to awful overnight … Continue reading How ‘Safe’ is it to Make a Career Change in the Midst of a Pandemic?
July 4, 2020 July 4, 2020 Devcurate featured, Uncategorized
3 Things About Career Coaching that Can Help You
Quite unhappy with your current job, you have second thoughts about a career change but too scared to do it. What if you fail? What if you're still unhappy and what if it's not a wise move after all? The best way to deal with what-ifs is to seek a second opinion and soundboard them … Continue reading 3 Things About Career Coaching that Can Help You
June 30, 2020 May 10, 2021 Devcurate Future of Work
Facing Reality by Reinventing Your Career During COVID-19
[Updated: 10/05/2021]We are in a new epoch. The pandemic has brought many unexpected turns of events and disrupted the things we used to know. Employers were forced to furlough people or change work arrangements. It may have seemed that finding new opportunities within the social impact sector is difficult - but now more than ever … Continue reading Facing Reality by Reinventing Your Career During COVID-19
May 14, 2020 January 31, 2021 Devcurate featured
Career Coaching – When and Why Do You Need It?
It is normal to have uncertainties in life including in your career path. Many people have shifted from one industry to another. Others have taken on roles you never expected them to. Searching for jobs is time-consuming and can be a long to-and-from process with recruiters if you are lucky. Chances are, if you missed … Continue reading Career Coaching – When and Why Do You Need It?
April 11, 2020 April 11, 2020 Devcurate Guest Contributor
Career Coaching Through the Lens of a Recruiter
The average person spends over 80,000 hours at work in their lifetime, so it’s worth taking some time to choose a career that gives you great contentment and allows you to live your best life.
March 16, 2020 March 18, 2020 Devcurate featured
5 steps to getting the most out of your career coaching session!
Many of us have probably been mentored (or have mentored someone) in the past. But let’s face it, not many of us, especially those working in the social impact sector, always get the luxury of being coached. Coaching can seem far-fetched, sometimes inaccessible, and oftentimes misguided.
December 13, 2019 April 8, 2020 Devcurate Guest Contributor
The International Development sector needs passionate professionals to meet aspirational development goals. A challenge is a demand for such jobs often far outweighs supply. How to make a mark, when you may be on amongst very many candidates for a position? I am sharing some personal insights, which may strike a chord. Know thyself Knowing … Continue reading Cracking International Development Careers
October 19, 2019 December 22, 2019 Devcurate Uncategorized
How ‘Smart Networking’ can make your career (and life) easier
The word ‘networking’ has a long streak of bad connotations around it. Some who attended these events often say that it’s a waste of time. But what about smart networking? Have we considered understanding the framework of networking and using this to your career advantage? Treading on career progression can be shrouded with different obstacles. … Continue reading How ‘Smart Networking’ can make your career (and life) easier
September 14, 2019 August 10, 2021 Devcurate Future of Work
Generation Y - more commonly known as ‘Millennials’ - is a generation that's often stereotyped as lazy, self-centered, narcissistic, but in fact, it's a generation that's changing the workforce. Millennials have been disrupting business models and they're actually looking for jobs that make a difference. From the usual customer-centric approach to a more employee-centric standpoint, … Continue reading Jobs that Make a Difference Inside the Mind of a Millennial
September 6, 2019 August 13, 2021 Devcurate featured, Future of Work, Uncategorized
Top Professional Soft Skills that Organizations Find Valuable in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The workforce is entering into a digital landscape and automation is king as we all know. Professional soft skills are more in demand now that we’re entering into the Fourth Industrial Revolution era. In the previous blog, we talked about the increasing demand for soft skills, here we are examining essential soft skills that organizations … Continue reading Top Professional Soft Skills that Organizations Find Valuable in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
August 30, 2019 August 29, 2021 Devcurate featured, Future of Work
What Are Professional Soft Skills and Why Are They in Demand?
At times you believe you are the smartest person in the room. You did an excellent job in different roles you’re assigned to, yet you find yourself unable to work well with others. At the same time, your fellow colleague is excellent at leading meetings, managing his time spotlessly, while being able to accommodate the … Continue reading What Are Professional Soft Skills and Why Are They in Demand?
July 28, 2019 September 17, 2019 Devcurate Future of Work
"Technological revolution [...] that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres." – Klaus Schwab on Fourth Industrial Revolution The current talk in town called Fourth Industrial Revolution has been buzzing since World Economic Forum Founder and Executive Chairman, Professor Klaus Schwab coined the term in his book with that title and … Continue reading Fourth Industrial Revolution: The Blurring Lines of Humans and Technology
July 22, 2019 December 22, 2019 Devcurate Uncategorized
‘Impostor Syndrome’ in the Workplace and How to Overcome It
‘Impostor Syndrome’ especially in the workplace is common. It is a psychological term for those people who believe they've succeeded due to luck and not because of talent and qualifications. It's hard to manage but doable. It's not a disorder but it's a phenomenon that happens to many of us in the professional world. Feelings … Continue reading ‘Impostor Syndrome’ in the Workplace and How to Overcome It
July 19, 2019 December 22, 2019 Devcurate Uncategorized
‘Career Sleepwalking’ Epidemic and How to Wake Up from It
Isn’t it alarming that 37% of employees in the workforce have no sense of a career path – considered as an epidemic called 'Career Sleepwalking'? This is according to a report from LinkedIn Learning that the figure is increasing and 23% feel like they are “on a treadmill going nowhere.” Because of this, 80% of … Continue reading ‘Career Sleepwalking’ Epidemic and How to Wake Up from It
July 14, 2019 September 17, 2019 Devcurate featured
How Pro-bono Career Coaching Can Help Job Seekers
Bangkok, Thailand — In a sea of applications, organizations are having a dilemma of hiring the best candidates for the job. At the same time, applicants are also challenged to stand out from the crowd. In recent years, the job market has been immensely competitive and most job seekers are left to be faced with … Continue reading How Pro-bono Career Coaching Can Help Job Seekers
May 31, 2022 November 26, 2022 Devcurate Employer User Guides, For Employers
Devcurate Recruit: Use cases from 4 leading firms
You must have learned about Devcurate Recruit but still curious to know how it can help improve your hiring process? Aside from our recent survey result shown above (from over 100 firms that are currently using our hiring solutions), take a look at our brief use cases (case studies) below to find our how leading … Continue reading Devcurate Recruit: Use cases from 4 leading firms
April 16, 2022 April 17, 2022 Devcurate Employer User Guides
This User Guide is catered to Account Owner (Main PoC) for initial setup. With your account activated and verified, first action you may like to take is set up your organization information and add relevant hiring team members to your account. Add company logo and description Click 'Organization' in the left panel of … Continue reading 01 – First, A Quick Account Setup
April 16, 2022 April 17, 2022 Devcurate Employer User Guides
Now that you've completed org setup and added members of your hiring team, creating your first job is the next logical step. Let's see how easy it is. To create a job, simply click the green "New Job" button at the top-right corner. First, fill out the 'JOB CARD' section Click to add Managers … Continue reading 02 – Create Your First ‘Job Card’
April 16, 2022 November 26, 2022 Devcurate Employer User Guides
This user guide is for users who use 'Job posting' feature to accept applications. Now that you've created a new Job Card shown on your dashboard, let's take a closer look at why you should choose 'Easy Apply' option and how to optimise it. We designed 'Easy Apply' to enable hiring teams to manage … Continue reading 03 – Streamline Applications with ‘Easy Apply’
April 16, 2022 November 26, 2022 Devcurate Employer User Guides
Easy Screening is used WHEN... You have shortlisted applicants from to stage, or You externally in 'Easy Screening' funnel step directly. Set interview questions Screening / interviewing activities begins in . In 'Easy Screening' funnel, click "edit" icon to launch the Interview Editor and start creating interview questions connected to this funnel. … Continue reading 04 – Optimizing ‘Easy Screening’ feature
April 15, 2022 November 26, 2022 Devcurate Employer User Guides
Candidate Video Screening (with integrated job posting feature)
You may have heard of or are currently using candidate video screening or one-way video interviewing tool. While we have been using this tool ourselves to automate highly repetitive hiring processes – like, pre-screening, scheduling interview slots with all parties involved, and even wasting time with unfit candidates (time is precious after all) – we know … Continue reading Candidate Video Screening (with integrated job posting feature)
March 15, 2022 November 26, 2022 Devcurate Employer User Guides
Pros and Cons of Hiring with One-Way Video Interviews
The recruitment process can get hectic and time-consuming. With the fast-paced digital age rising along with the Covid-19 pandemic, recruiters look for alternative technologies to level up their hiring game beyond crises and geographical boundaries. Our solution? One-way video interviews! Hiring with one-way video interviews carves an edge in the employment market through its efficiency, … Continue reading Pros and Cons of Hiring with One-Way Video Interviews
October 25, 2021 January 22, 2022 Devcurate featured
If you are passionate about development work or looking for opportunities to learn more about the space, boost your professional skills, give back to your community, and finally land your ultimate impact-driven career, then this is the perfect opportunity for you!
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by Nehemiah Frank, Founder & Editor-in-Chief Published: December 9, 2019 Last Updated on January 11, 2021
Listen to this article here
By Nehemiah D. Frank, founder, director and executive editor
No child should be placed into an environment that they are not mature and prepared to handle. If studies attest that configuring the 6th-grade from elementary to junior high status is more harmful to students, both psychologically and academically, why is the superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) recommending it?
Now, I highly doubt that Deborah Gist or any school administrator within TPS wants to make these difficult changes. And because some Oklahoma congressional leaders do not care about equitably funding education for the low- and middle-class, our local educational leaders are forced to make difficult decisions that may adversely affect the outcome for our kids.
TPS faces a $20 million budget shortfall two years after teachers and school administrators hastily marched — with other school districts and the Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) — from Tulsa to the state capital, all 106 miles, through inclement weather only to walk away with not ensuring that all students can become successful.
I am still disappointed in OEA’s president, Alicia Priest, for using her position as president of Oklahoma’s most influential teacher union to end the 2018 Oklahoma teachers’ strike without full demands met because today, our schools still do not have what they need to practice equity.
Let me remind everyone that 64 years ago, Rosa Parks courageously sat in the Whites Only section on a bus in the south, was jailed for four days and then convicted of disorderly conduct. According to the city of Montgomery, Alabama, Parks was a criminal.
Montgomery’s Blacks in unison boycotted their city’s transportation system for a whopping 361 days until the city decided to treat its Black public transportation-riding citizens equally and equitably — as human beings.
I am confident that Montgomery’s transportation corporation felt the sting and every pinch of Black dollars that were not collected that year. It took the city of Montgomery 361 days to realize that Black dollars matter.
Hence, it takes radicalism, uncompromising determination coupled with organized people to shock a system into submission, that system being the Oklahoma state legislature.
I would love to see educators, school administrators, and advocates from across the state organize, march, and demand adequate school funding, so districts throughout Oklahoma can receive the resources needed to implement best practices based on data.
A Duke University and the University of California study show that “sixth-graders placed in middle schools have more discipline problems and lower test scores than their peers who attend elementary schools.”
With the Black student suspension rates as high as 1 in 7 in recent years and Black students performing academically far inferior when compared to their White peers in school districts, then configuring 6th-grade students at majority Black attending schools shouldn’t be up for discussion.
Throughout American history, Blacks have always been forced to take the shorter end of any deal. In the case of the 2018 teachers’ walkout, OEA compromised, and low- and middle-income students, attending public charters and traditional public schools were left without the funding needed to close racial academic performance gaps and address ACEs, so teachers can do more teaching and less behavioral management.
With Oklahoma ranking 45th in the nation for education, 50th in ACEs, and 1st for mass-incarceration, there is only one solution: Civil disobedience on a mass scale at the state capital until legislators decide to give schools the resources to ensure that all Oklahoma children can be academically and psychologically nurtured to their full and best potential.
Monday, Dec. 9: McLain High School fieldhouse, 4929 N. Peoria Ave. — 5:30-7 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 10: Memorial High School gymnasium, 5840 S. Hudson Ave. — 5:30-7 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 11: East Central High School gymnasium, 12150 E. 11th St. — 5:30-7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 12: Webster High School Allen Fieldhouse, 1919 W. 40th St. — 5:30-7 p.m.
Nehemiah D. Frank is the founder, executive editor, and director of The Black Wall Street Times, a digital news media company that believes access is the new civil right. He graduated with a general studies degree from Harold Washington College in Chicago, IL, and a political science degree from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and was a member and chapter president of the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society. Today, he is a blogger for Education Post, based in Chicago, IL, and a board member for the Tulsa World, Tulsa Press Club, and Tulsa’s Table. He is also a public school educator at a local community-led charter school and is a member of Superintendent Joy Hofmeister’s Education Task Force for Equity and Inclusion. In 2017, Frank became a Terence Crutcher Foundation honoree, a recipient of the 2017 METCares Foundation Community Impact Award, a 2018 Black Educators Fellow and gave a TED Talk at the University of Tulsa.
Nehemiah Frank, Founder & Editor-in-Chief
Nehemiah D. Frank is the founder & editor-in-chief of The Black Wall Street Times and is a descendant of the historic Greenwood Community, dubbed the Black Wall Street. Frank's work appears in TIME Magazine, Education Post and Tulsa People and various other publications. He attended Harold Washington College and Oklahoma State University, earning a degree in political science. Frank is a formal teacher and assistant principal and cares about equity and diversity in education. He gave a TED Talk about education in 2018. He is a founding delegate for the National Parents Union and serves on various boards, community and national projects.
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In Enchanted, the main character ends up moving in with his aunt and her two daughters. This sparks a sexual adventure that yields a boatload of hot fetishes. This is a very erotic adult sex game that's hours of free fun. Play now.
You can choose to be a range of characters, including a mercenary with a mysterious past. Or a hooker who works the streets at night, swallowing strangers' cum. This is an intense porn game, easy to play.
This one is just for you fans of survival horror. Meet and Fuck Games is at it again, this time bringing us a steamy XXX twist on the iconic survival horror video game series Resident Evil. There's a duo of heroic vixens trying to conduct some research into the deep secrets of the Umbrella Corporation, aiming to bring their zombie making to an end once and for all. Unfortunately for them though, Umbrella is always a step ahead of them and it's in short order that they're being pursued. These zombies are a bit different from their previous experiments though... while they still yearn for flesh, this time they aren't looking to feed.. but rather, to breed!
Needing to escape, Roberto and Kylie travel to a sunny beach. While they're flying to it, they meet a sexy flight attendant named Naeila. The couple was eager to spice up their sex life - so they invite her to join her on the beach, where they'll have a steamy threeway next to the ocean waves!
Fright Night is one of our latest and greatest XXX games on our site, and from the moment you lay your eyes on the title screen of this game, you know right away that it's going to be a fantastic fucking game! You'll be able to take your pick from three different options to play - build up mode (this mode will have you seeing the story play out all the way as the devs intended), casual mode (for those of us who really are not interested in seeing the story unfold and want to just skip straight to the sex scenes), and casual black sheep mode, in which there is a few additional fetish focused scenes unlocked that normally aren't part of the main game. Whichever of the three modes you decide to play through the game in, you will start out with the wonderful visual treat of a gorgeous redhead vixen wearing a sexy set of fox ears, and topping off the look with a small and fluffy tail poking out from her big round booty. As you probably have expected with these sort of games, this honey is feeling extremely horny and is oh so ready to get fucked deep and hard - but, don't you even consider sliding your cock into her tight little pussy, tempting as it may be - no, she's a little anal slut, and all that she wants from you right here and right now is your thick prick slid balls deep into her air tight asshole. One nice little bonus that the developers of the game give you in this title is the degree of customization that it offers - you can modify and change all sorts of things about your foxy little anal slut's appearance, change around the speeds and positions for the sex, and lots and lots more. A little tip to make your game go easier - just as in real life, be sure to pay close attention to what this honey is in the mood for - if you do the sorts of stuff she's not in the mood for right now, she'll get turned off and become uninterested in sex - so make sure to give her what she's craving.
After getting caught in the act tugging yourself off at the beach, you get arrested and end up in a holding cell. You're not going to stand for this treatment - you're going to get back on the beach where you belong! Grab the guard's key, but don't let her catch you in the act while you do it.
Teaser Date Kanon game - Hiro has a girlfriend named Kanon. She is smart, rich, and the type who is good at everything she does. Oh, and Kanon is beautiful. Hiro can't believe how lucky he was not only to meet her but to have her as his girlfriend. The problem they have between them is, she doesn't have much time for the relationship. It breaks Hiro's heart that he can't spend more time with her. Will she finally find some free time so they can be alone and enjoy themselves?
We all know Harry Potter at this point, and we all know how many hot babes there are within the series, thanks to the movies being made from the books and giving us concrete visuals to go off of. There's so many sexy ladies, but there's something special about Hermione that's just so incredibly fucking sexy that none of the other girls can even begin to compare to. Naturally, the books and movies are all family friendly fare... but once again, here comes the internet to the rescue! Thanks once again to the wonderfully warped minds over at Meet and Fuck Games, yet another series gets the XXX treatment and this is one of their best entries yet! Hermione had just mastered a new spell, and eager to put her newfound abilities to work she uses it on herself. See, you might remember her as being a bit lacking in the chest department, that is, rather flat. The spell that she cast on herself has made those once tiny little titties swell up exponentially, making her tits almost comically large. You know what comes next from here, so have some fun with her amazing body and brand new set of so damn big you barely know what to do with them tits! This is a game you definitely won't want to miss, the action is hot as can be, and being another title from Meet and Fuck Games, you know that it's as always going to be a top notch game in every way.
A card game that will have you covering up your rival's higher valued card - doing this wins you this 'trick" (currently played pair of cards). Summing the two cards values together gives you the value of the trick. Subsequent tricks are summing - that is, all of your cards get added up together and at the end if your sum is higher than your rival - you win the set. From the start there will be a steamy XXX live action video clip playing in the background, but it will be hidden from view by the cards laid out. So in order to see it all in full explicit detail, you'll have to keep playing to clear away cards from the screen until your view is unobstructed.
You have a girlfriend and want to try some erotic sexy fun. This is a simple and easy to play porn game. Use keyboard controls. Hot graphics.
Horny hunk Ben has long been harboring a crush on his friend Gwen. He had always assumed it was strictly a platonic relationship that they had going on, figuring nothing would ever happen sexually between the two of them, despite him deeply yearning for it to be so. Well, today is Ben's lucky day, because Gwen has come clean with her feelings - she wants him, and has wanted him for some time - and now she wants his big hard cock! There's two modes of play in this game - a couples mode where you'll get to have your cock sucked and get a chance to fuck each and every one of barely legal babe Gwen's air tight holes, and also a solo mode where she will use a few different sex toys to get herself off. Boasting some excellent visuals with exquisitely detailed and fluid animation, as well as plenty of ultra explicit hardcore action, we give this game a glowing recommendation.
Caged
In Caged, Natasha has worked hard to be one of the top students in her small town. Queen is where she lives, and it's also where she studies. The problem is, her stepfather stole millions of dollars from the University's Board of Directors, and she was kicked out of the school. Now, this gorgeous girl is left on her own to get somehow herself back on the right path. Will she overcome this horrific situation, or will she become a poverty-stricken drug addict?
A young nun wants to remain pure, but unfortunately for her, she's experiencing urges to take some big cocks. Her corruption is now something you must help her overcome, or, cum, if you catch my drift.
You can fuck her and you can fuck her harder. This sex simulator will have you on the edge of your seat as you slay hot toon pussy.
Everybody always wants a night to remember when it comes to hot sex. Drill some hot pussy in this adult sex game called a night to remember.
Turn up the action and thrust some tight pussy. You have the power in your hands when you choose how hard you want to fuck your very own toon sex slave.
Every man wants to tie up a woman. Tighten the shackles and get down to business with this hot BDSM simulator.
Some babes simply know how to ride cock. Play the horny rider and see how long you can last, I bet you won't make it a minute.
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This decade has been called, “The Mormon Moment,” the time that America’s largest home-grown religion finally comes into its own as a part of the Christian tapestry. Even some LDS quirks seem to be turning into positives. Shifting sexual mores have made Mormon polygamy and sacred undergarments a matter more of slightly kinky fascination rather Puritan disgust. And after expressing big disapproval over Big Love, Church leaders shifted strategies and met the hit musical, the “The Book of Mormon,” with bemused acceptance, praising it “for really nailing the Mormon sweetness, niceness, and sense of do-gooderness,” and filling theater programs with their own advertisements.
In an effort to reassure Evangelical voters, presidential candidate Mitt Romney inserted the phrase “the same god” into his domestic policy debate against Barack Obama, and Billy Graham’s website showed solidarity by removing Mormonism from a list of “cults.” Since then, Mormon missionaries have been quoted as saying, “Even Billy Graham says we are Christians.” Over the course of 2012, the LDS Church promoted “I’m a Mormon,” a multi-million dollar marketing campaign seeking to portray Mormonism as mainstream. And on December 10, 2013, the Mormon church renounced and denounced a part of its racist past.
But do Mormons and Evangelicals worship the same god? How mainstream are their beliefs?
Dr. Tony Nugent, retired professor of religious studies, has compiled a list of twelve teachings that Mormons tend to downplay. Dr. Nugent calls each of these beliefs “questionable.” A quick read suggest they also are far from mainstream.
1. The American Continent Was Originally Settled by Ancient Near Easterners.
The story of the Book of Mormon (BoM) is that the American continent was originally settled by people from the ancient Near East who came across the ocean in boats between 5000 and 2500 years ago. This includes four groups: the Jaredites, who came from Mesopotamia after the fall of the Tower of Babel (3rd Millennium BC), and three groups of Israelites who came in the 6th Century B.C.—Lehites from the tribe of Manasseh, Ishmaelites from the tribe of Ephraim, and Mulekites from the tribe of Judah. Contrary to this view, archaeological, historical, and genetic evidence indicates that the American continent was originally settled by Mongoloid people who came over the Bering land bridge during the last Ice Age and who are the ancestors of today’s Native American people.
Much of the BoM story focuses on two groups of Israelites in the New World, the Nephites and the Lamanites, descended from two of the sons of Lehi of the tribe of Manasseh. These groups fought continually, but when Christ came from heaven after his ascension to visit them in AD 34, they all believed in him and stopped fighting. However, in the 3rd and 4th Centuries AD, when the Lamanites stopped believing in Christ, these peaceful relations ended. Their renewed hostilities culminated in a great religious war in AD 385 at the hill Cumorah in upstate New York, in which the Lamanites were victorious and 230,000 Nephites were killed. The few surviving Nephites soon died, and the surviving Lamanites became the “American Indians.”
Among the problems with this scenario are that there is no evidence that any Native American groups are Semitic, but rather that they are Mongoloid; there are no surviving traces in their cultures of ancient Israelite customs, language, or religion; and there are no traces of their supposedly former Christian practices and beliefs.
Then from where would Joseph Smith have gotten this story? The mistaken idea that the American Indians descend from the lost tribes of Israel was, in fact, a very popular idea in the United States in the early 19th Century. The closest parallel to Joseph Smith’s version of the idea is found in Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews, published in 1823, just four years before Joseph started working on the BoM. The many specific parallels between these two works have often been noted. How might Smith have known about this work? From Oliver Cowdery, one of Smith’s scribes in the translation of the BoM and whose family attended the church in Vermont where Ethan Smith was pastor at the time he was writing his book. In her 1945 work, No Man Knows My History, Fawn Brodie writes, “Thus where the View of the Hebrews was just bad scholarship, the BoM was highly original and imaginative fiction.” (Brodie, p. 48)
In the BoM dark skin is a sign of God’s curse, while white skin is a sign of his blessing. When the Lamanites displease God, “because of their iniquity….the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them” (2 Nephi 5:21). Later, when the Lamanites become Christians, “their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites” (3 Nephi 2:15). Other racist passages in the scripture have simply been changed by Mormon authorities—e.g., 2 Nephi 30:6, which originally referred to conversion to Christianity bringing about a “white and delightsome people,” now reads, as of 1981, “a pure and delightsome people.” As for black people, Joseph Smith taught that they are cursed as “sons of Cain.” Brigham Young, the successor of Joseph Smith, stated: “Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 10). Since blacks were a stigmatized race in Mormonism, black men were denied ordination to the priesthood in the LDS Church. While the LDS Church, under pressure, finally granted black men the priesthood in 1978, the racism in their Scriptures remains as offensive as ever. Note: The doctrine that black skin is a punishment was renounced by the Church hierarchy in December 2013.
4. The BoM is Based on a Historically Accurate and Believable Ancient Work.
Mormon authorities teach that the BoM is a translation from ancient records written in a “Reformed Egyptian” script on metal plates between the years 2500 BC and AD 421. Among the many reasons for doubting this claim are the following:
Many different animals, plants, & manufactured goods are reported in the BoM story as being present in the New World during this time period. There is apparently no credible evidence that any of the following were present in the New World during this time period: cows, horses, oxen, asses, goats, sheep, pigs, honeybees, elephants, barley, wheat, silk, iron & brass metallurgy, steel, metal coins, swords, chariots, wheels, compasses, and metal plates inscribed with writing.
Many passages in the BoM repeat Old and New Testament biblical passages word-for-word. But how would Nephi, for instance, who lived in the 6th Century BC, know passages in Old Testament books such as Malachi, written after his time, and in the New Testament, written 600-700 years later?
Analogously, why would distinctively Christian practices and beliefs, including the establishment of a “Church of Christ,” the practice of baptism, and belief that those not baptized are damned to be tortured in hell for eternity, be found in ancient records said to have been written before the beginning of the Christian Era?
In the second verse of the BoM Nephi says, “Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.”(1 Nephi 1:2). Later in the work Moroni says that his record is “in the characters which are called among us the reformed Egyptian” (Mormon 9:32). These are problematic statements. First of all, the term “Jew” refers to the people of the tribe of Judah and those from the other tribes who joined with them, starting with the period of the Babylonian exile (which is after Lehi’s family has left Jerusalem). In addition, there is no biblical or other evidence that Israelites of the 6th Century BC spoke Egyptian or wrote using any of the forms of Egyptian hieroglyphics.
5. Joseph Smith Translated the Book of Mormon from Gold Plates.
The Mormon story is that the Nephite military commander and prophet Moroni buried a history of his people, written on “gold plates,” in the hill Cumorah in AD 421. 1400 years later, on the night of September 22-23, 1823, Moroni, now having become an angel, visits 17-year-old Joseph Smith in his bedroom and tells him where the plates are buried. It happens to be just 3 miles south of where Smith lives. He goes there and sees the plates in a stone box, but as soon as he tries to take them the angel forbids him. He returns to the same spot on the same night of the year for the next two years, without success. Then, by looking into his seer-stone or “peep stone,” a chocolate-colored, egg-shaped stone which he had found when digging a well in 1822 and used to find lost and buried treasure, Smith learns that to be successful he must marry Emma Hale and take her with him to Cumorah. So on Sept. 22, 1827, he and Emma conduct a “black magic” ritual: at midnight, dressed entirely in black, they drive a black carriage drawn by a black horse to the hill. Joseph unearths the box and takes the plates, along with some magical eyeglasses made out of stones (called “interpreters” and “the Urim and Thummim”) with which to decipher the “reformed Egyptian” language in which the texts on the plates are written. According to Smith, the plates were “six inches wide and eight inches long and not quite as thick as common tin;” they were “filled with engravings in Egyptian characters and bound together in a volume, as the leaves of a book with three rings running through the whole;” and the stack of metal pages stood about six inches high.
Smith’s main translation process involved putting the interpreters (or his “peep-stone”) in a hat, putting his face in the hat (he didn’t need to view the plates themselves), and dictating to a scribe. After 116-initial pages of translation were lost by Smith’s scribe Martin Harris, Moroni supposedly took away the interpreters, and Smith was forced to rely on his old and trusty peep-stone. Smith’s translation was completed at the end of June 1829, and the BoM was first published by E.B. Grandin in Palmyra, NY, in March 1830. Where can we see these marvelous gold plates? We can’t, because Smith gave them back to Moroni.
6. There Are Testimonies to the “Gold Plates” from 11 Credible Witnesses.
But, say Mormon texts, there were 11 “witnesses” to the gold plates! These witness statements are printed at the beginning of each copy of the BoM. Three witnesses declare that an angel of God showed them the engravings upon the plates, while the eight others claim that that Joseph Smith showed them the plates with their engravings, which they also handled. Regarding the first three witnesses, Martin Harris said he had “never claimed to have seen the plates with his natural eyes,” but only with “spiritual eyes.” Oliver Cowdery was a relative of Smith’s, served as his scribe in translating the BoM, and was accustomed to having otherworldly visions. He told Smith that he had seen the gold plates in a “vision” even before the two of them had met. The third, David Whitmer, later said that the angel he saw “had no appearance or shape,” that he merely had the “impression” of an angel.
A few years after the BoM was published these three witnesses were excommunicated and harshly denounced and insulted by Smith. He described Whitmer as “an ass to bray out cursings instead of blessings.” He denounced Cowdery as “too mean to mention” and the leader of a gang of “scoundrels of the deepest degree.” He said Martin Harris was “so far beneath contempt that to notice him would be too great a sacrifice for a gentleman to make.”
Regarding the other eight witnesses, one of them was Joseph Smith’s father, two of them were his brothers, and the other five were close relations of David Whitmer. All the Whitmer family witnesses were later excommunicated, although David eventually rejoined the church.
Joseph Smith, Jr. couldn’t resist the temptation of injecting a self-serving prophecy of himself into the BoM. In the section of the book supposedly written in about 600 BC an Israelite by the name of Nephi reports that the biblical patriarch Joseph uttered this prophecy: “A seer shall the Lord my God raise up,” and “his name shall be called after me; and it shall be after the name of his father” (2 Nephi 3:6,15). Here we have a prophecy like a riddle, the answer to which is, of course, Joseph Smith, Jr. and Sr. Not satisfied to have this prophecy of himself and his father only in the BoM, Smith goes further by adding nearly-identical verses to the text of the Bible. In the last chapter of Genesis in Smith’s Inspired Version of The Holy Scriptures, the Lord says to Joseph just before he dies in Egypt: “That seer will I bless…..and his name shall be called Joseph; and it shall be after the name of his father; and he shall be like unto you.” This and the many other “prophecies” in Mormon scripture are cases of what is known in biblical scholarship as a vaticinium ex eventu, a “prophecy after the fact.” And it is one where the ulterior motive of the perpetrator of the hoax could not be more evident.
8. Joseph Smith Restored What Catholics Removed from the Bible.
What is the basis for this and the many other Mormon additions to the Bible? As explained in 1 Nephi, these are needed because the “Great and Abominable Church, which is most abominable above all other churches,” traditionally understood in Mormonism as the Roman Catholic Church, has “taken away” from the Bible “many plain and precious things.” But in fact this couldn’t have been the work of the Catholics, because there’s no sign of these omissions in the Hebrew Bible, written several hundred years before there were any Christians or churches! It must have been the nefarious Jews who did it, which would explain why so many of the passages Joseph Smith identifies as having been removed from the Bible and which he restores are its Old Testament (< Hebrew Bible) references to Jesus Christ. Take parts of the 6th chapter of Genesis in the Inspired Version: God says to Adam, “Turn unto me….and repent of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even in water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ” (Genesis 6:53). And then “Adam cried unto the Lord, and was caught away by the Spirit of the Lord, and was carried down into the water, and was laid under the water, and was brought forth out of the water; and thus he was baptized” (Genesis 6:67).
9. The LDS Church’s Theological Doctrines Are Not Significantly Different from Those of Mainstream Christian Denominations.
In the last few decades LDS authorities have made a major effort to downplay its distinctive teachings (and practices) in order to present as a “mainstream” Christian denomination. These distinctive doctrines include the following: (The last two were taught by Joseph Smith but are not official doctrines of the LDS church.)
God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Ghost are three separate divine beings (Mormonism is anti-Trinitarian).
In his pre-mortal existence Jesus Christ, the literal Son of God the Father, was the LORD (= Jehovah/Yahweh) of the Old Testament
Humans have pre-mortal existences as spirit-children of God the Father and a Heavenly Mother.
Humans can become angels, and angels can become humans, e. g., Adam used to be St. Michael (refer to Temple Endowment ceremony), Noah used to be St. Gabriel, and the Nephite man Moroni became the angel Moroni.
Matter has always existed, so the Creation was not ex nihilo.
There is no “hell” in the traditional Christian sense but rather a spirit prison where wicked spirits are cleansed in preparation for their resurrection.
A deceased person who was never baptized can get to the Celestial Kingdom as a result of a proxy baptism in a Mormon temple.
The highest level of the Celestial Kingdom is reserved for couples who have been “sealed” in a Mormon temple for a life of “eternal marriage.”
Humans can become Gods (be exalted) in the future and dwell in the highest level of the Celestial Kingdom. (Joseph Smith, “King Follett Discourse,” 1844)
Since the 19th Century the LDS church has denied that polygamy is a part of its core doctrines, and many Mormons deny that Joseph Smith was a polygamist. However, the doctrine of “plural marriage,” referring in this case to a man having more than one wife (polygyny), was revealed to Joseph Smith at Nauvoo, IL, on July 12, 1843, and was enshrined in 1876 as Section 132 of Doctrine and Covenants (D&C), one of the LDS Church’s scriptures. At the same time Section 101 in the early edition of the D&C, specifying the rule of monogamy, was removed. In this new “revelation,” God declares plurality of wives as essential for attainment of godhood (article 20), that those who reject it are damned (article 4), and that if Emma Smith rejects Joseph’s other marriages he will destroy her (article 54). This revelation was kept secret from the general church membership until Brigham Young made it known in 1852.
The principle of plural marriage in Mormonism has its roots in 1832, when Joseph Smith told his innermost circle that “he had inquired of the Lord concerning the principle of plurality of wives, and he received for an answer…that it is a true principle, but the time had not yet come for it to be practiced.” At about that time, when Joseph and Emma had become boarders at the home of John and Elsa Johnson in Hiram, Ohio, people in the neighborhood suspected that Joseph was having a sexual relationship with their daughter, 15-year old Marinda Nancy Johnson. According to a statement by Marinda’s brother Luke Johnson, on March 24, 1832 “a mob of forty or fifty…entered his room in the middle of the night….he was then seized by as many as could get hold of him, and taken about forty rods from the house…they tore off the few night clothes that he had on, for the purpose of emasculating him, and had Dr. Dennison there to perform the operation; but he refused to operate. The mob…poured tar over him, and then stuck feathers in it and left him.” Early the following year 16-year-old Fanny Alger moved into the Smith house as a domestic servant, and in February or March Joseph took her as his plural wife. He kept this secret from Emma, but in 1835 she caught them in flagrante delicto and ejected Fanny from the house. This incident led to a severe rift between Smith and his collaborator Oliver Cowdery, who referred to it as “a dirty, nasty, filthy affair.”
These conflicts apparently did little to alter Smith’s course of action. “Joseph continued to take plural wives throughout the 1830’s in Ohio and Missouri, and he married with even greater frequency in Nauvoo in the early 1840’s.” In his lifetime Smith “married at least thirty-three women, and probably as many as forty-eight.” (Krakauer, Under the Banner of Heaven, pp. 5, 119-121)
Mormons who are taught that Joseph was a “devoted husband” (see the LDS Church’s website) should be reminded that Emma Smith never accepted the principle or the practice of plural marriage. After Joseph’s death she did not join the Mormons moving west to Utah, led by the polygamist Brigham Young. Instead she stayed behind and joined the anti-polygamist Reorganized LDS Church (known today as the Community of Christ). While the practice of polygamy has been forbidden in the LDS Church since the “1890 Manifesto,” it is still enshrined in the revealed Scriptures as necessary for obtaining “godhood.”
In July of 1835 a man by the name of Michael Chandler brought some Egyptian mummies and papyri which had been excavated near the ancient city of Thebes to Kirtland, OH, and sold them to Joseph Smith. Although Smith had no knowledge of the ancient Egyptian language or writing, he nevertheless “translated” some of these papyri, and in 1842 published the results along with three “facsimiles” (with interpretations) as the Book of Abraham. In 1880, thirty-six years after Smith’s death, this work was incorporated as Part 2 of the LDS Church’s scripture known as The Pearl of Great Price. In Smith’s “translation” the patriarch Abraham tells a story of traveling from Chaldea to Egypt, where a priest lays him on an altar to sacrifice him, but he is miraculously saved by an angel of God; he gives a discourse about the universe, time, and stars, including the star/planet Kolob, which is closest to the throne of God; and he provides a polytheistic paraphrase of the first two chapters of Genesis which substitutes the word “Gods” for the biblical “God” and “Lord God.”
Many prominent 19th and 20th Century Egyptologists have examined the Joseph Smith papyri, including the one from the Egyptian “Book of Breathings” which is thought to be the specific papyrus which Smith translated as the main text of the Book of Abraham. All the papyri are inscribed with hieratic funerary texts, and the “Book of Breathings” is dated to the 1st Century BC or AD, 2000 years after Abraham supposedly lived. It is the unanimous opinion of the many Egyptologists who have examined the papyri that the text of Smith’s Book of Abraham, together with his related interpretations of the papyrus “facsimiles,” bear no resemblance whatsoever to the papyri texts. The Book of Abraham is, in the words of these renowned Egyptologists, an “impudent fraud” (A. H. Sayce, Oxford Univ.), “absurd” (W. M. Flinders Petrie, London Univ.), a work by an “absolutely ignorant” person (James H. Breasted, Univ. of Chicago), a work whose “explanations [of the facsimiles] are completely wrong” (Richard A. Parker, Brown Univ.), a “pure fabrication” (Arthur C. Mace, Metropolitan Museum of Art), a “work of pure imagination” (S. A. B. Mercer, Western Theological Seminary).
Although Joseph Smith was clearly very charismatic, there is considerable evidence that the official Mormon view of his pure moral character is a fiction. When Smith became famous as the “Mormon Prophet,” people who knew him from his early years were aghast, and they express their feelings in the following signed affidavits:
Mrs. S. F. Anderick: “Jo was pompous, pretentious…claimed he could tell where lost or hidden things and treasures were buried. He deceived many farmers.”
Isaac Butts: “I have frequently seen Jo drunk. He had a forked witch-hazel rod, later a peep-stone with which he claimed he could locate buried money or hidden things.”
W. R. Hine: “I heard a man say who was a neighbor to the Mormon Smith family, that they were thieves, indolent, the lowest, meanest family he ever saw or heard of.”
Joseph Rogers: “Farmers said he as a terror to the neighborhood and that he would either have to go to State prison, be hung, or leave the county, or he would be killed. Jo contrived in every way to obtain money without work. The farmers claimed that not a week passed without Jo stole something. I knew at least one hundred farmers in the towns of Phelps, Manchester, and Palmyra, N.Y., who would make out that Jo Smith the Mormon prophet was a a liar, intemperate and a base imposter…He could read the character of men readily and could tell who he could dupe.”
Mrs. Sylvia Walker: “They [the Smith family] were the lowest family I ever knew. They worked very little and had the reputation of stealing everything they could lay their hands on….When Jo told his neighbors about finding gold plates no one believed him nor paid any attention to it, he had humbugged them so much.”
On August 1, 1831, Joseph Smith received a revelation which became Section 58 of Doctrine and Covenants. Verse 21 of that section states: “Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land” (D&C 58:21). This revelation is at odds with his own life history. Beginning at least as early as 1826, when he was 25 years old, until his death, Smith was continuously in trouble with legal authorities. In his lifetime Smith had to defend himself in forty-eight criminal cases and had a total of over 200 suits brought against him. His troubles with the law caused the parents of his first wife, Emma Hale, to disown their daughter. Many of Smith’s trials are attributed by Mormons to religious persecution. However, his legal troubles predate his religious proclamations. Smith’s first known trial, on March 20, 1826, in East Bainbridge, NY, he was arrested, jailed, charged, and convicted of being “a disorderly person and an imposter” and “falsely pretending to discover lost goods.”
The questionable beliefs and teachings outlined above, as well as others not discussed, have created problems for Mormons, their leaders, and the LDS Church from the religion’s beginnings until today. The Church does not allow members to openly and independently investigate or question its core beliefs or historical claims, or to challenge its leadership or core values. It does not allow hard-to-swallow doctrines to be discussed with potential converts before they have digested simpler ones (called “milk before meat”), nor for these doctrines to be publicly disseminated. When members do these things, and do not leave the Church voluntarily, they are “disfellowshipped” or excommunicated. Witness the famous modern-day 1993 case of the “September Six.”
“Lying for the Lord” is the term some ex-Mormons use for the Mormon practice of not telling the whole truth or dissimulating when necessary to further the image and interests of the Church. In the 19th Century, when the clash between Mormons and mainstream Christians was more overt, deception was more overt as well. Examples often cited are the denials by LDS leaders and members when they were charged with condoning and practicing polygamy (“plural marriage”). Since polygamy became illegal throughout the United States in the mid-19thCentury, church leaders such as Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and Heber Kimball, as well as members who practiced polygamy were breaking the law, so that secrecy and denial were considered necessary to protect the church. At times deception assumed the status of a religious duty. This stance led to perjury by LDS President Joseph Fielding Smith and others during the Reed Smoot Congressional Hearings of 1904-7.
The historical necessity of self-protective deception creates a conundrum in that the Mormon religion strongly values honesty both in private life and in its public image. Yet the issue of deception in Mormonism runs deeper than a matter of “situational ethics.” Consider the following statements by Mormon leaders:
Joseph Fielding Smith, the tenth president of the LDS Church (1970-72): “If Joseph Smith was a deceiver, who willfully attempted to mislead the people, then he should be exposed; his claims should be refuted, and his doctrines shown to be false.” (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, p. 188).
Orson Pratt, elder and member of the original Quorum of the LDS Church: “The Book of Mormon…must be either true or false. If true, it is one of the most important messages ever sent from God to man…If false, it is one of the most cunning, wicked, bold, deep-laid impositions ever palmed upon the world, calculated to deceive and ruin millions” (Introduction, Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon, 1850).
Should Mormonism be founded in an elaborate hoax, as much evidence suggests, then deception is not just an occasional practice, but the foundation structure upon which the entire edifice of the Mormon religion has been erected. Mormons of good faith are then inescapably caught between the demands of doctrine and their core moral values of honesty and integrity.
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Valerie Tarico is a psychologist and freelance writer, and the author of Trusting Doubt: A Former Evangelical Looks at Old Beliefs in a New Light. Dr. Tony Nugent is a symbologist and retired professor of religious studies.
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Seattle psychologist and writer. Author - Trusting Doubt; Deas and Other Imaginings.
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This entry was posted in Christianity in the Public Square and tagged Book of Abraham, Celestial marriage, Cumorah, David Whitmer, exMormon, former Mormon, investigating Mormonism, Joseph Smith hoaxes, Lamanite, Lamanites, Lehi, Mormonism, Nephite, Oliver Cowdery, Tony Nugent. Bookmark the permalink.
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October 5, 2012 at 7:27 pm
Dang, I really don’t want to say this because it’s totally, totally uncharitable, but hey – Mormonism is a screwball religion. Wait! Wait! That doesn’t mean all Mormons are screwballs, I suspect most of them simply do not reflect too much on the details of their church’s beliefs and Mormonism is either tied up with family history or maybe a job thing, or maybe a benefits thing, or maybe all three.
However, if a Mormon believer has achieved a college degree then I would expect him/her to become an ex-Mormon fairly quickly – at least mentally, if not then there’s definitely something lacking in their education. Waaaay lacking.
As for electing a college-educated, BELIEVING Mormon for U.S. President? You have got to be kidding!! There is something (a lot actually) that is very un-intelligent about Mormonism, and being the Presidency of this country demands a clear head and very intelligent thinking – betcha $10,000!
I hope I’ve not offended too many folks, however if you’ve truly been offended (as in: you got a severe nosebleed from reading this) AND would like to send me $10, then it’s possible I might apologize profusely, I doubt it, but it’s possible. And NO I’m not on FaceBook.
October 20, 2012 at 10:36 am
Of course you left unsaid that they’re ALL screwball.
Grace says:
May 20, 2015 at 5:05 pm
Okay, I understand that you guys might think that this is “proof” that Mormons don’t know what they’re talking about, and that they’re living a lie, but do any of you have the right to judge them? I mean, have you actually read the Book of Mormon? And by read I mean really studied. Not with a critical mind, but an open one. I guarantee you that if you read the Book of Mormon cover to cover, keeping an open mind to the gospel, and to the incredible feeling of the spirt, you will feel it.
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Lash says:
August 19, 2015 at 7:51 pm
No were not. It’s makes more sense sense then some other Christian religions. At least we don’t persecute other fellow Christians! We accept who you are for what you are. Christ is the center of Mormonism. It is my center. I hope it is your’s as well.
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December 19, 2015 at 10:59 am
?????? Lash Really? When young men walk into a house, all over the world, and say “we are the only true church and all others are false” what would you call that? Nice try though.
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Mike says:
February 15, 2016 at 1:12 pm
I just gotta say as an LDS member that…. I’m only LDS to make my wife happy. It is screwy but hey some people need faith and it isn’t my place to try to crush others beliefs.
It is commonly taught that the higher education a LDS member achieves the more likely they are to stay in that religion but I wonder if that is only because of the influence of BYU. Taking classes there I noticed that the amount of indoctrinating is heavy and for a non-believer it is stifling.
What is sickening to me is that the most important teachings in the church are; love god, love your neighbor (everyone), and that god gave us all free agency (freedom of choice). So while those are the most important teachings many members are very unkind and are not understanding of others. Voting against others freedom is a common example; If it was up to LDS members there would be no gay marriage, no alcohol, no abortion, no cigarettes, and I’m sure it could go on… very loving and non-judgmental huh!
Kimberley P says:
May 4, 2016 at 12:09 am
I grew up in a Mormon family and have rarely come across people who strive so hard to help others, who look for opportunities to do good, who give of them selves and their possessions more willingly. I have so many unanswered questions and concerns with church history but the internet was not so readily accessible in the 1900’s and these folks have not had all of the facts given to them of the church from the beginning of there fellowship so I feel it’s best to not judge things you have no interest in understanding or judge people who are genuinely seeking to do good. I love the basic principles of the church and have not been to another church in Australia that teaches as well as the Mormon’s. And now with the recent age of the internet and many followers finding things out about the church history that they previously had never looked into and having there faith challenged, it becomes a challenging time. I don’t think there is a church in the world that does not have a past. I continue to encourage mormans to keep on living good strong moral lives as they do a lot of good. But now the challenge is deciphering God’s word from man made philosophy. If you have the answers feel free to let us all know but I don’t believe anyone does. Also what grace has said is interesting, there is so much good and so many lessons that can be taken from the book or Mormon it is difficult for any person who loves and strives to follow Christ denounce it’s worth.
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Kimberley P says:
May 4, 2016 at 9:04 pm
Not screwballs just good people.
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Booya says:
October 20, 2012 at 7:43 pm
Mental compartmentalization. They are crazy beliefs they say they believe but if you really committed 100% to them, you’d be mad. So it’s really just a code they have, a sort of unspoken agreement: You say you believe this thing and I’ll say I believe it and we’ll know we’re from the same tribe. It’s rather sick.
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January 22, 2016 at 4:18 pm
their rules suck and I don’t think they want to mess with me and about black people they are bunch of bigots
July 9, 2013 at 5:59 am
The truth is that Mormons actually get more faithful and active in the Church with higher degrees of education. We believe that God has commanded and encouraged us to pursue higher education which is why you will find so many Mormons in all sectors of life.
Of course, when believes are taken out of context and caricaturized it can make a belief sound silly, but the foundation of my belief is in Jesus Christ and his Gospel. All of the teachings of the Church are ultimately his and consistent with his instructions and commandments. What really sets us apart is the, completely scriptural, belief in continuing revelation and a living Prophet. As there were apostles in Christs time, so there are Apostles in our time. Thanks to continuing inspiration both personal and institutional I am able to follow the spirit of God in all things and stay on the right path.
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December 27, 2013 at 6:35 pm
With that said can you explain to me what the book of Mormon means by “If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 10). I’ll wait
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January 5, 2014 at 6:53 pm
In ancient Israel, God had certain rules about priesthood and mixing such as the rule that one from the house of Levi could not marry outside of that house or lose his priesthood. (This is recorded in the Old Testament when speaking about the priests returning from Babylon that were cut off from the priesthood lineage). God’s rules are based on purity and on keeping his people righteous. However, when the priesthood was extended to all males that restriction was eliminated. Likewise, with any restriction on inter-racial marriage. In our day, because the priesthood is available to all worthy males, God encourages us to marry any worthy individual (of the opposite sex). He extends the priesthood according to his own design and pattern.
As far as the threat of death goes, there is no evidence that Brigham Young or anyone else actually attempted to kill individuals that married outside of the race, so I tend to view such rhetoric as hyperbolic and a symbol of the spiritual death that would come from being cut off from the lineage of the priesthood…. B. Young Probably could have chosen his words more carefully, but that was his style and his rhetoric does not make him any less of a prophet.
Also, that quote is not in the Book of Mormon….
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October 20, 2015 at 4:55 pm
if Jesus is not your foundation and you trust that you can accomplish perfection in yourself without His Holy Spirit you will no make it to heaven..He is the way the truth and the life… NO OTHER WAY!
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June 12, 2016 at 4:07 am
June 25, 2016 at 3:05 pm
HI Katherine: I’ve worked with many Mormons over the years in engineering and sciences. What I have found is that their level of education has nothing to do with the facts. It is more about a desire to know truth. In most cases, they have been in the Church so long, to face the reality of facts would leave them empty and in a wasteland. So, they bury their head in personal testimony. The facts are, only 2 of 10 young men are going on mission today in contrast to 70%. The Church has a zero % membership gain in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world except the Pacific Islands (Micronesia). A former Mormon friend who came off mission about 3 years ago, told me if a missionary gets 1 or 2 families to join the church, they consider it a successful mission and, half of those turn out to be con’s who are just looking for something from the Church. The truth is, the Web has caused tens-of-thousands of Mormons to know the facts about the Church and it can no longer be censured by the Church leadership as before. No more spin doctrine on the Spaulding manuscripts. No more spin doctrine on the Book of Abraham. No more spin doctrine on Joseph’s many affairs and need for polygamy to suddenly be the solution. If Mormonism did not claim to be true based on historical facts (BOM), there would be no issue. In the 1800’s that was easy. In 2016, it is not. Check out my facts above. Plan9fromKolob
January 14, 2019 at 10:55 am
Give me a break. MEN are encouraged to pursue higher education and have lucrative careers so they can support their stay at home wives and numerous children.
Often, women are discouraged from and even criticized for pursuing higher education and careers. Women are expected to get married young (an unmarried 23-year old Mormon woman is considered old) and have many children.
crunch says:
September 28, 2013 at 9:40 pm
Electing a college-educated, believing in any form of supernatural being person for any position in public service should be illegal! CASE CLOSED!
November 13, 2015 at 1:45 pm
Yeah, that would require an amendment to undo one of the other amendments.
August 5, 2014 at 3:36 pm
Wrong on all accounts. We have all the same knowledge and resources at our disposal. I am not being tricked into being a Mormon.
We both simply believe that we read, comprehend and understand things better than the other person. Simple as that.
Anything anyone believes can be thwarted to look screwy.
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September 10, 2014 at 12:46 am
I might counter that not all beliefs are created equal. Some are better substantiated and more accountable than others. For some, our best explanations for why they exist and replicate have more to do with psychology than history.
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August 5, 2019 at 4:12 am
” We both believe that we read, comprehend and understand things better than the other person. Simple as that.” Therein lies the tragedy that is Mormonism. Been there done that. It is actually absolute rubbish. Then after resigning in 2016 after a membership of 55 years, I only then started to understand things better e.g. that Isaac was Not the son Abram was required to offer on the altar but rather Ishmael. Thank the Lord I passed through the Mormon veil of indoctrination.
February 27, 2015 at 4:02 am
This is the link to Preach My Gospel, the standard instruction manual required to be studied and taught by all LDS missionaries. It contains the required lessons to be taught to investigators of the church before baptism into the church. By the simple fact that a large amount of the doctrines the author claims the church wants to sweep under the rug are actually contained in required pre-baptismal learning modules that are rigidly followed, the basic premise of this article, that “mormons might not want you know about” these doctrines is clearly false. I also find the idea that the LDS church discourages personal inquiry completely absurd and obviously based upon reactionary statements from dissidents. A simple and non-jaded inquisition into LDS worship would quickly demonstrate that few things are held more sacred by Mormons then personal testimony and person revelation. Watch a recording of any LDS General Conference and half of the message can usually be summed up as question, ask, learn for yourself, come to a personal knowledge, seek more understanding, don’t take my word on what the scriptures say – read them yourselves daily, pray daily, seek affirmation of God’s will in all of your choices, etc. I pray for two things at this time. The first is for the Christian world, that our energies can be spent in strengthening each other instead of tearing each other down and doing good in the world instead of wasting countless amounts of energy nit-picking over our doctrinal differences. The second is for the atheists, agnostics, and other non-believers who have grown so militant in their anti-religious sentiment, that you can step away from the dogmas of your own long enough to realize that the fallibility of man will never allow for infallible conclusions no matter the evidence. May we all live in love and tolerance.
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Jim johnson says:
August 28, 2015 at 6:14 pm
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November 13, 2015 at 1:48 pm
Whoa, tone it down yeller. All caps is not a lifestyle choice you should be making.
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Tom says:
January 31, 2016 at 5:59 pm
Jim, you might want to read http://www.cesletter.com
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Kerry A. Brown says:
November 21, 2017 at 12:42 pm
I am a 65 year old atheist who was born into Mormonism.
My parents were both born and raised in Utah, they were ‘free thinkers’ open minded, and not especially religious. They were religious enough to have me baptized when I was eight.
Even as an eight year old though I knew LDS beliefs were a lie, because I have half a brain.
I quit going to church by age ten and was excommunicated by age 27 when I declined a demand to rejoin the church and start tithing or sign a disfellowship document… I had made the mistake of telling a zealous Mormon-convert co-worker that I used to be Mormon.
There’s no need for me to repeat the information in the article, history is history, facts are facts.
American Indians have absolutely no genetic link to the Middle East.
Joseph Smith was a con man, court records confirm this. This business about Golden Plates and prophets is absolute nonsense, pure BS.
The BofM is a plagiarized poorly written fantasy history, the article you were offended by is 100% correct.
I am sorry you were duped by these hucksters.
Good luck to you.
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Kate says:
January 23, 2019 at 9:18 am
Instead of simply stating that they are wrong, why not show evidence to support your argument?
Cam says:
November 8, 2015 at 8:00 am
This is inaccurate. And the fact that your asking for money after insulting mormon beliefs, you tell me who is in the right here? Mormons have more rules than a lot of religions but if you meet a mormon they are almost always very happy and positive, they don’t do drugs, they don’t dress like “sluts”, they don’t watch porn, they don’t cuss (some do but it’s really hard not too, even then they rarely do it.) that is just a little of what Mormons don’t do.
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Tom says:
January 31, 2016 at 6:02 pm
Utah has the highest use of prescription anti depressants . Get the facts. Not as happy as you think. Highest rate of teenage suicide. Highest amount of pornagraphy prescriptions online. Should I go on?
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dom says:
February 9, 2016 at 9:24 pm
yes we have alot of beliefs but were not forced to those things, its just we chose not to. we call it free agency
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March 29, 2016 at 1:29 am
This is actually very accurate sir. Please do some research as it makes you look very uneducated and just silly to state what you have. If you have information that refutes what the author has written then please enlighten us. Ive got a question for you. Exactly where did the book of mormon take place? Not even a General Authority can tell you that.
May 29, 2016 at 4:36 pm
Just as Tom says, antidepressants and porn. Of course you will say there is no evidence. An elephant could step on your toes and you will say no evidence. So, where is the evidence of al the ancient cultures BoM mentions?. Did you check out the evidence that the book of Abraham is a fake? Mormons allways think detractors are questioning their “goodness”. Far from the point. Your religion is a fake, man created by a narcissistic and pathological liar. Now it is followed by narcissistic dummies
Come on man, how can grown adults be so naive? Grow up.
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January 4, 2018 at 7:25 am
Most Mormons I know watch porn and then then they repent and then they watch porn again and then they repent watch porn again sporting the Internet studies Utah has the highest rate of porn observation them anywhere in the country
My husband is a bishop and I was really society president when the DNA studies came out I love the church because President and play said even on a YouTube video it’s DNA of the native Indians is not from Israel then Joseph Smith called the biggest hoax on the Americans and he is nothing but a fraud so I am taking it from President Hinckley
DNA studies prove that the Indians arm from Mongolia
The church also finally admitted that Joseph Smith faked the translations of the Egyptian papers
We were con for over 40 years and hundreds of our neighbors and family members have now left the church
I don’t feel stupid because people are frauded all the time
They are tricked into investments and everything so why not open your minds to the truth instead of backing up a lot so you don’t feel stupid
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Lola Morgain says:
June 2, 2019 at 7:48 pm
The key is not to do drug and smile all the time, not to believe something that is obviously not true. I would rather not believe at all. The truth is that Mormons to drink, use drugs, and I am not sure about how they dress at home. I am all the things a Mormon is except the belief of the facts that the cult is really brainwashing of children and fear of leaving despite that they too, find error in the cult.
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November 13, 2015 at 1:42 pm
Right. . . as compared to the Catholics who eat Jesus and Hindus who worship an elephant and Protestants who believe all land animals fit in a boat made by one guy. Mormons are the only screwballs.
January 13, 2017 at 8:23 pm
this is an old post I know this, but catholic believe that jesus gave up his body and blood for our sins..all christian religions believe this…christian is latin for follower of christ…Judaism does not do this because they are still waiting for the first coming of christ, And all of the aforementioned religions…morman, catholic,protestants. jewish…all believe in Noah’s ark…I do not agree with Mormonism personally but come on….I feel like these are basic things that a child in a kindergarten bible school would know.
Grace says:
January 25, 2016 at 1:00 pm
These two authors are so far off in their interpreting of Mormon beliefs it would be hilarious if it wasnt so pathetic. It is utterly ridiculous what they have stated. You got to ask yourself: why have these two put so much time into denouncing the Mormon faith? I have been a member for 38 years. It is a beautiful faith, Pure, simple and very open to any questions anyone might have. Obviously these two never went to the source.
March 29, 2016 at 1:24 am
May I suggest that you do a little research of Morman History? The author of this article has clearly done unbiased research. Im not saying just believe what he wrote, im saying investigate it yourself. To be quite honest they are accurate in their claims and by you ranting against them makes you look terribly uneducated on the very thing your ranting about. Ive been LDS for 30+ years, served a mission, and was married in the temple. I will tell you that nothing this author wrote is false. Do some research please.
February 22, 2016 at 8:17 am
This article is the biggest load of lies I’ve ever seen, who ever wrote this is really inacurite and as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day saints I am highly offended by your ignorance and stupidity!
March 29, 2016 at 1:33 am
Please do some research yourself and when your done I promise not to say I told you so. The author of this post has clearly done their due dilligence and researched the history of your church. It is you who sounds very stupid as you couldnt possibly have looked into the authors claims, otherwise you would agree with the author.
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Joseph Gyman says:
March 6, 2016 at 11:43 am
I love how you show your beliefs, but religion isn’t there just to raise your morals. Some people actually are happier due to religion or Mormonism in this case. Wether it’s true or not is not anyones call, but if that’s your source of happiness, so be it.
Donna F. says:
March 9, 2016 at 12:52 am
Er, Mormons have their own rather large universities where girls study homemaking or teaching in prep for eternal marriage as first wife.
February 1, 2017 at 10:56 am
My Father and an associate of his spent an entire evening arguing whether men evolved from primates. The next day, two exhausted individuals vehemently maintained their own individual biases. I happen to be a 50+ year Happy Mormon; and i didn’t join until I was 30
November 14, 2017 at 12:37 am
Well, I found many lies in this article. I will only mention a couple, For one, Brigham Young and all the Prophets including Joseph Smith always taught to find out for ourselves. Not to believe because of their beliefs but learn for ourselves. And that is exactly what I have done all my life. I have While Emma did not like plural marriage that was not the reason she did not follow the Saints either. She had to care for Lucy and she too was broken hearted has her husband, whom she dearly loved, was now gone. She didn’t have much purpose after that.
She did not stay behind to join the reorganized church because it wasn’t even in existence until her young son grew up and started it. Emma maintained her testimony in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints until the day she died as her daughter tells her story.
Another lie is that Emma and Joseph dressed in black having a black horse and having a mystic ritual is just a plain out right lie. They dressed in black because that were being watched. Believe it or not some men did think that Joseph might have found something of worth as in gold so Emma and Joseph had to go quietly and in dark clothing as not to be seen. That was the night they were able to get the plates.
Interestingly enough, other experts outside the Church have said that this book reads as it would in the their own language in the near east.
The bottom line is, you study the religion not the anti religion. Usually anti Mormons are the worst because for the most part they have been excommunicated so they hate the Church. What do you expect from them.
My mother was LDS and my daddy was Baptist. I didn’t even go to the LDS Church as a youngster at all. My mother and her people never ever said one word about my not going. Never!! They let me choose for myself. In fact I think they were surprised to know I started attending the Church when I was 20 years old.
Your article said many, many lies which isn’t worth my time to explain nor do I need to explain. I will say, when a member of the Church fights against the Church they are excommunicated because they obviously hate the Church and so they should be excommunicated.
I am so very, very grateful I belong to this beautiful, loving Church. I would gladly give my life for it. It is the very breath I breathe. And it saddens me to see so many untruths spoken of it. In the end you will know. This is the Church of Jesus Christ. The only living Church on the today. We have a living Prophet and 12 apostles who receive revelation from the Lord.
I have met many of them and you could never ever find anything evil about these men. Go meet them yourself and you will find the Church very different than you had thought.
These men are retired heart surgeons, judges, lawyers, scientist, among many other honorable vocations. They have given up their high paying vocations for the rest of their lives in service to the Church. You try and keep up with them. Just try.
My name is Mary Frank Skaggs Ralls and I am thankful to be a member of the Mormon Church!!!
June 13, 2018 at 7:52 pm
As a former Mormon descended from first, second, third, fourth, and fifth-generation Mormons: Agreed. BUT no more wacky than Judaism. No more wacky than Islam. No more wacky than Catholicism. No more wacky than Hinduism. No more wacky than some things masking as atheism out there like addiction to the State and a belief in the all-powerful accredited university that magical confers rational thought upon completion of accredited degrees. Uh huh.
June 14, 2018 at 5:18 am
June 18, 2018 at 6:58 pm
I just read your post with interest and thought you would like to know that according to a 2017 study by the Pew Research Center. Mormons with higher education were found to be religious. Here are the findings: “Among Mormons, those who are more highly educated are not simply as religious as those with less education – Mormons with college experience are more religiously observant, on average, than Mormons with less education. Fully 92% of college-educated Mormons are highly religious, as are 91% of Mormons with some college. Among Mormons whose education topped out with high school, however, just 78% score high on the index of religious observance.” I don’t have an extra $10,000 to betcha, but I do have a Master of Science degree.
* “In America, Does More Education Equal Less Religion?”
October 6, 2012 at 11:42 am
Here is a 12 minute video interview with Richard Dawkins March 25th on MSNBC. He discusses the following questions:
Does a politician’s private religious beliefs effect public policy? If a citizen has the right to question their lawmaker’s political opinions, should they also be able to question their outlook on religion?
I didn’t watch the presidential debate but Stephen Colbert’s mocking of Mitt’s creepy half-smile reminded me of the Mormon fundamentalist slogan, “keep sweet”. It’s what abused girls and women are told to do by their male masters. Apparently, Romney refused to go on The View because he was afraid to confront “sharp-tongued” women who are free to speak their minds and challenge male authority. I think the patriarchal, sexist attitudes of Mormons, the kind of attitude that tells children to keep sweet no matter how much they are abused and denied their rights, played some part in the Elizabeth Smart case. I think the indoctrination she received in the mainstream Mormon church, especially absolute obedience to authority, made her easy prey for the Mormon fundamentalist who kidnapped and assaulted her, using the same religious dogma to enslave her.
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October 6, 2012 at 12:06 pm
Thanks, Perry. Good information! I agree–the “keep sweet” mantra is creepy.
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October 6, 2012 at 12:29 pm
Another thought just occurred to me regarding the power that “obey your elders” has over people raised in certain cultures. A Korean-American speed skater recently admitted to tampering with an opponents skates. In his apology he mentioned the difficulty of disobeying an elder:
“He asked me in English … ‘mess up the blades,’” Cho said of his coach’s instructions. “Later he made the same request in Korean, he made it twice. He was not only coming to me as my coach but as a Korean elder. In the Korean culture, that’s very difficult to deny. I said I’d do it.” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/us-speedskater-cho-truly-sorry-for-tampering-with-canadians-skates/article4591261/
In the Smart case, in my opinion, it was also culture that made it difficult for her to disobey a person who she could have easily seen as her elder, quoting the same scriptures her parents and church leaders did.
Of all the beliefs you list in this article, I think the last one, Lying for the Lord is Morally Acceptable, is the most dangerous. I practiced a similar doctrine for many years in the Children of God/Family International cult, which they called Deceivers Yet True, based on specific scriptures. see: http://www.exfamily.org/cgi-bin/gf.pl?fmt=dyn&t=articles&m=1&s=&r=art/exmem/family_policy_on_lying.shtml
As you will see in this detailed article, The Family has gone to great lengths to define what is a “lie,” when it is permissible to lie, and the justification for lying. Consider these claims in Berg’s writing, Deceivers, Yet True!, letter number 1248, paragraphs 4 & 5:
“The Lord & His Prophets frequently used deceit & sometimes outright lies, believe it or not, to accomplish God’s purpose. The law is the standard, but there are always exceptions to the rules, particularly if God’s the One Who makes the exceptions! God Himself is going to lie to them & deceive them because they refused the truth … God lied to them & deceived them & deluded them & damned them! What better proof can you have than that?—God sometimes uses lies!”
The title of Berg’s letter, Deceivers, Yet True! captures The Family’s thinking on lying. In fact, the words “deceivers, yet true,” are often quoted among Family members as a catch phrase meaning “condoned lying.” This expression is taken from the King James Version of the Bible, 2Corinthians 6:8, where the Apostle Paul says:
“By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true.”
Not bothering to read the entire passage in context to understand the meaning of these last five words, Berg quoted them as authorization to deceive to “accomplish God’s purpose.”
“Through glory and dishonour, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as imposters.”
To honest readers, the meaning is clear. Paul was saying that he was genuine and had integrity, despite the fact that some regarded him as not genuine. Berg, however, insisted that this verse gave The Family free license to use deception as long as hey remained true in their hearts. …
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October 6, 2012 at 1:01 pm
It seems like when you have a hierarchical patriarchal closed system, similar characteristics emerge. A self-protective culture and rules get baked into sacred texts, and authorities use them to advance the mission even at the expense of individual members.
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Scott says:
September 10, 2013 at 3:52 am
“keep sweet” been LDS for along time and never herd that.
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September 10, 2013 at 6:50 am
Scott, if you look at my original comment at the top of this thread you will see that I wrote:
So, if you were LDS and not FLDS then that’s probably why you wouldn’t have heard the term. “Keep Sweet” is also the title of a book by a survivor of Mormon fundamentalism. http://www.childbrides.org/Book_Keep_Sweet.html
Also, I just learned that the fundamentalist Twelve Tribes also use that term “keep sweet”. They are well known for corporal punishment of children and recently the German authorities raided a commune and removed dozens of children. An American member of that group defending their practices mentioned that term when speaking to a reporter. See:
Donna M. says:
January 17, 2013 at 9:11 am
As a former 3rd gen Mormon I could never understand why Mitt’s religion wasn’t held up to scrutiny during the elections. If you’re not attending church three or four times a week, perhaps you don’t know that a core belief that is constantly chattered in the past decade is that:
1: The Last Days are upon us.
2: These Last Days will commence when the Middle East is in flaming ruins.
3: The flaming ruins will be brought about by the nation that birthed the One True Religion of God (Mormonism).
4: Once the Middle East has been completely annihilated by the U.S., Jesus will return to earth and take all the Mormons home to the planet Kolob. For a thousand years Mormons will work on the earth to baptize its entire population, deceased and all, and those who accept baptism will return to Kolob to live with Jesus and the Mormons. And of course, all their plural wives because apparently more women fall for Mormonism than do men.
To me, this was a tremendously dangerous man to be talking of putting in the White House. Every Mormon knows that each day Mitt opens his day on the phone with the Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, in prayer and instruction! That instruction comes and is firmly and promptly obeyed, throughout each and every day.
The true President of the United States this day could have been the man who authored and funded the Prop 8 fight in California – from several states away.
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January 28, 2015 at 12:20 am
You obviously are ignorant to many things taught to Mormons. First of all much of what we believe about the last days is brought out in the book of Revelations.
When the first seal is opened in the beginning verses of Revelation 6, there is shown to John an important occurrence from the first thousand years after the Fall. When the second seal is opened in the subsequent verses, John is shown something about the second thousand years. And so on through the first four seals. The fifth seal information presented to John represents both a time period and some events of which John knew a great deal. The Apostle is shown a representation of those who “were slain for the word of God” after the opening of the fifth seal. (Rev. 6:9)
For us, however, it is not until the sixth seal is opened (beginning at Rev. 6:12) that we begin to deal with events yet to occur. The sixth seal covers the sixth thousand year period, which generally would be about 1000 A.D. to 2000 A.D.
When we come to Revelation 8, we begin to read of the seventh seal, or the seventh thousand years of the earth’s temporal existence. During the early part of this period is when judgments come upon the earth in a final attempt to turn mankind’s heart to God; it will be sometime early in this period—how early is unspecified—when at last the earth will be cleansed, Christ will return, and the Millennium will begin.
We do believe the last days are upon. We believe that it will commence in the House of Judah, or in Jerusalem. The earth will be baptized by fire, but not literal fire, only fire referring to the Spirit of God (i.e. a man must be born of water and the spirit; the earth was born of water with Noah and then it will be cleansed with fire, or the spirit). Furthermore Kolob is only a place that is believed to be near God in our galaxy, however that is not where God lives; also the millenium will happen where we baptize those who did not get the chance then we will all have the chance to live with God again.
Once again you are ignorant to what we believe. Go to https://www.lds.org/?lang=eng to learn more.
A Mormon Youth says:
August 8, 2015 at 2:45 pm
I don’t know why everyone thinks that Mormon men have many wives. I find this Offensive to my religion, And I don’t know why people can’t keep their comments about LDS to themselves.
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November 30, 2015 at 3:53 pm
Wasn’t Mr. Romney also supposed to be a sort of “White Knight” or superhero prophesied by Joseph Smith? And yes, I thought it was odd that his religion was suddenly “mainstream” and totally accepted by the GOP, whereas years ago while attending a fundie evangelical church I was taught that Mormonism is a cult and NOT “real Christianity.” http://www.december212012.com/articles/religion/2012-%20White-Horse%20-Prophecy.htm
November 13, 2015 at 1:47 pm
November 14, 2017 at 12:47 am
What a out right lie. The Church is not sexist one bit. I have had so many callings in the Church I have had to say no. Women are highly regarded and I have never been abused. If anyone had ever tried I would pick up the heaviest thing I could find and hit as hard as I could. We are very strong women.
You find bullies in all churches. There are evil men everywhere. In our Church they get excommunicated if they hurt or abuse anyone!!!
I have been married for 49 years and I tell you one thing if my husband even looked like he was going to push me around, you can be sure he would learn very quickly, it ain’t happening.
You folks are just crazy. Use your brain. We don’t talk about other religions and how their male leaders abuse them and there are many faith that are lead by just men.
Sad, you all have nothing else better to talk about. That is just plain sad!!!
February 10, 2018 at 4:07 pm
Mary Frank Ralls, you are apparently unaware of the Christian Patriarchy Movement. Maybe this article and the ones at the end of it will open your eyes to sexism in Christian churches. https://religiouschildabuse.blogspot.ca/2011/01/christian-patriarchy-movements.html
January 14, 2019 at 11:21 am
Mormons’ appearance of being cheerful and nice and their conflict avoidance may also be rooted in the church’s expectation of perfection. They don’t want others to see any cracks. In many wards, esp. in heavy Mormon areas, there is an unspoken competition to see who can appear to be the most righteous.
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October 10, 2012 at 4:21 pm
I don’t think the idea of being black equates a curse is strictly Mormon. My grandfather believed that black skin was the mark of Cain and he was Church of God.
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Alan Seeger says:
October 19, 2012 at 5:26 pm
Similar beliefs were pretty prevalent in the “old days.” I think that sort of racist teaching was one way of justifying the practice of: a) keeping blacks as slaves, and later b) considering them as second class people.
October 19, 2012 at 6:35 pm
Yes, I think it was the endemic thinking at the time, which I never did understand.
Mr. T says:
July 17, 2013 at 2:39 pm
You are more correct than you know. In the days where the Mormon church is accused of espousing slavery virtually every other church did the same. Your Grandfather’s church and my Grandfather’s Lutheran church as well.
February 20, 2015 at 8:05 pm
Correct! Many Protestant churches back in JS’s day believed the curse of Cain had to do with skin color.
That’s not the problem. The problem is the misinterpretation of those verses by certain churches. The funny thing is Joseph Smiths ignorance of the misinterpretation (being the socalled Prophet of God) and claiming it all came from God Himself. They created a whole doctrine around it and then some!!
The other funny thing was how it was renounced. It was renounced from government pressure and they turned it into a “revelation”. However revelations of this magnitude are suppose to be inserted as scripture. Instead they simply edited their “scriptures” and created doublespeak and changed its meaning to soften the embarrassing doctrine. They simply marketed themselves of their obvious man-made doctrine.
By the way the revelation the prophet received regarding rhis should have been considered scripture and added to the Mornon quad. Instead a memo went out. Lol!
October 12, 2012 at 2:53 am
Reblogged this on Woosh. and commented:
I personally don’t know any Mormons, though according to google there is a strong LDS Church in the Philippines. This article has proven once again that there are simply some things about organized religion that I will never understand.
The comments are also worth reading and are as informative as the article itself.
October 12, 2012 at 10:50 pm
Bat crap crazy by bat crap crazy for the bat rap crazy from the land of the utterly bat crap crazy ! Humanity is grossly over rated.
October 19, 2012 at 10:23 pm
this is the 21st century and we still worry about people’s religion?
October 20, 2012 at 5:56 pm
When they hold such ridiculous ideas that dark skin is a curse from god, then yes, we worry.
January 28, 2015 at 12:01 am
In the Old Testament those who “mixed” race would be killed. However once Jesus Christ came to the earth that doctrine was done away with. Such as how the Law of Moses was done away with once Jesus came. Furthermore when the LDS church did not allow men who were colored to obtain the priesthood it was due to the fact that the Lord had not told the Prophet of our church to allow it at that time. Although it may seem like segregating unlike other churches we did not have separate meeting houses for each color. I personally know that we are allowed to mix race and I also know that “the dark skin thing” is not taught in doctrine, because my mom is white and my dad is black and I am a Mormon.
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January 28, 2015 at 6:59 am
It was taught in doctrine until very recently. Can a perfect god change his mind on something so profoundly immoral? And why would he happen to do so just at the time that the broader culture was shifting to recognize the immorality of racism? (And why would he follow the pack rather than leading?)
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November 14, 2015 at 8:10 pm
First and foremost, stick to the Hebrew scripture, go to a good rabbi, if you our not Jewish that you know of, become a noahide/ Ger. Please for your spiritual soul, get away from any thing that takes you away from Torah. Please get help.
November 13, 2014 at 2:53 pm
2014 calling. Ever heard of ISIS? Or Charles Manson? How about the religious people in Tokyo Japan, a dooms day religion (just like many Christian cults, including Mormonism) that attacked people in a subway with nerve gas?
Yes, some people are very concerned with religion and it’s effects on society.
October 20, 2012 at 4:35 am
October 20, 2012 at 11:24 am
Gordo says:
October 20, 2012 at 11:41 am
I’m a bit alarmed at one glaring inaccuracy in this and wonder what it implies for the thoroughness of the authors’ research. Fawn Brodie’s ground-breaking biography of Joseph Smith is entitled “No Man KNows My History”, not “No Man Knows My Name”. If such an easily checkable detail as that is missed what else are the authors missing or mistaken about?
October 20, 2012 at 1:59 pm
Embarrassing. the “knows my name” phrase comes from a song lyric that got swapped in during the writing process. I myself worry constantly about what else I may have missed. Thank you!
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Scott says:
September 9, 2013 at 1:49 am
I am LDS and i have never heard the term “keep sweet”. One funny term we use is “Be Good”.
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October 21, 2016 at 1:56 pm
Scott, read mark 10:18 before you say anything is ‘good’
October 20, 2012 at 6:09 pm
I have a few problems with your ‘cultural’ conclusion on both genetics and behavioural psychological factual grounds.
Research has shown that ‘culture’ (conditioning/ environment ) constitutes varying amounts of the personality estimated between 25- 60%. The remaining is attributed to genetics i.e. a propensity. Again this varies from individual to individual.
I’d also point out that Korean culture is also Bigger on honesty etc.
In essence I think the skater’s actions were probably motivated by several separate factors that were largely unique to him . Therefore I have issues with the broad brush stroke painting of the act as simply a manifestation of Korean Culture. I think your conclusion is way too simplistic (stereotyping) and potentially betrays your cultural input (bias).
On an anthropological level. It is nonsense to discuss a culture in term of it’s attributes without some reference to the the context…
Culture in my mind it is in fact a manifestation ( human response over time to solving real environmental issues) what it isn’t is a set of fixed attributes in isolation to it’s context.
i.e. In one of Australian aboriginal cultures (yes there were many) there were strict taboos to marrying into one’s own totem ( often an animal) simply put it was a way of stopping inbreeding.
In PNG certain tribes has particular Taboo’s of hunting in certain parts of the jungle at a certain time of the year. To enforce it they believed that malicious spirits abounded there at that time.The reality was this part and time coincided with the breeding season. In one clan the tribes made major decisions by the whole tribe even women yet their role was by some feminist models sexist in that men had duties and women had duties… every person knew and accepted their place in the tribe and drew their identity (place in the universe) from both hierarchy in our sense was a mystery to them. Primitive culture ? because they were shamanistic? We could learn some from them.
Was their life utopian …no it was short and brutal by our standards. The point I’m making is that it isn’t that simple and never is. Such stereotyping is the plinth on which prejudices are cobbled together.
PS I am not a professional and claim no special expertise. I do claim to have spent my formative childhood living among a couple of the PNG tribes (due to my parent’s jobs) and contact with many more. I was fluent in 2 of the 800+ languages, now a days not so much.
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January 17, 2013 at 8:20 pm
i’ll admit, i didn’t take the time to read the whole post. but i did read each of the main twelve points. as a returned missionary for the lds church, none of the points you brought up are things the church wants to hide at all, with the exception of #3 (which is just straight up false, the church doesn’t believe dark skin is a sign of God’s curse. maybe random weirdo members do, but there are random weirdos in every religion that believe racist crap, but the point is that nowhere in church doctrine is this taught officially).
i literally gave up gum and snowboarding and dating and the internet for 18 months knocking on stranger’s doors begging anyone who would listen to take time out of their lives trying to SHARE everything you just claimed we are trying to hide. i have sacrificed too much in the name of sharing everything you just claimed we are hiding to not leave a comment letting you know that you are ill-informed. as a writer, i can’t think of any worse crime to commit. as as fellow writer, i’m even going so far as to ask you to revert this post to a draft until you’ve researched enough to share accurate info. if you are only posting to collect views and comments then i fully expect this comment to be deleted and ignored.
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Ohrwurm says:
December 12, 2013 at 2:52 pm
“i literally gave up gum and snowboarding and dating and the internet for 18 months knocking on stranger’s doors begging anyone who would listen to take time out of their lives trying to SHARE everything you just claimed we are trying to hide.”
That’s why people don’t like you guys. That’s rude and impolite to pretend to knock on a stranger’s door and that they have to give you their time for nothing. It is different from culture to culture but where I live the least you’d get is the door slammed on your face for such conduct… which takes me to the next thing:
“i have sacrificed too much”
If it was your choice, it’s basically your problem. If anyone demanded it from you against your will then they’re the problem. If you have a problem with being a mormon and the things the mormon church demands from you then you should reconsider your affiliation with them. IT IS THAT EASY.
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January 19, 2014 at 6:36 pm
I have heard the dark skin thing taught. It wasn’t specifically discussed but it is definitely in the doctrine.
mike says:
April 7, 2015 at 5:50 pm
Joseph Smith “Had I anything to do with the negro, I would confine them by strict law to their own species and put them on a national equalization.” (History of the Church, Vol. 5, pp. 218-19.)
Brigham Young, 2nd President of the Church
“Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so.” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Volume 10, page 110.)
You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth, un- comely, disagreeable and low in their habits, wild, and seemingly deprived of nearly all the blessings of the intelligence that is generally bestowed upon mankind. The first man that committed the odious crime of killing one of his brethren will be cursed the longest of any one of the children of Adam. Cain slew his brother. Cain might have been killed, and that would have put a termination to that line of human beings. This was not to be, and the Lord put a mark upon him, which is the flat nose and black skin. Trace mankind down to after the flood, and then another curse is pronounced upon the same race – that they should be the “servant of servants;” and they will be, until that curse is removed; and the Abolitionists cannot help it, nor in the least alter that decree. How long is that race to endure the dreadful curse that is upon them? That curse will remain upon them, [p.291] and they never can hold the Priesthood or share in it until all the other descendants of Adam have received the promises and enjoyed the blessings of the Priesthood and the keys thereof. Until the last ones of the residue of Adam’s children are brought up to that favourable position, the children of Cain cannot receive the first ordinances of the Priesthood. They were the first that were cursed, and they will be the last from whom the curse will be removed. When the residue of the family of Adam come up and receive their blessings, then the curse will be removed from the seed of Cain, and they will receive blessings in like proportion. – (Journal of Discourses 7:290-291, October 9, 1859)
“You may inquire of the intelligent of the world whether they can tell why the aborigines of this country are dark, loathsome, ignorant, and sunken into the depths of degradation …When the Lord has a people, he makes covenants with them and gives unto them promises: then, if they transgress his law, change his ordinances, and break his covenants he has made with them, he will put a mark upon them, as in the case of the Lamanites and other portions of the house of Israel; but by-and-by they will become a white and delightsome people” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 7:336).
It is not the prerogative of the President of the United States to meddle with this matter, and Congress is not allowed, according to the [p.40] Constitution, to legislate upon it. If Utah was admitted into the Union as a sovereign State, and we chose to introduce slavery here, it is not their business to meddle with it; and even if we treated our slaves in an oppressive manner, it is still none of their business and they ought not to meddle with it. Journal of Discourses 4:39-40 (Aug 31, 1856)
“In our first settlement in Missouri, it was said by our enemies that we intended to tamper with the slaves, not that we had any idea of the kind, for such a thing never entered our minds. We knew that the children of Ham were to be the “servant of servants,” and no power under heaven could hinder it, so long as the Lord would permit them to welter under the curse and those were known to be our religious views concerning them.” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, p. 172).
John Taylor, 3rd President of the Church
“And after the flood we are told that the curse that had been pronounced upon Cain was continued through Ham’s wife, as he had married a wife of that seed. And why did it pass through the flood? because it was necessary that the devil should have a representation upon the earth as well as God;…”
Wilford Woodruff, 4th President of the Church
“And if any man mingle his seed with the seed of Cain the only way he could get rid of it or have Salvation would be to come forward and have his head cut off and spill his blood upon the ground- it would also take the life of his children.”
The belief that blacks were less valiant in the pre-existence may have been started by Orson Hyde, an original member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. This is the earliest statement we are aware of that discusses this:
At the time the devil was cast out of heaven, there were .some spirits that did not know who had the authority, whether God or the devil. They consequently did not take a very active part on either side, but rather thought the devil had been abused, and considered he had rather the best claim to the government.
These spirits were not considered bad enough to be cast down to hell, and never have bodies ; neither were they considered worthy of an honourable body on this earth : but it came to pass that Ham, the son of Noah, saw the nakedness of his father while he lay drunk in his tent, and he with ” wicked joy,” ran like Rigdon, and made the wonderful disclosure to his brethren ; while Shem and Japheth took a garment, with pity and compassion, laid it upon their shoulders—went backwards and covered their father, and saw not his nakedness. The joy of the first was to expose—that of the second was to cover the unseemliness of their father. The conduct of the former brought the curse of slavery upon him, while that of the latter secured blessings, jurisdiction, power and dominion. Here was the beginning of blessing and cursing in the family of Noah, and here also is the cause of both. Canaan, the son of Ham, received the curse ; for Noah wished to place the curse as remote from himself as possible. He therefore placed it upon his grandson instead of his son.
Now, it would seem cruel to force pure celestial spirits into the world through the lineage of Canaan that had been cursed. This would be ill appropriate, putting the precious and vile together. But those spirits in heaven that rather lent an influence to the devil, thinking he had a little the best right to govern, but did not take a very active part any way were required to come into the world and take bodies in the accursed lineage of Canaan ; and hence the negro or African race. Now, therefore, all those who are halting concerning who has the right to govern had better look at the fate of their brethren that have gone before them, and take warning in time
lest they learn obedience by the things which they suffer. ” Choose ye this day whom you will serve.” These things are among the mysteries of the kingdom, and I have told them, not by constraint or by commandment, but by permission.
Joseph Fielding Smith, President of the Church
“Not only was Cain called upon to suffer, but because of his wickedness he became the father of an inferior race. A curse placed upon him and that curse has been continued through his lineage and must do so while time endures. Millions of souls have come into this world cursed with a black skin and have been denied the privilege of Priesthood and the fullness of the blessings of the Gospel. These are the descendants of Cain. Moreover, they have been made to feel their inferiority and have been separated from the rest of mankind from the beginning…. we will also hope that blessings may eventually be given to our negro brethren, for they are our brethren-children of God-not withstanding their black covering emblematical of eternal darkness. ” The Way to Perfection, pages 101-102. http://www.barncow.com/curseofcain/
“There is a reason why one man is born black and with other disadvantages, while another is born white with great advantages. The reason is that we once had an estate before we came here, and were obedient, more or less, to the laws that were given us there. Those who were faithful in all things there received greater blessings here, and those who were not faithful received less.” (Doctrines of Salvation, p. 61)
“I would not want you to believe that we bear any animosity toward the Negro. “Darkies” are wonderful people, and they have their place in our church.” Look magazine, October 22, 1963, page 79.
President Brigham Young, answering a question put to him by Elder Lorenzo D. Young in a meeting held December 25 , 1869, in Salt Lake City, said that Joseph Smith had declared that the Negroes were not neutral in heaven, for all the spirits took sides, but the posterity of Cain are black because he (Cain) committed murder.” The Way to Perfection, pages 105-106.
“That negro race, for instance, have been placed under restrictions because of their attitude in the world of spirits, few will doubt. It cannot be looked upon as just that they should be deprived of the power of the Priesthood without it being a punishment for some act, or acts, performed before they were born.” The Way to Perfection, page 43.
“Ham, through Egyptus, continued the curse which was placed upon the seed of Cain. Because of that curse this dark race was separated and isolated from all the rest of Adam’s posterity before the flood, and since that time the same condition has continued, and they have been ‘despised among all people.’ This doctrine did not originate with President Brigham Young but was taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith …. we all know it is due to his teachings that the negro today is barred from the Priesthood.” The Way to Perfection, pages 110-111.
Spencer W. Kimball, 12th President of the Church
“The day of the Lamanites in nigh. For years they have been growing delightsome… The children in the home placement program in Utah are often lighter than their brothers and sisters in the hogans on the reservation…There was the doctor in a Utah city who for two years had had an Indian boy in his home who stated that he was some shades lighter than the younger brother just coming into the program from the reservation. These young members of the Church are changing to whiteness and to delightsomeness. Spencer W. Kimball; The Improvement Era, Dec. 1960, p. 923)
“Negroes in this life are denied the Priesthood; under no circumstances can they hold this delegation of authority from the Almighty. (Abra. 1:20-27.) The gospel message of salvation is not carried affirmatively to them… negroes are not equal with other races where the receipt of certain spiritual blessings are concerned, particularly the priesthood and the temple blessings that flow there from, but this inequality is not of man’s origin. It is the Lord’s doing, is based on his eternal laws of justice, and grows out of the lack of Spiritual valiance of those concerned in their first estate.” (Mormon Doctrine, 1966, pp. 527-528)
“God has commanded Israel not to intermarry. To go against this commandment of God would be in sin. Those who willfully sin with their eyes open to this wrong will not be surprised to find that they will be separated from the presence of God in the world to come. This is spiritual death.
“The reason that one would lose his blessings by marrying a Negro is due to the restriction placed upon them. “No person having the least particle of Negro blood can hold the Priesthood” (Brigham Young). It does not matter if they are one-sixth Negro or one-hundred and sixth, the curse of no Priesthood is the same. If an individual who is entitled to the Priesthood marries a Negro, the Lord has decreed that only spirits who are not eligible for the Priesthood will come to that marriage as children. To intermarry with a Negro is to forfeit a “Nation of Priesthood holders.
“The discussion on civil rights, especially over the last 20 years, has drawn some very sharp lines. It has blinded the thinking of some of our own people, I believe. They have allowed their political affiliations to color their thinking to some extent, and then, of course, they have been persuaded by some of the arguments that have been put forth.We who teach in the Church certainly must have our feet on the ground and not to be led astray by the philosophies of men on this subject.
“I think I have read enough to give you an idea of what the Negro is after. He is not just seeking the opportunity of sitting down in a cafe where white people eat. He isn’t just trying to ride on the same streetcar or the same Pullman car with white people. It isn’t that he just desires to go to the same theater as the white people. From this, and other interviews I have read, it appears that the Negro seeks absorption with the white race. He will not be satisfied until he achieves it by intermarriage. That is his objective and we must face it. We must not allow our feelings to carry us away, nor must we feel so sorry for Negroes that we will open our arms and embrace them with everything we have. Remember the little statement that we used to say about sin, ‘First we pity, then endure, then embrace’.
“Now let’s talk about segregation again for a few moments. Was segregation a wrong principle? When the Lord chose the nations to which the spirits were to come, determining that some would be Japanese and some would be Chinese and some Negroes and some Americans, He engaged in an act of segregation.
“When he told Enoch not preach the gospel to the descendants of Cain who were black, the Lord engaged in segregation. When He cursed the descendants of Cain as to the Priesthood, He engaged in segregation.
“Who placed the Negroes originally in darkest Africa? Was it some man, or was it God? And when He placed them there, He segregated them.
“The Lord segregated the people both as to blood and place of residence. At least in the cases of the Lamanites and the Negro we have the definite word of the Lord Himself that he placed a dark skin upon them as a curse — as a punishment and as a sign to all others. He forbade intermarriage with them under threat of extension of the curse. And He certainly segregated the descendants of Cain when He cursed the Negro as to the Priesthood, and drew an absolute line. You may even say He dropped an Iron curtain there.
“Now we are generous with the Negro. We are willing that the Negro have the highest education. I would be willing to let every Negro drive a Cadillac if they could afford it. I would be willing that they have all the advantages they can get out of life in the world. But let them enjoy these things among themselves. I think the Lord segregated the Negro and who is man to change that segregation? It reminds me of the scripture on marriage, ‘what God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.’ Only here we have the reverse of the thing – what God hath separated, let not man bring together again.
“Think of the Negro, cursed as to the priesthood.This Negro, who, in the pre-existence lived the type of life which justified the Lord in sending him to the earth in their lineage of Cain with a black skin, and possibly being born in darkest Africa–if that Negro is willing when he hears the gospel to accept it, he may have many of the blessings of the gospel. In spite of all he did in the pre-existent life, the Lord is willing, if the Negro accepts the gospel with real, sincere faith, and is really converted, to give him the blessings of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. If that Negro is faithful all his days, he can and will enter the celestial kingdom. He will go there as a servant, but he will get celestial glory.” (Apostle Mark E. Peterson, Race Problems – As They Affect The Church, Convention of Teachers of Religion on the College Level, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, August 27, 1954) Link to Talk
Apostle George F. Richards (spoken in conference)
“The negro is an unfortunate man. He has been given a black skin….But that is as nothing compared with that greater handicap that he is not permitted to receive the Priesthood and the ordinances of the temple, necessary to prepare men and women to enter into and enjoy a fulness of glory in the celestial kingdom….What is the reason for this condition, we ask, and I find it to my satisfaction to think that as spirit children of our Eternal Father they were not valiant in the fight. We are told that Michael and his angels fought, and we understand that we stood with Christ our Lord, on the platform, “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.” I cannot conceive our Father consigning his children to a condition such as that of the negro race, if they had been valiant in the spirit world in that war in heaven. Neither could they have been a part of those who rebelled and were cast down, for the latter had not the privilege of tabernacling in the flesh. Somewhere along the line were these spirits, indifferent perhaps, and possibly neutral in the war. We have no definite knowledge concerning this. But I learn this lesson from it, brethren and sisters, and I believe we all should, that it does not pay in religious matters, matters that pertain to our eternal salvation, to be indifferent, neutral, or lukewarm
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September 16, 2015 at 5:06 am
Thomas Paine wrote, “What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods;….”
This quote and your post helps me understand how anyone could believe such things. I marvel at the presumptive arrogance it must take for someone to knock on doors and tell another intelligent (I hope) person that their creed or beliefs is better than the ones they hold. As someone who determined early in life that all super natural belief was impossible to know and wishful thinking, I find all religions disappointing to say the least. It seems like so much silliness. Angels, gold tablets you lose, magic underwear, you must admit it is far-fetched. Add to that the fact that Smith was convicted of fraud and LDS looks like an epidemic of contagious insanity. If you read “Under the Banner of Heaven” by Jon Krakauer, you will discover that it wasn’t always a benign case.
January 17, 2013 at 8:29 pm
also, as a self-described book of mormon scholar and life-long devout latter-day saint, i’d love to help you learn more accurate facts about correct church beliefs and official/unofficial doctrines. feel free to reach out: case.kelli@gmail.com
also, lds.org and mormon.org are good places to receive accurate information. happy blogging!
mike says:
April 7, 2015 at 5:46 pm
Where is the garden of Eden? Joseph Smith said it is in Missouri while the Book of Moses in the PGP states that it is the mideast of the old world
Lash says:
August 19, 2015 at 7:59 pm
We don’t know. It’s guarded by Angels so that man can’t get in. Adam-ondi-adman is in Missouri(Were he gathered his children and such)
May 22, 2013 at 9:47 am
I remember watching a news story on television, the facts of which I was personally familiar with, since it occurred in my neighborhood. I was amazed at how such a simple, straightforward story could be so twisted. I assume it was misrepresented for the purpose of increasing the interest of the viewers. The same thing has happened here. If you want to learn about what Mormon’s believe, ask a Mormon! This article was obviously written to shock, rather than reveal truth.
Jen says:
June 17, 2013 at 4:17 pm
I’m an ex-Mormon and I find this post to be blatant yellow journalism. Do Mormons have some weird beliefs? Yep. Do other Christians have some weird beliefs? Yep. All religions sound crazy when you’re not fully educated in them. This article was SO clearly written with an anti-Mormon bias, to the point that I was going, “Blatantly false, sensationalism, blatantly false, etc.” As I said, I left the church, but for the life of me, I can’t understand people who claim to know everything about members of the LDS church and claim that they are all crazy and evil, or naive followers who have been duped by an evil brainwashing cult. The LDS church is a very wholesome religion; I don’t believe it, but many VERY intelligent people that I love and respect do. So let’s tone down the ignorance and hatred, please :)
June 17, 2013 at 10:07 pm
“All religions sound crazy when you’re not fully educated in them.”
According to the words ascribed to the mythical Jesus, whom Mormons apparently believe in, you have to become as a little child to enter the ‘kingdom’of god’. No education necessary, just simple unquestioning faith. All the rest is just religious artifice used by immoral men (mostly) to control others. And all of it sounds crazy, no matter how shallow or deep my understanding of a particular religion’s dogma is.
I have a very deep understanding of Christianity, as a former believer, and a very shallow understanding of Hinduism, yet both seem utterly crazy to me.
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Mriana says:
June 18, 2013 at 6:06 am
One has to become like a child in almost any Xian religious belief. As Spong said, “The Church doesn’t want people to grow up, because you can’t control grown ups.” in his video interview concerning Hell. I too am a former believer and I know all too well about this “Heavenly Father” who is “Father to the fatherless” etc etc.
However, as you said, it really doesn’t take much education, just brainwashing, esp from birth, because brainwashing before the age of 7 is best, just so you can control them for a lifetime and keep them in the fold. Of course, this method isn’t foolproof, obviously.
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July 9, 2013 at 6:03 am
Becoming a child does not mean having simple unquestioning faith. Becoming a child involves increasingly becoming more like the savior. It means having a faith that is tempered with experience and that continually looks forward and upward. Being child like to me means being optimistic about the future and hopeful. It also involves recognizing my relationship with God which is a father-son relationship. It also involves what the savior described as being “wise like serpents and harmless as doves…” Continual learning as well as disciplined discipleship is the hallmark of a true disciple of Christ.
I like how the Book of Mormon explains it
“For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.” (Mosiah 3:19)
July 9, 2013 at 3:14 pm
There is no reply button to respond to symphonyofdissent, so I’ve submitted it under my previous comment in this thread..
You contradict yourself, sod, when you write that “becoming a child … means having a faith that is tempered with experience”. Children have very little or no experience, so they must rely on the adults around them to teach them the reality of life, how to think critically, and how to separate fact from fiction. The dogma attributed to some guy named Jesus that one must become as a child to enter heaven, can only be understood as a requirement not to question or doubt the dogma, just accept it the same way a child accepts that Santa is real. You can twist the interpretation with your cognitive dissonance, but that doesn’t change that biblical imperative.
The Book of Mormon just makes up things or copies things, just like the Bible. There is a similar scripture in the Bible to the one you quote, which says that the carnal mind is at enmity with God (KJV). Knowledge, learning, questioning, doubting are all bad things according to the Bible. How many children raised in the Mormon faith are allowed to really doubt and question everything they are taught by their parents, teachers and elders? I suspect that most, as in many other denominations, dare not question the dogma, which is how all religions perpetuate themselves.
January 27, 2015 at 11:47 pm
Actually we very greatly believe in education. And yes we are told to become as a child, because children are meek, submissive, and lowly in heart. Although our minds and our bodies are constantly growing until we can become like unto a child who is a lover of all people then the Lord may judge us differently. By different I mean that we may not enter the highest degree of the Kingdom Of God because we did not become as a child.
“Search the scriptures — search the revelations which we publish and ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, to manifest the truth unto you, and if you do it with an eye single to His glory nothing doubting, He will answer you by the power of His Holy Spirit. You will then know for yourselves and not for another.”
If you heed the council of the Prophet Joseph Smith and intently pray to find if “Mormonism” is not true the Lord will give you the answer.
And if you truly do have and understanding of Christianity then you will know that the LDS religion believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and that is what our church is based on.
Mr. T says:
July 17, 2013 at 2:30 pm
As a Mormon, I cannot speak for early leaders whose comments were wrong.
But as an honest person I will recognize
something completely proven. I am disappointed that while the church does so many good things that are never mentioned that we seem to be dishonest about the past. Scared too death of it actually. If you are going to possess to be the true Church then you MUST BE TOTALLY HONEST. I do not believe our Lord ever covered up anything, even when it costs him followers. That , quite frankly is what troubles me so much. Jesus never had to be forced to tell the truth. Even if (and it did) killed Him. To the learned, highly educated leaders of our church
this member of no standing counsels
Just tell the truth, the WHOLE truth and
nothing but the truth. There is no such thing as lying for The Lord. This I do know in the name of Jesus Christ.
mike says:
April 7, 2015 at 5:43 pm
thanks for your honesty. They all were teaching that Adam is God doctrine back then not just Brigham Young
July 21, 2013 at 11:07 pm
Everything said in this article can be said of all of the Christian religions and non Christian religions. This article was written by an Evangelical. That should be a red flag right there. Evangelical’s are scared of everything they do not understand. They live in a “black and white” way of thinking world/bubble. The universe scares them because they do not undrstand it. I truly do not know how EV’s function in a world that is NOT black and white. Not everything has answers. There are many shades of grey in the world.
Donna M said: “Every Mormon knows that each day Mitt opens his day on the phone with the Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, in prayer and instruction! That instruction comes and is firmly and promptly obeyed, throughout each and every day.” TOTAL #$^$%#$^&#%^& BS. That is like saying the Pope controlled the White House when Pres. Kennedy was in office. As a former Mormon you sound like you have a huge axe to grind. Every time a new U.S. President is elected the President of the LDS church meets with the new U.S. President, several times during that U.S.President’s time in the White House. As do other Preachers/Pastors/Leaders of other religious denominations. So I guess Pres. Obama calls up all these religious leaders every morning to have prayer and then decides who to follow for the day! HAH!!!
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December 17, 2013 at 5:44 am
Actually, the body of this article was written by a retired professor of religion who is Presbyterian ordained and who taught primarily at a Jesuit college.
August 30, 2013 at 2:23 pm
Joy D. says:
September 27, 2014 at 8:45 pm
You are right on with your conclusion. I am an ex-Mormon that was brainwashed. It amazes me that my well-educated siblings can’t see all the lies. They really don’t want to see anything for fear of loosing their eternal salvation. I am a Christian now and very happy!
November 13, 2015 at 1:52 pm
I hate when my eternal salvation gets loose. Such a pain to catch it.
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burnt says:
February 26, 2015 at 7:25 am
do they also know how to turn off their CAPS LOCK?
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September 16, 2015 at 7:40 am
Ken says:
September 10, 2013 at 9:05 am
I am a professor of 33 years and a devout Mormon. I am astonished at the lack of truth on this web site… the lack of current scientific knowledge is most concerning, the apparent lack of willingness on the part of the webmaster to include information that refutes the sincere or pathological claims of some contributors is propagandistic. As a neuropsychologist, I’m very interested in the basis for this mental motivation.
To address a few points: The Early Americas were, at the time of Joseph Smith, thought to have been verdant, unpopulated areas with no understanding among historians and anthropologists as to the number and variety of populations that had arrived in South America. Joseph was criticized for saying that “many people” had come to the continent. It was beyond the understanding of the science of the time. Now that has changed. We now know that many “peoples” have inhabited the land. Many have come and gone and many have mixed with the people of this “new country.” Joseph was criticized for including them in the beginning, and now he is criticized that they existed at all given modern day understanding of science. He said there were many people long before science believed this to be the case. Now it is understood. Argue what you want… he saw it long before the science of the day and it has come to pass.
One writer of this this sites mentions the “scoundrel” of Joseph Smith. I call him out as a liar!!! He attempts to appear “objective” but in reality he want to rip the doctrine apart. In truth, I am the same in reverse. That is way I recognize his methods. I am for the for Mormons, he is against. so how does one know? Are we both mentally ill? Maybe. But he is not willing to admit the possibility and thus the objectivity of science is gone. This web site should not host the ravings of the mentally ill. That does not advance the discussion.
“Every day Mitt opens his phone with the prophet.” Now that is mentally ill…. and that’s coming from a trained neuropsychologist. That contributor needs help. Go get it. That is the kind of prejudice and bigotry that has driven the uneducated masses of Islam to radical terrorism. Take a Prozac.
The so called Mormon apologizing for the past…. what a transparent crock. If you were LDS you should get a spine. If now, which is the case in researching the cookies, you are a liar and a hypocrite.
And for all the contributors criticizing the Book of Mormon, the psychological basis of your criticism is transparent. Normally a therapist would try to make the patient feel better before suggesting change but in this case, the basis for the comments is justification of beliefs that are unstable within your own minds and rip on others to sure up your own shaky and unstable beliefs.
There are forces in the Universe that are less understood and once you break from your culture and upbringing and allow and objective review and understanding of all the options, once you allow you “learned hatred” to not be the strongest forces in your life, you may discover the truth,…. “and the truth shall set you free.”
It will be interesting to see if the webmaster even allows you to see this.
September 10, 2013 at 3:17 pm
For a professor and neuropsychologist you sure have poor grammar and communication skills, as well as poor critical thinking and reasoning skills. You have not made even one convincing argument with that religious rant.
As for truth, you are speaking of religious ‘truth’, not facts and reality. As Bob Dylan sings: “All the ‘truth’ in the world adds up to one big lie.”
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emily says:
October 13, 2013 at 10:17 pm
Why so rude Perry?
October 26, 2013 at 10:47 am
Emily, I merely responded in kind. Did you read Ken’s comments? It is filled with rudeness towards other commenters here, calling them liars, unstable, mentally ill. Since you only pointed out my rudeness, and ignored Ken’s rudeness, I can only assume you too are a Mormon apologist that dismisses the harm its dogma causes.
My rudeness was far less mean-spirited than Ken’s. I merely pointed out the oddity of a professor with poor writing and thinking skills unable to make a rational convincing argument and confined my comment to him, whereas Ken’s rudeness was directed generally at commenters who disagree with him, stereotyping them as mentally ill, which I think is far far ruder than my comment to him.
mike says:
April 7, 2015 at 4:57 pm
Have you ever read the 1830 version of the BOM ? Talk about poor grammar !
James Smith says:
December 17, 2013 at 2:49 am
So deluded.
September 3, 2017 at 3:37 pm
I am reading it September 3, 2017 ~ almost 4 years after you posted it….
KT says:
October 25, 2013 at 5:37 pm
Ken says:
September 10, 2013 at 9:05 am
“To address a few points: The Early Americas were, at the time of Joseph Smith, thought to have been verdant, unpopulated areas with no understanding among historians and anthropologists as to the number and variety of populations that had arrived in South America. Joseph was criticized for saying that “many people” had come to the continent. It was beyond the understanding of the science of the time. Now that has changed. We now know that many “peoples” have inhabited the land. Many have come and gone and many have mixed with the people of this “new country.” Joseph was criticized for including them in the beginning, and now he is criticized that they existed at all given modern day understanding of science. He said there were many people long before science believed this to be the case. Now it is understood. Argue what you want… he saw it long before the science of the day and it has come to pass.”
If you are actually a professor, I fear for your students. Greatly.
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James Smith says:
December 17, 2013 at 2:48 am
Science is one of the things that proves all religion false. Joseph Smith was a con-man.
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john says:
November 22, 2013 at 7:59 pm
While much of this is accurate information, it is not true that “[polygamy] is still enshrined in the revealed Scriptures as necessary for obtaining godhood.” And LDS and FLDS are two very different things, and doctrines, practices, and especially the people in the two groups should not be lumped together because they are two very different things.
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Ohrwurm says:
December 12, 2013 at 2:56 pm
“And LDS and FLDS are two very different things”
Well, I only see they are only a F away from each other. I’d bet they have more in common than differences but that’s me: I’m always looking more on the side of big similarities than other people who are always discriminating on the little differences.
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mike says:
April 7, 2015 at 5:32 pm
most of the fundamentals have also kept the Adam is God doctrine that was being taught in the early LDS church
mike says:
April 7, 2015 at 5:41 pm
December 14, 2013 at 1:07 am
This article is well over 50% false. I’m bookmarking this page and someday will address all the BS in this article, line by line. Nevertheless it will probably be futile because of the hardness of the prejudice out there.
Most of you bigoted people are evil and ugly and the only thing stopping me from terminating y’all is that Jesus said I was to love y’all.
So, instead, I love each and every one of you. And, because Jesus asked
me to, I strive to “love (my) enemies, bless them that curse (me), do good to them that hate, and pray for them who despitefully use and persecute” [yep, check your KJV Bible].
It’s a beautiful thing, you should try it.
December 14, 2013 at 8:47 am
So, you admit to having homicidal tendencies towards people who don’t accept your beliefs and the only thing stopping you is your reliance on cherry-picking scriptures that confirm your bias?
That pretty much sums up fundamentalists, whose beliefs are particularly dangerous to women and children. And complaining you are being ‘persecuted’ because of what other people say or believe is hilarious, especially since Jesus promised his followers would be persecuted. Come on, admit it, you enjoy being ‘persecuted’ because it ‘proves’ you are a follower. You should wear it like a badge of honour instead of expressing your desire to “terminate”, i.e., murder unbelievers.
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October 24, 2014 at 9:27 pm
The LDS church does not in any way lead to members having homicidal tendencies towards others of other beliefs. As scriptures teach (biblical and LDS) we are to love one another regardless of their actions and beliefs. Doesn’t mean we agree with them but it is no excuse to be rude to one another or have homicidal tendencies. “Richman” was not “admitting” to having those because that has nothing to do with the church. All this hate towards the church is hurtful and quite mean merely for the reason of trying to attack a specific group of people. The members of the LDS church strive to be just like Christ as do members of other churches as well. The LDS church does good but most non-members don’t recognize that because a lot of them don’t want to give the church any credibility or positive words. Lots don’t believe what Mormons do but that doesn’t give them a right to bash on what they do believe. When the gospel principles are studied one would come to realize that the church teaches very good principles that everyone can benefit from. We’re here on earth to return to Heavenly Father and Christ and we’re suppose to be doing the best we can living the life in Christs’ image. Of course we will never be perfect as Christ was when He was here but thats what we strive for each and every day to be the best that we can be.
James Smith says:
December 17, 2013 at 2:46 am
You’re in deep denial; all of this is true, especially the archeology/anthropology and Joseph Smith being a crook. Also, Christianity is not being persecuted even a microscopic bit in Europe or the Americas.
December 14, 2013 at 2:04 pm
The issue that drove me out of Mormonism was the Book of Abraham. The papyri that Smith used to produce the book were found in 1967 in a Museum in New York.They were translated by Egyptologists and found to have nothing to do with Abraham and were Egyption funerary documents.
December 14, 2013 at 3:33 pm
Sorry, I didn’t get any farther than “it[‘]s racist past…” when I reallized [proof]reading the entire essay would have me climbing the walls…
December 14, 2013 at 6:25 pm
Thanks. Fixed. I tend to see what I meant to write.
December 14, 2013 at 3:44 pm
“Among the problems with this scenario are…,” IS, IS, IS!!! I give up!
December 14, 2013 at 6:27 pm
Whew, you’re wrong on this one. “Are” is followed by a series of three items. But I am actually grateful when people point out typos and other errors. I simply don’t see them all no matter how many times I re-read an article.
December 15, 2013 at 1:20 am
Ok. I am not a mormon. But, I stumbled onto this as a result of other research.
I am angry with the scientific comunity for propagating that Native Americans are the Decendants of Mongols. First, the Mongol People did not exist in the East European area at the time of the Ice Bridge. This is a known anthropological fact. The mongolid people were in central to west Europe at that time. Next, the techonology in the Americas suggests that The people more likely migrated over from the far east of Europe. (See arrow heads, and battle axes) all this technology predates to east europe, and was never used by the mongoloid people. Next, during the age of Kahn, there was a heavy slave influx of Jewish people into the Mongol population. This was known when the genetic studies were made, and a lot of data was tossed. In my opinion, the conclusions are completely invalid. And, even today, you can find a large amount of Jewish markers in Mongol decendants. Hence, if you are trying to say that this is proof against the Mormonism, you are blowing smoke up someones ass trying to prove a point.
The truth is, that there were multipule migrations to the americas. There is proof positive that early in the Xin dynasty Xin (now common chineese) had several boats that may have left large settlements in the americas. Remains have been found to confirm this. There is proof positive that there were decendants that crossed the atlantic bridge. This is easily seen in the common technologies. The people that inhabited the north russian area at the time of the pacific bridge were most likely pre-siberinic white, and not likely did not contribute much. But, the Eskimo people do have a strong coorilation to Mongolid people… Including the Jewish genitic markers. And, valid research shows that they did not migrate into the northlands until much later. Native Americans in the east have been shown to have later European markers as well (this data also was tossed from the all Native Americans are Mongols postulate), and this is evident as it is known that Vikings many have had several settlements in North America.
My big problem is that people are trying to come up with a simple migration plan for mankind. But, the truth is, man did not migrate in simple paths. Mormonism may have a shred of truth to it’s beliefs. Maybe some Jewish boat did sail across… (somewhat unlikely) But, don’t believe the rabble listed above.
Note: I am an Engineer with a second Degree in Anthropology.
November 22, 2017 at 7:13 am
What postulate? Which reputable scientists claim all indians are descended from Mongols?
THE CONTINENTS OF NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA WERE SETTLED BY NATIVES FROM ASIA (not ‘Mongols’) BETWEEN 10 AND 20 THOUSAND YEARS AGO (not 2,000 years ago) after they crossed a land bridge that formed between Alaska and far northeastern Siberia due to the lowering of sea level during the last ice age.
Available scientific evidence indicates that modern humans emerged from Africa over 100,000 years ago, yet did not arrive in the Americas until less than 20,000 years ago.
Current understanding of the settlement of the Americas derives from advances in four interrelated disciplines: archaeology, Pleistocene geology, PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, and DNA analysis.
WHILE THERE IS GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT THE AMERICAS WERE FIRST SETTLED FROM ASIA, the pattern of migration, its timing, and the place(s) of origin in Asia of the peoples who migrated to the Americas remain unclear.
To all the LDS deniers of reality: Mormons are generally very nice, very ‘white’, very wholesome people. I was born to Mormon parents in Payson Utah, I know this to be true.
However, Mormons are also racist, sexist, extremely patriarchal and completely deluded.
Prophets? Revelations? Resurrected Jesus hanging out with the lost tribes in America? Give me a break. What a crazy crock of crap!
Mormon fantasies are nearly as ridiculous as Scientology fantasies.
Not that any other religion is much better. All religions try to to control your behavior, most say they are the only ‘true’ religion but they are all based on fantasy.
December 15, 2013 at 1:23 am
Ooops I meant to say Migrated over from Far west Europe. (In my rage, I mis-typed…)
James Smith says:
December 17, 2013 at 2:41 am
Ahh, Jake, science has shown that the native Americans are descended from Asians, who in turn are descended from Africans, as are Europeans, Arabs, etc. The only European blood in them is post-contact and they all came from the far east of Russia, China, Mongolia, etc. http://www.boston.com/whitecoatnotes/2012/07/11/native-americans-migrated-the-new-world-three-waves-harvard-led-dna-analysis-shows/uQRQdkkqMmzSW3LaArh0tM/story.html
James Smith says:
December 17, 2013 at 2:43 am
And Mongols were never in Eastern Europe; they were in Eastern Asia, which is where all the migrations came from. White people didn’t get that far east til much later.
James Smith says:
December 17, 2013 at 2:51 am
Hey Christians, your religion is as completely fake as all the others, sorry.
Chris says:
December 19, 2013 at 6:08 am
Disgustingly inaccurate. I understand you not believing in the principals taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but to claim any status that you know better than any “MORMON” is as pompous as you claim Joseph Smith to be.
For those of you who actually want to know what the Mormons believe, stop a smissionary on street or invite them in for
30 minutes when they knock on your door. Or ask a friend or neighbor. Don’t rely on somebody to tell you what we believe. http://www.mormon.org
December 19, 2013 at 7:43 am
I hear you and some others saying that this article is inaccurate. But consider this response from another active Mormon: “as a returned missionary for the lds church, none of the points you brought up are things the church wants to hide at all, with the exception of #3 (which is just straight up false, the church doesn’t believe dark skin is a sign of God’s curse. maybe random weirdo members do, but there are random weirdos in every religion that believe racist crap, but the point is that nowhere in church doctrine is this taught officially).”
It is ironic that the one issue with which she had exception is one that the Church itself has formally acknowledged and clearly renounced this month.
Chris says:
December 19, 2013 at 8:17 am
You will always find someone to support your claim, either way. I am a returned missionary too. (and you didn’t reference the other 85,000 missionaries each year) Best learning experience of my life. Worth more th an my M.A.edu. Can’t wait to go again, to share the gospel if Jesus Christ, and his love for us. Don’t think I’ll be wasting my time spreading 1/4 truths about religions i don’t know about.
Tommy says:
April 24, 2014 at 7:31 pm
You do not have any room to speak on the legitimacy of a religion being a catholic. You people are way more twisted than the Mormons. The millions of people your faith has murdered just because they didn’t agree with you is deplorable at best. Absolutely disgusting. Not to mention the molestations that happen, on what seems like a daily basis, by your priests (or whatever you call them). Religion is the biggest hoax mankind has ever come up with. I can’t believe people still believe in this crap after they are able to read a book and develop some common sense.
April 24, 2014 at 9:43 pm
I’m a non-theist and have never been Catholic. Were you trying to reply to another commenter?
mike says:
April 7, 2015 at 5:29 pm
Thed LDS discourages members from reading historical data from early Church leaders because it does show that they were often at odds with what is taught today. Take the Adam is God doctrine believed by most of the early prophets, apostles and presidents.
Brigham Young stated he got this teaching from Joseph Smith . Apostle Heber C. Kimball (1801 – 1874),Prophet Wilford Woodruff (1807-1898),Apostle Abraham H. Cannon (1859-1896),Eliza R. Snow (1804 – 1887), plural wife of Joseph Smith, Jr. and later to Brigham Young etc their teachings were printed in LDS owned journals, newspapers. LDS church hymns of that period, Journals and diaries of LDS.
It clearly states that Adam was the god that they were worshipping . It was also taught that Adam came to earth , had physical sex with Mary and begat Jesus. These are historical LDS documents .
Chris says:
December 19, 2013 at 6:37 am
Why do so many people worry about other religions, when they should be spending time building their own faith? How about spending time telling me about your belief and why I should believe like you do instead of telling me how wrong other people are!
The Bible you profess to believe in never explains that you should try to tear other people down, but to preach His Word. You have a funny way of doing this. Thank you for being an expert in what you don’t believe in, did this article make you feel better?
January 13, 2014 at 11:02 pm
well..this is very very super very good what I have read……first of all thank you…SO MUCH….I was raised Pentecostal….evangelical….or you can call it protestant…..eighteen years ago..I met then my girlfriend….now my wife…..eight years on and off…ten years married……I didn’t have any problem on her beliefs…though i thought with the time I will bring her to become or to learn about the real gospel…..but that was not the case……I ‘ve been on that church for the last ten years…..now am on the process of divorcing…..she wants me to leave the house…am being a bad example to our two kids….one 15. the other one 3…and she is stuck on her believe that that’s the true church…..but as I read in your site…and is true…they don’t want you to to know their history……I know the bible….and is just not the same doctrine that the bible explains…then that way they want you to believe……as I read….my soul…my heart…it just felt the happiest moments of my life…..but my question is…….but why the have the nerves to lie to the innocent people…when the scriptures says…that the blood of the innocents will claim justice against you on the final day……well I’ve again…THANK YOU….you have fill my thirst on knowing on the disgraced do called..the church of Jesus Christ….what a shame…
January 18, 2014 at 10:18 am
There are so many things wrong in this and this isn’t really about things that are kept hidden by the Church. And African-Americans didn’t get the priesthood for awhile because, just like every religion, the members aren’t perfect; they were some racists. Also, at least everyone was together, unlike every other church who had one congregation for Caucasians and a different one for every other race. That is much more racist.
March 31, 2014 at 7:43 am
I am roman-catholic priest and teologist at the local university.
We do not agree on many things with the LDS church but since I am teaching the religion for over 30 years now I can clearly say that things stated in your article above are 10 % true.
I will not speak about their book but since I know many of them and have been investigated their doctrines for many years, things stated above are not correct or just written to sound very subjective and negative. Lets be fair to eachother, nobody’s perfect. My church has done so much evil through centuries but I am not responsible for that. Let’s focus on what we do now.
People are not perfect but throwing stones on someone like this is just pathetic.
LikeLiked by 1 person
March 31, 2014 at 8:17 am
Hmm. Some Mormons and former Mormons have said otherwise, and the article was drafted by someone who was also a religion professor at a Jesuit university for years. Which parts do you disagree with?
Adam says:
May 14, 2014 at 12:55 pm
I agree with him. P.S. look up Acts 5: 39, 40 and then post something about Mormons.
mike says:
April 7, 2015 at 5:15 pm
I doubt very much that you are a Roman Catholic priest
Tommy says:
April 24, 2014 at 7:25 pm
I have only lived in Utah for 6 months, but in that short time I have come to realize that Mormons are some of the most psychotic, twisted people on earth. An absolute hoax of a “religion.” This place and this religion are absolutely sickening. To be fair, I think all organized religion is B.S. and serves very little else than controlling people and making money, but Mormons are on par with Arabs. Absolute, undeniable psychos. And the fact we almost had a Mormon president is scary considering what these freaks believe. Every single aspect of life in Utah is controlled and run by these nut jobs, the last thing we need is the entire country controlled by one.
April 27, 2014 at 4:21 am
Relax people. There’s no need to criticize any religion or anyone. We’re all human and have whatever beliefs each of us has.
I, for the sake of my life here on Earth, as I believe everyone should recognize, is that it’s obvious that everyone has their own beliefs, values and practices. Number one to survive in this life is to respect one another and to accept that everyone is unique. We are here to be good to one another and make the world a better place. Can we all just get along? It’s really not that difficult.
I was raised Mormon. I stopped attending church in my early teens. Why? Peer pressure, reading and listening to different opinions from people. For me, I believe in God the Father and in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. The Bible? There are many interpretations, as with all books. Religious or not. All I can say to remember The Golden Rule… “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I would add, if one does not believe as another does, move on until you find one that does. Don’t end up like the girl from the song from The Guess Who, “Undone.”
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Adam says:
May 14, 2014 at 9:56 am
Just want to say if you really believe this bull crap look at lds.org. Most other sites about mormons are actually led by anti-mormons who use false resources and also use ex-mormons who have no idea about what is going on in the church as sources as well. Finally #2 is wrong. The hill Cumorah wasn’t in New York. If there was at least half a million people living and trading from coast to coast it would be somewhere from Panama to the beginning of Mexico. This is also a considerable fact since there was no mention of any winter back then. Also stone buildings have been found in Guatamala in the jungles there and many more remain to be uncovered. So if you really think Mormonism is bull research these facts and try and prove me wrong which you won’t.
mike says:
April 7, 2015 at 5:09 pm
LDS Apostle James E. Talmage, in Articles of Faith, chapter 14, wrote that the Hill Cumorah is in New York.
LDS Apostle LeGrand Richards, in A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, chapter 7, stated that Cumorah is in New York.
LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, in Mormon Doctrine, under Cumorah, reported that it is in New York.
In 1990 the office of the First Presidency of the LDS Church stated that Cumorah is in New York
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Office of the First Presidency
October 16, 1990
Bishop Darrel L. Brooks
Oklahoma City Oklahoma South Stake
Dear Bishop Brooks:
I have been asked to forward to you for acknowledgment and handling the enclosed copy of a letter to President Gordon B. Hinckley from Ronnie Sparks of your ward. Brother Sparks inquired about the location of the Hill Cumorah mentioned in the Book of Mormon, where the last battle between the Nephites and Lamanites took place.
The Church has long maintained, as attested to by references in the writings of General Authorities, that the Hill Cumorah in western New York state is the same as referenced in the Book of Mormon.
The Brethren appreciate your assistance in responding to this inquiry, and asked that you convey to Brother Sparks their commendation for his gospel study.
Sincerely yours,
(signed)
Secretary to the First Presidency
Adam says:
May 14, 2014 at 9:57 am
One last thing for bible lovers out there Acts 5: 39, 40. Please look it up.
Adam says:
May 14, 2014 at 12:53 pm
Tony says:
May 20, 2014 at 1:29 pm
Freedom of…. Cancer would be nice. Freedom of…. Disease, maybe one day. Freedom of….. Religion, It’s our right as Americans to be free of that! Get it!
Aidan says:
August 8, 2014 at 9:21 am
Perry Bulwer won this arguement hands down. Well done.
August 27, 2014 at 9:29 pm
I was wondering if an extensive citation list is available? There are in-text citations, throughout the article; However, some things are left un-cited. I would like to do some deeper research on points touched on in this article, and a complete citation list would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Tom Jones says:
September 19, 2014 at 9:36 am
I do not understand the arguments here. Not at all. I am not a huge person of faith and tend to be more scientific (requiring proof before I place my faith in something).
All religions have historical discrepancies chiefly due to them being formed hundreds or even thousands of years ago, some even before mankind could write (passed along via oral tradition).
This is not the case with Mormonism.
To me it is very, very clear that Mormonism was founded by a scoundrel. Unlike all the other religions in the world, Mormonism is fairly new and came into existence during a time when people actually could read and write (No Oral tradition here…we have documents), which means we live in a time when we can actually corroborate the evidence using factual documents. What is great for discerning minds is we actually have documented, first hand, eye-witness accounts converted to sworn written statements ( from his neighbors, his first wife, early church members, court cases…etc.).
This recent, easily attainable documentation of a founder of any religion is unprecedented. We are so fortunate. Imagine if this scoundrel lived a thousand years ago. There would be tales of him walking on water and raising people from the dead.
Any third grader can read the actual history of Joseph Smith and know that he was a snake oil salesman, a sooth Sayer, a con artist, a drunk and a womanizer. He was a thief, had no honor and roamed the country side looking for people to use.
He lived a very good life feeding his base desires by devising a completely fabricated religion. In the end he found a way through life without having to work and he lived like a king with the women of his church worshiping him. When he died, the greatest gig in the whole world was kept alive by the Elders of the church who also were men of the same type. What you really had here was a group of pedophiles that got together and devised a system of control to feed their debased desire for 12 year old girls (Polygamy) and carve out an easy life for themselves.
All religions must evolve to survive and prosper. Mormonism is no exception. As the church grew the doctrines changed and morphed into something more palatable for everyone.
You can’t make a silk purse out of a sows ear. This is the case with Mormonism. Make no mistake, no matter how many revisions to the founding documents are made, you just can’t wash the filth out of the magic underwear. The filthy debased usury of hard working people and their 12 year old daughters continues to this day, deep in the basement of this foul religion.
September 19, 2014 at 9:56 am
Abbey says:
November 20, 2015 at 2:03 pm
Hi So, I would just like to say that you are wrong. SO wrong. If you want more information on who Joseph smith is, than read: Our Heritage, A brief history of the church of Jesus christ of latter day saints. Mormons didn’t make mistakes. If the whole wife thing is what your worried about I’ll tell you the truth. God Commanded them. If you believe in god then do this: Pray. “Ask and it shall be recceived, knock and it will be open unto you, pray and thou shalt recceive and answer.” Joesph Smith did this and recceived a Vision. The Book of mormon is a wonderful book. When people say that the bible is wrong, and we mormons think that, well its because some parts were mixed up. In 2nd Nephi, it has a verse and If you compare it to Isaiah, (Nephi loves quoting Isaiah) they are different and the one in the book of mormon is the correct. I believe that the book of mormon is the fullness in the gospel and that a third grader, is a baptized member of the church, and can tell you this much: “I know that my savior loves me, he died for me and that the gospel is true.”
September 21, 2014 at 10:37 pm
Who knew?! “Acusilaus of Argos, author of an account of gods, demigods and human heroes, claimed his source of information was a set of ‘bronze tablets discovered by his father in their garden.’ He thereby created one of the great topoi of Western forgery, the motif of the object found in an inaccessible place, then copied, and now lost, as the authority for what would have lacked credibility as the work of an individual. (p.9) http://vridar.org/2009/07/04/forgery-in-the-ancient-world/
deb says:
September 23, 2014 at 8:58 am
Why are people so obsessed with the Mormon religion? If you believe in your own church and it’s teachings, why be concerned with the Mormon religion and try so hard to defame them which is a non-Christian behavior? Could it be that you’re not satisfied with your own church? Just saying
November 17, 2014 at 12:17 am
Maybe we are trying to save Mormons from going to hell which is were they are headed believing as they do.
January 27, 2015 at 11:37 pm
So they are headed to hell for responding to the majority of natural disasters just as fast as the Red Cross? They are headed to hell for having Jesus Christ and families as the centerpiece of their church? They are headed to hell for pushing their children to attend college and serve a mission for their Lord and Savior? They are going to hell for creating uplifting websites that help the community such as http://www.justserve.org/? They are going to hell for being hypocrites? Every religion has hypocrites and many people are imperfect. So if the Mormons are going to hell for trying to become better people and serving the community there will be a lot of people in Hell.
Rino says:
December 21, 2014 at 11:09 am
You honestly believe honeybees were ‘introduced’ to the Americas by Europeans? Really? I supposed all pollination was done by Native American hands before bees were introduced to the new world? I’m no Mormon apologist, I don’t even like religion–but you can’t expect anyone to take you seriously when you say such ridiculous and obviously FALSE things.
December 21, 2014 at 3:04 pm
Books are available about native pollinators if you are interested. The honeybees that farmers cultivate are of European origin.
dutchess0909 says:
March 22, 2015 at 9:58 am
The honeybee was indeed brought over by the early colonists. “No Apis species existed in the New World during human times before the introduction of A. mellifera by Europeans. Only one fossil species is documented from the New World, Apis nearctica, known from a single 14 million-year old specimen from Nevada.[3]”
March 22, 2015 at 3:24 pm
I wasn’t following this thread, but the assumption that was made here appears to be that only bees pollinate plants. That isn’t the case at all. A brief overview here: http://insects.about.com/od/BeneficialInsects/tp/7-Insect-Pollinators-that-Arent-Bees-Or-Butterflies.htm
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Joseph says:
April 12, 2015 at 10:39 pm
I am a devout Mormon, and yes, many of our beliefs are quite different than other Christian churches. BUT, this article exaggerates a lot of them. Yes, the Book of Mormon prophesies of Joseph Smith, but so does the Bible. Go read Isaiah 29:11-12. It tells of a book that is sealed, and men asking a learned man to read it, to which he says he can’t, because it’s sealed. Martin Harris, a friend of Joseph Smith, went to a professor of ancient languages at Columbia College, and what happened was exactly what Isaiah had predicted. Not only the doctrine, but also the history of the Church is twisted. For example, Joseph Smith was often in trouble with the authorities, but he never went against any laws. He was only expressing his right to freedom of religion. He was arrested because Satan was stirring up the hearts of the people against him. And think about it. Who else was often in trouble with the law, even put to death? Jesus Christ himself.
July 13, 2015 at 7:54 pm
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Lash says:
August 19, 2015 at 8:08 pm
No he doesn’t! Read it Isa. 29:11-12 and compare to JSH 1: 60-65
totally a fake name says:
May 10, 2015 at 8:21 am
That’s not true about plural marriage in D&C 132. D&C 132 deals with plural marriage but the quotes you are taking out deal (like exaltation and Emma possibly being damned) are about keeping the covenant in marriage (not plural marriage).
Keith says:
June 19, 2015 at 10:06 am
Why single out Mormonism as screwball. All religions are! If you base your religion on the Bible, you are uneducated and blind to the reality the Bible portrays. The Pentateuch, the first 5 books if the Bible, is a summation of vicious religious nonsense. Read it again—you probably never did before—and drop your belief like a hot brick, as I did. There is a truth that precedes the Bible, and can be found in the Talmud: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!” Live by that maxim, and you’ll be a “true Christian.”
June 21, 2015 at 8:57 pm
All of what I said above is is why I am a Mormon. This is why Mormonism is not faulty or fake religion. It is a religion like any other. I believe in it and place my faith in it, and because of that, you cannot criticize the beliefs, as they are like any other, only larger. It is just like if you believed that it is going to rain tomorrow. It is a belief that I believe in and that I fully place faith in. Would you criticize me and call me a fraud, con-artist, a drunk, just because I BELIEVE it is going to rain tomorrow. I thought not. Now think of what you argued, and recognize the true fault in it. Humility, integrity, thoughtfulness, and kindness are true virtues. Now take those virtues and and change your thoughts by using them as your foundation, then tell me how Mormonism is a foul, crazy, filthy, screwball, religion.
July 30, 2015 at 11:31 pm
This article is right on the button. I would like to say the false spirit you feel when reading the Book of Mormon is a Black Magic spirit and can make people a little nutty. Its not the same spirit you would feel reading the Torah or the Bible.
August 2, 2015 at 3:02 pm
We no longer believe in the black skin racism part. That is a huge lie. I hate how people always twist things like polygamy, which mormons no longer practice by the way, into something we do now or we now do wrong. Please stop. We all have religious freedom. Believe what you believe and stop judging others bc you dont believe in the same thing
August 28, 2015 at 7:13 pm
I’ve read some Mormon history too. As for racism and polygamy, the point is the LDS church did teach this at the beginning, and did state it was God’s word, will, and etc., all based on biblical interpretation. And as far as I’m concerned, as long as the LDS church keeps sending its troops door-to-door evangelizing, it leaves itself wide open to this totally legitimate criticism. An interesting observation made in the Frank Herbert Sci-Fi book, Dune, when the Princess Irulan states that she has switched her allegiance from the Corino family (her father’s family) to the Atreides side (their sworn enemies), “Allegiances once changed, may change again.” Many, if not all, Christian organizations run rampant over an indulgent world claiming whatever they do is the will of God as stated in the bible, then suddenly make an about-face about some divine mandate, still claiming it to be the will of God, while their very bible states, “I the Lord, do not change. I am the same from…” and etc. How many times, in how many ways, can an omniscient God whose will is locked up in a biblical repository, change his mind without changing himself? Why shouldn’t an awakening world desperate to shake the yoke of organized religion question and condemn this religious sophistry? Besides that, what’s the other choice but to give in to religious intolerance and theocratic despotism?
Lash says:
August 19, 2015 at 8:06 pm
This is the link to Preach My Gospel, the standard instruction manual required to be studied and taught by all LDS missionaries. It contains the required lessons to be taught to investigators of the church before baptism into the church. By the simple fact that a large amount of the doctrines the author claims the church wants to sweep under the rug are actually contained in required pre-baptismal learning modules that are rigidly followed, the basic premise of this article, that “mormons might not want you know about” these doctrines is clearly false. I also find the idea that the LDS church discourages personal inquiry completely absurd and obviously based upon reactionary statements from dissidents. A simple and non-jaded inquisition into LDS worship would quickly demonstrate that few things are held more sacred by Mormons then personal testimony and person revelation. Watch a recording of any LDS General Conference and half of the message can usually be summed up as question, ask, learn for yourself, come to a personal knowledge, seek more understanding, don’t take my word on what the scriptures say – read them yourselves daily, pray daily, seek affirmation of God’s will in all of your choices, etc. I pray for two things at this time. The first is for the Christian world, that our energies can be spent in strengthening each other instead of tearing each other down and doing good in the world instead of wasting countless amounts of energy nit-picking over our doctrinal differences. The second is for the atheists, agnostics, and other non-believers who have grown so militant in their anti-religious sentiment, that you can step away from the dogmas of your own long enough to realize that the fallibility of man will never allow for infallible conclusions no matter the evidence. May we all live in love and tolerance.
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September 30, 2015 at 4:57 am
I recently had my name removed from the LDS church. The truth is that growing up, I was taught lots of great values and it has helped me to be a better person, but I realized when I was older, I was being told what to think and what I would think and there was this set life plan laid out for me. It made me feel very trapped and unhappy. I decided I wanted to be happy, so I left. And I didn’t really discover most of these things until after I requested to have my name removed. Growing up, being taught/told about these things bout our history was rare. If we were told and taught about them, it was to say that Joseph Smith was an honorable man and people trying to cause harm were evil because they were persecuting him for his religious beliefs. I was taught that Smith had one wife named Emma, and growing up when I heard people outside the church saying he had many wives, I thought they were just being antimormon and were pissed off that the church excommunicated them. Then, the church came out with an essay saying it was true that Smith had lots of wives. Why did they teach me that he only had one? If you are non-Mormon and tell Mormons about historical facts, I think a good majority of them will either not know about them, or deny that they happened/happened the way they did. The warm, comforting blanket the church was to me, eventually became smothering, and then the whole blanket unraveled. While I wouldn’t necessarily consider this church a “cult,” it has many cult-like aspects I didn’t realize until recently. I am trying to move forward though with my life and live it the way I think I was meant to. It is getting easier. A lot of active mormons get upset that some exmos can’t seem to move on with their lives because these exmos say all these negative things about mormons. When I considered myself Mormon I would get upset about these exmos, too, at times. While I think it is really unhealthy to not move on (and I need to try to better move on), a lot of exmos have a really hard time with it because they find out all of these disheartening things about something that was once the biggest deal in their lives. It’s hard to move on. One day I started freaking out while I was driving, crying “they lied to me! Why did they lie to me!!??” It’s hard. But I’m a lot happier not being lied to.
October 4, 2015 at 7:14 pm
F says:
October 4, 2015 at 7:06 pm
Lol…The BOM is no more or less credible than the Bible. The only difference is the effectiveness of the brainwashing about both or either that the average American is susceptible to from childhood. No religious person who believes in some type of scripture has any platform whatsoever from which to criticize the BOM as being illegitimate. The writers of the Bible were the Joseph Smiths of 2,000 years ago.
Long time member of the LDS church says:
October 6, 2015 at 4:17 pm
Whoever wrote this didn’t do their research. If you actually read the book of mormon you can justify, or disprove ALL of these LDS “beliefs”. After all, as a mormon I should know. for example everyone seems to believe that we practice polygamy, but we don’t, we used to, but think of it this way, your living (barely) off of the land you possess in a desert. pretty hard to live in those conditions if you ask me. polygamy was just a way to take care of the women of the church, and we stopped when UTAH became a state because the US required that it be stopped. Or when the passage says that all people that aren’t members are bound to go to outer darkness (Hell). this is not true. Our heavenly father is forgiving and no matter how bad you mess up, if you feel sorry and ask for forgiveness he will grant it. Many people also say that the LDS church is a cult. we are not. spend five minutes with one of us and you can tell we are not a cult. People will also tell you that we are not christians, also not true. we believe that christ is our redeemer and that God is the one and only. And for the fact that joseph smith found the plates 5 miles from his house, heavenly father works miracles doesn’t he? and as for the dark and light skinned people, were not racist. we just aren’t. the book of mormon is the true word of god and that christ is our redeemer.
October 6, 2015 at 5:05 pm
Denying facts don’t make them less factual. Rejecting a fact to replace it with a myth, well, you need faith for that to work. What if you’re addressing people who no longer require faith to live and guide their lives? Your little sleight of tongue probably wouldn’t work, would it. Didn’t work for me, just thought I’d let you know. Tell Jesus you need a whole new propaganda speech. If he doesn’t provide one, try living your own life your own way, without the religious crutch. It’s incredibly liberating! For starters, did you know that compassion trumps religion every time? It’s a win-win thing and a compassionate person does not need saving. Ok, dinner time here…
May 31, 2016 at 3:34 pm
It’s amazing how many LDS are unaware of their own church doctrine and history. Seems obvious that church leaders have made a concerted effort to hide and/or amend the teaching of their so-called profits.
Rick says:
October 15, 2015 at 1:44 pm
Long time LDS member, I think many of your prophets and apostles would disagree about Mormons being Christian. “Christianity is a perfect pack of nonsense- the devil could not invent a better engine to spread his work than the Christianity of the nineteenth century”.Prophet John Taylor. “When the light came to me I saw that all the so-called Christian world was groveling in darkness”. Prophet Brigham Young. As for polygamy, I thought a angel threatened Joseph Smith with a sword if he did not take other wives, including teenage girls and women who were already married. Can anyone spell “adultery”?
October 26, 2015 at 11:38 am
More than half this stuff isn’t even true. Maybe you should get all your facts straight before you post about it. If people want to learn about REAL Mormonism then they should go to LDS.org or Mormon.org You’re not gonna find what true Mormonism is from an article an anti-Mormon wrote.
Dean says:
September 10, 2016 at 9:49 pm
No, that’s not how it works. Your sect is not true, and going to your websites is not going to change that fact.
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September 3, 2017 at 6:03 pm
I have mormon friends, we don’t discuss religion. I respect their right to believe as they do. If I want to learn more about mormonism I will find an unbiased source which would not be the LDS.org or Mormon.org. If you tell me that any source other than an LDS/Morman source is not going to be truthful well ~ that is your opinion. I was taught in the church I am a member of, to use my God given intelligence to make decisions.
November 13, 2015 at 2:19 pm
I am a Mormon but I have struggled with it in my head for years. I am torn because I love the religion and I love the teachings and the close knit family and social setting it brings are amazing. However the problem I face is that being intellectually honest, the claims from which it sprouts are most likely untrue. Teachings such as polygamy do not sit right me my moral compass either, mainly the way it was handled, in pure secrecy… I am at a loss because I love what it brings to the table in modern days but it rests on a very shady history
Plan 9 from God says:
February 9, 2016 at 7:55 pm
Hi Dan. It’s tough! But at some point you have to come to grips with the fact that Mormonism teaches a doctrine that completely changes the essential tenants of Christianity. (Even if an angel teaches a doctrine other than that which you have received…he is anathema) It is clearly closest to Gnosticsm (which is soundly condemned by the Apostles). I’d suggest reaching out to Ex-Mormons for Jesus in Orange, CA.. These are the real deal. (An ex Quorum of 70’s, etc.) Joe Smith was a con-artist perhaps the greatest con-artist in American history. (greater than Barnum because he has led millions in error). You have to wonder at the gall of Joe Smith, Sidney Rigdon, et. al.. The knew it was a con and so do the Apostles today! They know the truth. that is scary! God bless,
February 9, 2016 at 8:34 pm
Why in the word would someone want to replace one mound of superstitious bunk with another?
Plan 9 from God says:
February 10, 2016 at 7:04 am
Hi. I now understand where you are coming from. I’d like to respond but have to head out to a project. Will try later. Thanks, Dave
Haveathink says:
November 28, 2015 at 4:19 am
Are you serious? You guys actually believe some guy called Joseph read a bunch of metal plates with some brown rocks in a hat without seeing them? Come on, this is the 21st century. Half of you appear to be internally contesting the validity of such a belief system, doubting the feasibility of its origins. When your ‘God’ proclaims that black skin is inferior to white skin, how can you teach anything but ignorance and bigotry? You are no better than the extreme Muslim groups that people are all riled up about. When people learn to stand on their own 2 feet, rationally analyse the preachings of said ideologies (of any religion/cult/sect) then the world will be a far more peaceful place. You’re dogmatic approach to explaining the world is small minded and hurtful to humanity. You are probably mostly good people, but i would ask you to question, would you still be a good person if you did not have your ideology? I personally have faith in your humanism, and would say that yes, you would be good people. Please, for the good of humanity, use your mind….
November 30, 2015 at 4:30 pm
I would just like to state for the record that some of the NICEST people I have ever met, were Mormons. My childhood best friend was a Mormon. I own a copy of the Book of Mormon and attempted to read it all the way through but my eyes kept glazing over; it very much resembled parts of the Old Testament, and frankly I didn’t find it any more silly or bizarre than most other religious texts. My atheist friends would probably say (as did some above) that all religion is equally silly. Having said that, the Mormon belief that I personally find very disturbing is that of heaven, where a faithful and properly married woman will have the honor of being wife #1 and spending eternity pumping out babies to populate a planet, although I understand this is not an “official” doctrine. http://www.mrm.org/spirit-children-and-planets If that is “heaven” I don’t want to go there (not a problem, since I don’t meet the requirements anyway).
Donald Hodge says:
December 1, 2015 at 8:33 am
I’m a black American male married to a woman from Tonga and many of my in laws are mormon. Over time they would tell me the bomb is true, and I told them it’s a lie and list all the proofs to the contrary that you show in your article only to be labeled a anti-mormon. What gets me angry is they look like some of my neighbors as a child in the black neighborhood I lived in. My sister in laws husband, a ex missionary told me that blacks are still cursed and just received a pardon and his tone was quite rabid. Brainwashed idiot.
December 6, 2015 at 3:10 am
It is a cult. I was baptized when i was 8. Left when i was in my late teens, due to debating certain doctrines and things i noticed, and not being answered the questions i was asking!! …. My parents and siblings had left years before me. My Dad was excommunicated, he even signed the papers, think Mum’ was signed too, but not entirely sure. I’m going back so many years now. Two of my siblings stayed in the church. Dad passed away almost 19yrs ago, and Mum last year. We have just found out that my two siblings have all been to the temple and sealed our parents, 3 siblings, and my mums parents together. I find it despicable, and totally unforgivable. My gran was a member of The White Order. Grandad didn’t believe in religion. And my parents were Spiritualists. How can mormons feel they have the right to do this? Cannot get them in life, so take them in death. Pure selfishness, and totally wrong …
December 11, 2015 at 12:30 pm
Lets see, god has had about 25 billion children upon this earth. Say 100 million of those make it to the celestial kingdom. That is 0.4% success rate at bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Hmmm.
There are 10^88 particles in the visible universe. So it would take about ten generations or cycles of gods having children and populating their own worlds before there would be more resurrected humans than there are, in reality, particles in the known universe.
A new cycle starts every 10,000 years or so. So the universe becomes overpopulated in the first 100,000 years.
Does god know any of these by name? After ten generations of gods it would take about 8×10^82 years to acquaint himself with this number of offspring allowing each one second of his time. But it only took 10^5 years to create this many offspring. So god would never have time to get to know his offspring. He could never catch up.
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Mormon says:
December 14, 2015 at 4:21 pm
This person was really misinformed. We are not racist we do not practice polygamy and we are not a cult. Why people would believe this is harsh. Listen to me I am a mormon and this is not true. I would ask you would do some research on this before making a choice. Go to Mormon.org for information on us. Also the author said there was geneological and historical mistakes. This is true there are mistakes in the book of mormon. But this is because the book of mormon is a record of journal entries and letters. They aren’t going to be accurate. Also please don’t refer the book of mormon as BoM. That’s rude. We accept other religions and we don’t scorn them so please don’t scorn ours.
bereasonable8 says:
December 15, 2015 at 7:21 am
Mormon, with all due respect, I am afraid that is is you that is misinformed and I don’t necessarily hold you accountable. You have been mislead. I used to be a devout remember of the Mormon Church just like you. The truth is you don’t have to dig very deep into reliable church documents that the LDS Church itself accepts as historically accurate to find out that Brigham Young was indeed a racist and Joseph Smith had at more than 30 wives (At least 6 of which we know he had sex with). And that like a cult, Mormonism has intentionally kept unfavorable information about their founders, their history and their doctrine away from the public eye and the eye their members to keep membership strong and conversion numbers high.
Joseph Smith did have a 14 year old wife and he indeed did gaze a rock in a top hat to “translate” the Book of Mormon. The church, in an effort to be more transparent, recently released images of the very stone that he used. http://mormonstories.org/seer-stones-lds-joseph-smith/
I understand that the LDS Church does good all over the world and gives many wonderful people a moral foundation and something to live for. And yet, It appears that the Church has managed to thrive in spite of its founders, not because of them. This is to the credit of the members themselves and the the credit of modern secular values that embrace equality, free thinking, science, evidence, and reason.
I understand that as a Mormon you now have a choice to make. Do you investigate these points and see for yourself? or do you continue following those who tell you they already have all the answers for you and that no real investigation is necessary?
It is your call to make, but before you make it, remember that Scientologist and followers of Warren Jeffs are just as certain of there beliefs as you are. Could it be that you like them are mislead by misinformation and the unsupportable claim that it is better to rely on faith over facts? I think you will discover,like I did, that you are. Good luck on your journey.
Frank says:
April 8, 2016 at 10:39 am
If these ‘saintly’ Mormons honestly believe that other religions are acceptable, why do they refer to those outside the Mormon church as apostates(definition:those who have left God)? It is absurd. Many believe in God and have not’ left’ anything Godly, yet are, indeed, persecuted BY MORMONS, who have some deranged belief that THEY are the ONLY True whatever- it is totally against what you all claim of being OK with other people’s religions. Just because they are not Mormon does NOT mean they have abandoned God.
You talk about others ‘scorning’ Mormons, yet referring to others who are not Mormon as ‘apostate’ is, in fact, scorning them- accusing them, actually, of abandoning God. Those who think of God as the Creator recognize that every cell in their body and soul is of God’s creation- how then, in that belief, could one possibly abandon God when every fiber of their being and soul is OF God? One cannot ‘separate’ themselves from the Creator.
The Mormon ‘apostate’ accusation is incredibly offensive to those non-Mormons who believe in God. Just because some mortal claims their belief is the only true one does not make it so.
Btw, it is not through deeds that brings anyone to God/heaven,etc.- it is what is in their heart(the seat of the soul).
What is true is true for all time- yet the Mormons think they can change their books/beliefs to fit the times(other ‘religions’ do the same thing). If you all need a crutch, go buy one. Organized religion is another means to control people- (you were given free will so as to avoid being controlled; you were given a brain in order to utilize logic and analysis).
God does not require a religion, or any intermediate to ‘communicate’. The Creator IS and always has been and always will be.
All this nonsense of ‘becoming God’, and going to a planet or heaven, and following mortals on what they claim as righteous is so far removed from the reality of Creator it is absurd. It is as absurd as what Ezra did, changing the Sumerian records to fool people into believing the hebrew were not the same as the habiru. Creating a religion in order to take a social group and attempt to change it to an ethnic group, using a pulpit and ordering people to memorize a ‘history’ that was not their own;changing names and dates to fit the agenda. Every religion that bases doctrine on the Torah/Bible has been duped for centuries. Yet, people THINK they need to believe in something OTHER than the Creator in order to give it substance. It is nonsense. The Creator is the Creator- and no doctrine, or scientific ‘theory’ can alter that. Be happy that you ARE. God’s gift to us was Life- what we hold in our hearts is our gift to God.
Plan 9 from God says:
December 27, 2015 at 3:31 pm
Just ran across this article. First, notice the authors do not attack or, (horror of horror…) judge Mormons. They simply state facts about Mormons doctrines. And, they are 100% accurate. I know. I was one. If the conclusions suggest Mormons are not Christian, than so be it. Second, did anyone notice how the response by Mormons is not to refute the facts? Ex-Mormons like me, who allow the facts to lead them to where they go…leave Mormonism. The big issue is where to go? I found that the doctrines of the Christianity of the Bible are not corrupted; the authority of Christ was never lost because believers have the Holy Spirit as a seal; and, Christianity is not a false religion that needs a restoration by a con-artist. God bless.
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January 2, 2016 at 7:21 pm
From Barb, My grandson’s mother and grandmother are Mormons. I have asked my grandson to please do not become a Mormon or follow any other “organized” religion. I told to believe in God and in Jesus and everything else will follow through for him. As a severely abused and also sexually abused child, I learned early on in life that you cannot just submit to your surroundings. I went on my own, to various types of churches, listening and learning from each of them. (no cults involved). I learned a number of things. First, every church is led by men. I don’t hate men, in fact, I’m married to a Wonderful man, but I don’t necessarily trust most men. I all these “organized” religions, the man was always put first. His wants and needs were always somewhere hidden in the sermon and women where always expected to follow whatever was expected of her from a man. Even female ministers follow this doctrine. Secondly, every church visit was like a fashion show, where men and women seemed to dress their best. This went totally against what I, myself had read in the Bible. Jesus walked for miles in dusty sand. The people who came to hear him, also lived on that land. No one worried about what they looked like. They were there to hear Jesus. Not that I expected people in church to be smelly and dirty since we do now have access to showers and such, but the very rich-looking clothes went against my sensibilities. I learned that each different church catered to their members. I never became a member of any church because I didn’t think it was a club. Each church had very different traditions and rules, but in there was a fine line of some sort of unity. In every trip to every church I went to, I could hear God trying His hardest to be heard by a deaf crowd. I finally decided that these churches filled a need for most of the people, which had very little to do with religion. So, I decided to just worship God and Jesus on my own. I still have questions, of course, and I do question parts of the Bible myself, but, I am a lot happier and feel God a whole lot more than when I went to church. I guess that I am going to church, but it is my own church and it suits me just fine. I have also recently done some research into the Muslum religion, where I was astonished to find how very similar the stories are to our Bible. Even though it was a woman who told Mohammed that he was a prophet, women are thought of as having less value than a cow. Somehow, to me, they have twisted their religion and produced a religion of misogynists. It’s all too bad, because what I think Jesus wanted all of us to know is TO LOVE EVERYONE, not physically, but spiritually. I certainly am not perfect as I struggle with this myself. Sometimes I can be the most toxic person ever, but I still believe.
Plan 9 from God says:
February 9, 2016 at 7:43 pm
Hi Barb. Your missive is really lovely. I’m glad you have found peace outside organized religion. Jesus was the poster-child for not being in organized religion. A real rebel. There is great value in finding a Church where the members are just Christians. Yes, they are there. The music, worship, praise. The writer of Hebrews was also against organized religion but he or she said, do not forsake the assembly as some have done. The reason is that the Church on earth is a reflection of the church in heaven. God bless. Plan9
February 13, 2016 at 2:00 pm
lol i love ignorant people…..im moprmon and alothough most these facts are treue, the funny thing is that they are prove facts, just like the lds religion has almost 15 million members world wide, the largets growth of any christian religion, haveing more members than the world wide jewish population, facts are facts
February 25, 2016 at 11:49 pm
As a catalyst for discussion, I am grateful for the article.
My family heritage in the states begins with the begining of the church. My great, great, great grandfather EGM Hogan and his family made the pioneer’s journey from Navou to Desseret less than a month after arriving in the U.S. He discovered Bountiful. His son founded Cove. My great grandfather was a bishop.
Where it ends is with my father, who married a ‘gentile’. She duly converted and was devout, but always treated as an outsider by the members of our ward.
I will never forget the cruelty shown to my parents. I remember my father holding back tears when he’d had enough and said that we were done. He broke with the church. This, from a man whose ancestors saw Joseph Smith speak, travelled with Brigham Young, danced at Hole In The Rock.
The doctrines of the church have great appeal, knowledge and compassion. But I’ve seen little of it in it’s general population. To this day, I am so moved by the writings of David O. McKay, but am knee jerk fearful when I discover that someone is LDS.
To the Mormons I see responding to this site who are the compassionate ones, the kind and gentle, I say thank you for reminding me of the beauty of the church.
To those ‘Saints’ that write No! Wrong! and snark at the no believers, I ask you to think of my parents.
February 27, 2016 at 2:15 am
I grew up in the church and had a grandmother who sang with the Mormon tabernacle quior. When I was 5 my dad who was inactive got custody of me because my mom was a drunk who had boyfriends that would beat and molest me. I never saw my mother after that and my dad took me to his and my step moms home and became, sealed and seriously active in the church and started haveing multiple amounts of children. I remember growing up I was the most nervous, confused and scared kid because I had an evil step mother who would act like a saint at church, around my dad and church members, at a young age I learned what fake tears of a phony testimony was. When it was just her I was seriously in fear when dad was at work, I was emotionally and physically abused by this devil and I had a bed wetting problem. My whole life I went to bed scared if I was going to wake up with a wet bed cause I knew my ass was going to be beat with a belt, this was an every day occurrence as a child, I tried to tell my dad how i was scared of mom cause I wet the bed and the time she put me in a cold water bath tub and I would shake with my lips turning blue before I had to get dressed for school or sometimes I would have to lay in it but mostly my ass was wooped hard. My dad confronted her and she called me a liar and then dad beat my ass for a lie! The branch we went to ended up getting shut down cause it had more inactive members from a tight click that was very hard to be a part of, I never understood all of this being “Mormon” and dad grew up beating me with fists for bad grades, lies of a mother and pack of smokes found in my jacket. I have been addicted to nicotine my whole life cause this was the one thing, for a breif moment that would calm me from my situation and my ADHD. I ended up getting kicked out of the house at age 14 to live with a relative who was inactive and immediately would let me smoke or drink or do different drug experimentation, they just wanted me to stay at their house when messed up so i didn’t get myself locked up some where else, I respect them for that!! I was so happy to be away from my strong active and sealed Mormon family and for the first time felt free. Well I ended up in the streets by 15 when my aunt and uncle got a divorce because my uncle ended up together with my birth mom after we found her cause I was curious to know her again. She was not what I expected! While I was on the street there was a couple of times I called dad up to bring me something to eat cause I was starving and he would but also reminded me I can’t go home until I choose to follow the “Mormon” rules. Well the streets got bad for me to the point dad and that evil step mom had me locked up in institution. From 16 to 19 I spent my time locked up but still very happy to be away from my family. I graduated high school with a diploma (Thank Goodness) but my step mom did not go with dad to my graduation ceremony cause she was too busy cheating on my dad, getting a boob job, going back to college, divorcing my dad and being the most selfish person in the world. My dad remarried and we made mends, I ended up going to college for a short time but quit when my dad got me into a very successful career, dad has looked out for my career my whole life and has helped advance me into huge positions, so now I am 40, I have the most beautiful wife and five kids in the world! But I have kids have not been raised in the church, they are foul mouthed brats to put it mildly. My wife is currently taking the missionary discussion has demanded we start paying tithing, I agree but dread going to the ward we are located in cause it’s another “clicky” ward and everyone has seen me active, then inactive my whole life and struggling with cigerettes to the point I get looked down on, I had took the my fussy baby to the hall during sacrament and 1 person who hold strong to the iron rod went immediatly went to the opposite side of the building to sit when I said hi to him, I swear he hates me! This ward gets my nerves in a shotty mess! Through all this crap, I could easily begin anti Mormon blogs and say this can’t be true but a small still voice has told me my whole life the gospel is true and I’ve witnessed this through blessings and experiences I have had and seen while inactive, active then inactive again. I know this is heavenly fathers restored gospel and holding tight to the iron rod can bring you joy and happiness, I often wonder how things would have been if my faith would have been stronger growing up! I want more than anything to move and go to a bigger ward and start over and me and my wife are considering it cause of the click we both are dealing with but the church is true and if you are Mormon, please remember to always embrace those who seem to be falling down and not so strong with the gospel, friendship from those who have never faultered is welcoming to those trying to be like you. Until then I will work on trying to see going for myself and not these kind of people. For everyone else who speaks against the “mormon” religion or LDS church, remember, Heavenly Fathers restored gospel is perfect. . The people are not!
Plan 9 from God says:
February 29, 2016 at 12:04 pm
Hi Calvin. I’ve known many people with similar experiences. You are to be commended for staying strong through it all. The problem is the “restored ” gospel is flawed. It is not just flawed people. The Apostle Paul said, “But even if we (apostles) or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!” (sound familiar?) The things you are reading about in the original article are historical facts discussed by ex-Mormons who realize the entire restoration idea is based on historical lies and fabrications. These facts are the source of the supposed “restored gospel”. The Catholic Church did corrupt many doctrines however, if you look closely at history there have always been Christians who have kept to the original gospel “…once for all entrusted to God’s holy people”. (Once for all…) Ever heard of the Ana-Baptist who were drowned by the thousands by the Catholic Church? If you were to begin attending an Evangelical Church near you (I would suggest around 300 members in size), you would probably find ex-Mormons and, I’m sure what I read about you, there, you would find like-minded people of strength, healing and comfort from true Christians. You could also read the facts about Mormonism from ex-Mormons without being so constricted. I hope you find peace but that is not going to happen inside Mormonism. God bless, Plan9
March 6, 2016 at 8:41 am
I was a member of the Mormon church for 2 years. Then one day I Googled to list Joseph Smiths wifes. The list was very thorough and complete. When I read that 2 of Joseph Smiths ” wives ” were 14 years old I literally denounced Joseph Smith and any further belief in his ” church “.
Plan 9 from God says:
March 6, 2016 at 1:26 pm
Hi David: You will probably be told that is not true. But, it is true. There is so much documentation from the people who were there at the time. “Monogamy, or restrictions by law to one wife, is no part of the economy of heaven among men. …Why do we believe in and practice polygamy? Because the Lord introduced it to his servants in a revelation given to Joseph Smith, and the Lord’s servants have always practiced it.” Brigham Young Just for the record. I went on several archaeology digs to “prove” the BOM. We found cultures there but they were not what is found in the BOM. Joseph made PT Barnham look like a piker! God bless, Plan9
Shane says:
April 24, 2016 at 8:15 am
Each book of religious literature is a piece of the puzzle. Each book alone is made to be rewritten threw out time… But it’s time for us to come together with these books and choose the structure for ultimate enlightenment. This includes every religion, but we are not going to use and negative structures. a basic structure of morals is the key. Answer me this… Who feels like they already knew right from wrong as soon as they were born?
C.D.Carney says:
April 25, 2016 at 8:37 pm
So pretty much the facts presented in this article are not being taken on and proven as made up or lies by the LDS members. I’m pretty sure that means they understand how much of a con their religion is but they won’t say anything because they want to believe in it so badly. I believe in a God who was born of a virgin, performed miracles that defy logic and science, and allowed himself to be killed only so he could defeat death and rise from the dead. But to believe that a random guy dug up Egyptian gold tablets buried in New York and then translated them with magic rocks that he pulled out of a well and that truest version of the Biblical text said it was ok to have as many wives as you wanted and only through the principle can you attain the highest level of celestial paradise… That’s a step too far.
April 25, 2016 at 10:16 pm
I take it you’re being sarcastic about the god who was born from a virgin, etc.?
Joshua says:
June 4, 2016 at 5:42 am
Okay, So we all agree that Mormonism is bat shit crazy. Because it’s true, nobody except true Mormons believe that. But then I see other sectors of Christianity go” Mormonism is crazy look at what those people believe”. And hear I am looking at them and going Well wtf, you’re the reason they even have an idea of Christ in the first place. Thanks, a lot. Their the crazies, but you’re the crazy makers. And then you have the balls to say, well we’re not them so we must be the right answer. It’s like the the fucking lesser of the crazies thinks he’s not crazy because he’s not on that level. You’re still crazy. Just not Mormon crazy lol.
June 15, 2016 at 11:03 pm
This list is NOT true on so many levels. People don’t believe everything you read! I honestly would hate for people to judge a religion based and the falsehoods written here.
June 16, 2016 at 7:27 am
Melissa, most members of any religion don’t believe every doctrine. That said, I would point out that other Mormons have responded to this article by saying, “yes we believe these things,” So what? Why are you acting like we hide it?
June 17, 2016 at 6:43 am
I myself have studied in depth the bible and the Mormon bible even was going to join the mormon church at one time. There were a few things that kept nagging me though. One why did they put so much into the mormon bible and not the real bible. I would have some of these Mormons come to my house and we would talk. When they asked about if I read the Mormon bible I would tell them I read some but was busy reading the regular bible. They would get so mad and annoyed and start telling me that the bible wouldn’t do anything for me that I needed to read the Mormon bible I did read it all. With an open mind. Nothing in seemed right. First off none of these tribes or families were never mintioned in the original bible. Now the bible talks about alot of families or tribe that go all the way back to the tower of Babel. Not once do you hear anything about anything about these people that left. Even enoch was mentioned later on in the bible. Second why is it that after Jesus died on the cross there was no more profits at all in the bible nor anytime after the bible. Over a thousand years later some random guy becomes a profit. That’s not even apart of the Israel or Judean bloodline. Not even the jews had a profit after christ died. Why is that it is because the proficies were completed until christ comes again. The main point of the bible is Jesus Christ. Now it does say in the bible that even Lucifer will disguise himself as a Angel of light to decive man. Is it possible then that the Angel that Joseph smith saw was a fallen angel sent to deceive Joseph Smith. Another thing the Mormon bible doesn’t match up to the bible in anyway. Not once in the bible does it mention where any of the city’s in the Mormon bible like the land of bounty. Now the traveling it took moses years to leave Egypt and get to cannan it didnt take as long for the people in the Mormon bible to get to America. The fact that these people were Jewish or Israelites doesn’t add up either. If these people left to America around the time of the tower of Babel then there is no way they could be Israelites seeing is how Abraham was the father of the Israelites. Which Abraham was born years hundreds of years after the fall of Babel. Monotheism and the beliefe in the God of Abraham didn’t come until Abraham. There for they can not be of Israel descent. Now if we were all angels once and became human and if Michael became adam then one how did Michael cast Lucifer out of heaven after Lucifer caused adam to and eve to eat from the tree of good and evil. Now how could Michael be a human and an angel at the same time. Also if Michael was adam doesnt that mean Michael ate the fruit and disobayed God which would have caused Michael\Adam to fall from grace yet we see Michael appearing to a few people in the bible. Which means he is still pure and never fell from grace. If there is no hell like mormons believe then why does the bible mention hell all through out the bible saying overs and overs again that all sinners will be cast into hell. Which if the mormons are saying that just that part is not true then the rest of the bible is not true which makes the Mormon religion not true. Same logic goes for anything else they contradict if the Mormon bible is just an extention of the bible then why not just preach the bible. Why force people to read the Mormon bible like they tried with me. Also sense when has God said that we need to do all these things to get into heaven. Doesn’t God say as long as you believe in me and ask for forgiveness we will be saved and go to heaven. So which one is the lie the one where we have to do all these rituals or the one where all we have to do is believe and have faith. Which is the lie God saying anyone that adds or takes away from my word shall be punished or the one that says this Mormon bible is an extention of the bible pretty much an add on. Now what makes more sense over all some guy thats trying to make easy money clams to find these gold plates to start a religion to make some cash and start a chruch in where they don’t have to pay taxes like so many have done in the present or God felt that Jesus didnt complete his mission while on earth that he needed Joseph smith to finish. The historical side proves Joseph Smith was a fraud so does the religious side it you take the time to look at the whole picture. Dont go into any religion with blind faith. I don’t go to chruch I read the bible everday I study history just as much. I pray I do what everyone that believes in God should. Or try to at least once I stopped looking for a religion and just believed and had faith God showed me the light ever sense the things I’ve prayed for have been answered my life as gotten better thing have been going my way. I have seen how God truly works. Please beg any Mormon that reads this please please please read the bible and question the Mormon bible. Do your research dont just accept it becaus someone else says you should.l
shane says:
June 19, 2016 at 2:07 am
i found life and faith more simple then society, and in any faith wants you to believe.. its no matter what faith we are as long as we have moral composure and patience for neaghbor, and stranger alike. theres been no profits, because we do not believe in anyone as an individual any more.. if you think different than society or faith, its considered mental illness. with the lack of individuality comes more illnesses, and lack of motivation because, just why? why work for something you cant see? who care what another person tells us. they stand there flesh and blood like me and have never seen, herd, or felt, the words they say. and it doesnt matter to anyone. the human right is freedom! physical,mental,emotional… those who take these away from anothr human being, with bars, or words, are labeled psychopaths, sociopaths. people who consider their needs before anyone else. if you ask me, some folks need faith, no doubt in my mind, but let actions for society, positive moves towards less fortunate threw giving a hand, a positive jester, without expectations, for faith preaching.. god for other people to know theres just a bunch of regular people out there, and sociatys looking out for them?!!!!! theres where you start seeing new faces at your church, and real devotion. then youll know who you are, and it becomes so clear why some say god is in us… selfless acts, using money as a tool towards the happiness of a complete stranger… when you know nothing matters but another and their well being over yours, i cant tell you…. its to real to call reality, its too crazy to call crazy. its imperfect perfection, unity of individuality.. to KNOW your SELF, is to know GOD. but threw negative gestures and hateful words because of greed or lazyness theres where you get your devil… there its is in physical form too see and understand. HEAVEN/HELL it all happens on earth because we have spirits. its only turns to hell when our spirits cant choose their own path. looks like hell to me. we all hate each other, nothing but killins and negativity on tv. war, fammon, prostitution, sex, drugs.. ya here we are, smack dab! lets make sure we keep it up, slavery, and fear.. its been working great.
June 20, 2016 at 10:21 am
Let’s all sit around and sing Kumbayah… Look. There are two options with Mormonism. A) You are not a Christian. If that is the case, it is fully documented by ex-Mormons like me that, the BOM is a 19th Century novel written by a Presbyterian Preacher named Solomon Spaulding and which was appropriated by one, Signey Rigdon who just happened to know the Smiths and Spauldings and was a frequent visitor to both houses. And, who also had previously told seerstone user, gold digger, con-artist and, divining rod specialists, Joseph Smith, “… if you are going to create a religion, you need a book.” or, B) You are a Christian. Galatians 1:8-9 says, even if an angel from heaven comes down and teaches a doctrine different than the one delivered to you, he is cursed! Everyone knows the premise of the Mormon Church is delivering a doctrine different than the one in the Bible. God, Jesus, Marriage, Grace (provided by Satan to confuse Christians), etnausea… Either way, your screwed.
June 20, 2016 at 10:57 am
Did you seriously just deride the Book of Mormon and then quote the pseudonymous book of Luke as if it were gospel truth?
June 20, 2016 at 2:07 pm
Nope. Incidentally, the Gospel of Luke has been proven to be historically accurate throughout…(as has Acts of the Apostles), government positions, town names prior to 70 AD, topology, But, I did not quote from Luke. Regards,
June 28, 2016 at 4:41 am
I used to live in the town of Manchester near Palmyra where this insanity was born. I say insane because you can tell most of them are out there!!!
Aze says:
September 19, 2016 at 2:22 am
My question is simple and complicated, usually we portray a deity as the opposite of what we are as our own brain can’t comprehend the absurdity of reality. So my question is this- who is/are G/god(s) to you and why? Then, why is everyone else wrong?
xzartex says:
September 22, 2016 at 3:16 pm
God is a deity of course. In our religion, we believe that once upon a time, God was a human just like us. He had also, obviously been worthy to become what he is now today. In order for us to become like him, we must enter into the Celestial Kingdom after death, and we can get there from other lesser kingdoms even if we have never heard the name Jesus. We can all repent, as far as it is with true intent. At this time, after death we go to either spirit paradise, where we can work and study the gospel, or to Spirit Prison, which is more of a Spirit School. From there we can get to Spirit Paradise, then during to Second Coming of Jesus Christ, we will be judged. Remember, we can still get to higher kingdoms, and progress after Judgement. Why is everyone else wrong? They are not completely, but lets just say they have cut parts of the true church out, and sprinkled
their religion with little lies that became larger and larger. A long time ago, when Jesus was here, there was just one Christian Church. He died, was resurrected, and went back to the Father. After this, did the other religions fall apart, and became “corrupted” in a sense.
September 22, 2016 at 3:34 pm
Man … that’s some crazy shit! And you actually believe all that gibberish? Holy spaghetti monster!!!
September 23, 2016 at 2:06 pm
Thank you.My adult daughter is receiving instruction by Mormon missionaries & is deciding to be baptized as such.Armed with facts I can hopefully shine a very bright light on their duplicitous hyperbole & perversion of the Hebrew Bible,as per Joseph Smith’s teachings
E Ryan says:
October 17, 2016 at 4:59 pm
“Among the problems with this scenario are that there is no evidence that any Native American groups are Semitic, but rather that they are Mongoloid; there are no surviving traces in their cultures of ancient Israelite customs, language, or religion;”
Well, there is in fact evidence, it’s in the DNA of some Native American tribes
October 21, 2016 at 1:17 pm
In response to E Ryan, the Semitic haplogroups or haplotypes that native Americans would certainly include in their DNA if, the Book of Mormon were not a 19th Century Novel and actually an ancient text, would be found throughout native American tribes even if there were a mixing of European DNA with native American DNA over the past 400 years. (note the Ethiopian connection to Jews for example) There is no such haplogroup in native Americans as per the BOM. (which again, is a 19th century novel written by Solomon Spaulding and stolen by one, Sidney Rigdon, aka an Apostle). The only example of Semitic haplogroups found in Native Americans is in an extremely small sampling of “Cherokee” remnants (which may not in fact, be Cherokee), in the Carolinas’ and that haplotype came from Jews migrating to the Americas from Spain during early European migrations. The suggestion there is a Semitic haplotype among native Americans tribes flies in the face of all facts. No such ancient connection exists. Native American DNA has been analyzed ad naseum. It is not Jewish no matter how much you wish the BOM were from God. This notion of a Jewish connection was very popular in the 19th Century and the Book of Mormon was not the only novel that suggested that connection. It was a well known theory.
November 14, 2016 at 2:01 pm
I would hope the author of the article realizes this: Mormon women can be sealed to only one man in the LDS temples. Yet men can be sealed to as many women as they want. This would indicate an LDS belief that there will be polygamy in heaven.
November 18, 2016 at 1:01 pm
A Mormon friend once told me that as a non-Mormon, I would not be able to have multiple wives in heaven and would look up (his words), from my 2nd Heaven level and see him enjoying his many sexual relationships. I swear he said that! So, there is little doubt Joseph Smith’s eternal prophecy regarding multiple wives is well established.
Leaf says:
November 29, 2016 at 11:21 am
Have any of you asked God about this? He above anyone would know weather or not which religion is true…
November 29, 2016 at 11:56 am
Asia, would you tell a child to ask the tooth fairy or a boogy-monster if she is real?
November 29, 2016 at 2:46 pm
Valerie, that was the perfect answer! Literally perfect! Warm regards, Plan9
LikeLiked by 1 person
November 29, 2016 at 4:19 pm
If you hold religion in general up to the same scrutiny as Mormonism none are true (in my opinion). I don’t think anyone knows as much as we would like to believe we do. There are certainly a few fundamental churches who claim to have the truth but really all they have are the same cult tactics and mentality that cause them to convince themselves to pray about goodness and if you feel something it much be true and if you don’t keep praying forever but if also if you don’t receive a answer it’s because there are a million reasons and possibilities of things you must be doing wrong to not receive an answer from god. What the F. How is that rational! It takes years to recover from a child hood of religious indoctrination so I can see why some educated people fail to see the flaws in there religion. It’s a such a shame it seams like such a waste of there potential and then world’s. Religion has served a purpose I guess but most educated people do not need religion to serve, learn and lead good lives. I believe religion is holding the world back. Not to say spirituality is bad I actually think it’s healthy but fundamental religion is not the way to life’s progression and does not own spirituality and morals. Honestly going to hell for not believing in Christ it just seams so cave man.
November 30, 2016 at 10:04 am
Hi Ex Mormon KP: Enjoyed your comments. Reflect my own attitudes in the past. I’m an ex-atheist, Science degree then, Bible degree from Pepperdine University. Yes, Science and the Bible fit without checking your brains in at the door. As to your comment, “If you hold religion in general up to the same scrutiny as Mormonism none are true (in my opinion)”: Respectfully, although I once held this same view, when I went from atheist to Christian, (I came kicking and screaming into the latter) it was 1000% a result of science and form criticism. Science revealed an over-whelming evidence for “Design” (with a capital D), from a God defined by the Bible as outside space and time. Biblical Form criticism revealed an overwhelming evidence for authenticity of message, dates, genuineness of the text, etc.. I am a skeptic! I did not want Christianity to be true! The evidence, and evidence alone (looking critically at both sides), took me down a road and at the end were these Christians who were smart people, not the religious idiots I had been exposed to. Appreciate your comments and hope you do not stop investigating the evidence.
December 22, 2016 at 10:03 am
Another cult, another form of racism. The mormons (please remove the 2nd m) are abundantly naive to say the least, no different thatn the catholics, the buddhists, the islamists, the hebrews and the other 4,200 and counting self-righteous religions in the world. Another cult brought to you by another self-centred egotistic despot manipulating others just like the cult of Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple, when in 1978, 918 people were poisoned and/or killed by him and his followers.
The church of jesus christ of latter day saints, until 2013, was officially a racist church as per its own writings in the book or mormons. Bowing to pressure it allowed “black” men to be ordained as priests in 1978. So three yeas ago the LDS finally got un-racisted by decree. Wow, I am impressed. That speaks highly as to the value of “black” words on white paper.
Prior to 2013 the official doctrine of the church was that a dark skin was a sign of god’s curse, while a white skin a sign of his blessing. Now racism does not get any better than that.
The moral of the story is that there is none. One’s belief, here today gone tomorrow. Religions are like the wind, they blow hot and cold as they please; so as the wind blows we find discrimination, killings, wars, assassinations, the inquisition, the crusades, genocide of indigenous peoples, drone assassinations, agent orange, napalm, stuxnet, the nuclear bomb, Trump, etc. as religions stand by denying, supporting or sticking their heads in the tar sands of Alberta to avoid the shame and hide their hypocrisy.
January 30, 2017 at 12:14 pm
You see us as liars. Why?
February 1, 2017 at 1:54 pm
No. I suspect Joseph Smith was sociopathic. It appears that he lied to get what he wanted but may also taken pleasure in the process of fabrication itself. But I think most Mormons earnestly believe what they say they believe.
Leigh says:
February 5, 2017 at 11:11 am
I have read most of this article. I have been LDS all my life and have studied church history for many years. I realize that those who are not LDS would not really want to understand the gospel or the history as a active LDS would. The problem I have is that no matter the intentions one has as a critic they never seem to get the understanding right. There is always misinformation. Most I believe is not intentional but those that read it it becomes truth and no matter how much it has LDS correct it Otis never believed. If you want a true representation of beliefs include a LDS person. Perhaps a point counter point.
batphink says:
February 9, 2017 at 5:03 pm
Joseph Smith was insane obviously,when one claims to have seen and interacted with an angel,it;s a pretty sure bet that you are nuts.
February 16, 2017 at 10:12 am
I am a Baptist-LDS kind of guy. I am LDS pioneer stock but spent 20 years in the baptist world. When I considered a trip back to the LDS world I began a massive study of everything I could find LDS. The Language of the southwest Indians contains root words that are ancient Hebrew, This was verified by Israeli Scholars in Israel. They have no axe to grind so they agreed to check out the linguists work. In Manchester KY is a giant ancient rock that fell off into the road it has 7 ancient languages on it and it has been verified as really old. Its currently in a city park. It has been proven twice that a boat coming from the middle east will be thrown into south america simply due to the ocean currents. OH and they sailors nor the sponsors were LDS nor were they aiming for South america. Its now a common belief there have been many migrantions into the Americas both north and south. Michigan has lots of copper mines and a great many ancient small mines. There is a theory that the Phonecians came and got the copper and sold it back into Europe as no one knows where all teh copper came from the bronze age. If you have a copper mnine you never tell where it is ya know.
I have a book written by a professor who spent his young life in south america working. His pass time was collecting evidence for the BoM. Its his masters thesis. I have read talks from main stream Christianity pastors telling them that they are falling behind and the Mormons just dont quit with their archaeology and work to prove they are right. The end of the article says if they dont get busy then they will lose. So if the pastors and such are worried about the Mormons taking over it can only be for one reason. They will be out of a job as you cant make a living being LDS and preaching. So Im the LDS guy who has studied and done his home work. if I had to classify the LDS belief system I would say it was very very primitive and strives to remain so. Its much older than the Trnity which was decided based on a bunch of people and was very politically motivated. Does the Trinity save me? Not in the least, my old Pastor whom I still love told me once “We would gladly give up everything we know about God to learn what we dont know.” So it is will all religions we are simply doing the best we can with what we have today. Key word today. That’s the way every one is even Prophets. OH and the ancient egyptian scrolls of whats left is miniscule compared to what there was originally. By all eyewitness accounts is was 13-15ft long and was written on both sides I am told.
Oh and lets get busy with Hugh Nibley too, now that guy was respected by all scholars and they could never understand why he stayed with the LDS system.
March 15, 2017 at 12:27 pm
Ranger Bob. Like many others, you have this hypothesis that the claims of Mormonism are true. You have obviously even investigated the evidence from various sources. Under experimental conditions (e.g., your study), you believe your observations to contain truth But, just because some of your conclusions may have kernels of truth (which I find debatable), that does not make your hypothesis or model to be true. If experimental evidence that is beyond doubt goes against your hypothesis or model, then your evidence is discarded. In every one of your examples you leave out pertinent information that completely proves that piece of evidence to be either a non-sequitur or irrelevant to the overall hypothesis. Hard scientific evidence proves the BOM is not historically authentic and the conditions described in it historically fantastic. Good luck in your ongoing study. Incidentally, you might want to investigate the many Mormon archaeologists who could read Egyptian who left the Mormon church before Mormon authorities handed Hugh Nibley (who could not read Egyptian) the Book of Abraham papyri to translate. And, he is not respected by all scholars.
March 15, 2017 at 7:29 am
Learn more, correct your mistakes, and recognise that others think your beliefs to be strange.
March 24, 2017 at 6:10 pm
I was forced to join in a group home called paradise pines ranch deer park wa. at age 15 ..the phony prophet Joseph with fake gold tablets and sooth sayer crap hat or rock was a fraud from day one ..34 years later I move to same area (springdale wa. ) and presto . run into shepherds way phony dog and horse rescue fraud animal starvers thieves crooks scammers ..guess what ? Bundy’s main ex gaurd pops up with more Mormon crap as most Bundy’s are moron Mormon with their phony prophet ..I will prove it now ..jonah terms 1982-1984 ..look up robert Christerson on g + you will see I am not lieing ..and their prophet was always a fraud ..amen in christ on jonah terms twice in new testement written…
Todd Farnworth says:
April 22, 2017 at 3:08 pm
I read this article to see what others are saying about Mormons. I’m a Mormon. This article does not describe the church that I belong to. It is intentionally negative and unbalanced. Reader beware! The facts are much different than these clever authors would steer you to believe. Ask a Mormon to tell you what they believe; don’t trust this article for your source of information! I am a medical doctor, therefore educated. I have a scientific background, therefore am used to critical thinking. I believe in the verasity of the history of the Church. Anyone can write an article that could make the Church seem strange. But the Church I love is not given a fair hearing in this article.
April 26, 2017 at 5:43 pm
Yes, all pieces of evidence you stated were true. Every one was a complete fact. I know this, for I have studied Mormon history intensely. The only problem I find with your arguments is that they are not central parts to the LDS religion and aren’t discrediting any information that Mormon’s believe are “central to salvation.” Therefore there is no proof against the central doctrine of the Church and/or what its members stand for.
John says:
June 11, 2017 at 8:40 pm
A bunch of these are things the church is very open about. In fact, they send missionaries out to teach these things. The bolded text anyways, not the opinions under them.
David says:
September 17, 2017 at 6:31 pm
These sites are interesting to read but do you know what they leave out????? What is the church we should join? Funny how this is always silent as if to say, as long as you are not a crazy Mormon then do whatever you want. However you never see the author say, a better place to go to church is _______. Why???? Because every religion has imperfect people with quirks. What to talk about the history of the Catholic church, that should be fun! Baptists or Methodists are good faiths too but if you move down the street the next church will possibly vary in their beliefs. How can a faith differ so much from town to town? Non-denominations are an oxymoron and seem to basically have 5 bible verses they constantly quote but no understanding of doctrine besides just being saved. Atheistism is a religion, I mean have you ever seen a more dogmatic group of like minded followers? If all religion is bogus then why do you get so upset about a nativity and other people “wasting” their time. I’m really not trying to be critical, I’m just saying the author lobs stones but I never see where they are claiming an individual should attend to help them to closer to Christ. It’s a lot easier to lob stones at someone else’s glass house when you won’t tell me your address, am I right?
October 30, 2017 at 11:07 am
I wrote a long script once that could easily have been accepted by any reader as ‘truth’. Of course it was all made up. I wanted to write a book. The thing is, Mormons and especially myself believe that Joseph Smith didn’t write the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, or the Doctine and Covenants. The Lord, Jesus Christ did. Every scripture in these books and the Bible were inspired revealed words directly from the Savior. The words translated from biblical writings were handed down and copied for generations. Some, would have easily misread or misquoted passages while making copies. That Book of Mormon wasn’t changed.
The thing is, ” he said this”. “They said that”. “The rumor is this” . ” The rumor is that”. “He said that that one guy said that the other guy was sure that they heard that…..” isn’t conducive to the real truth of the actual circumstances. Any enemy of a person can make false accusations and print them as truth. Read BOTH sides if you are inclined to believe nonsense. And pray about it.
Truth is righteous. Truth is uplifting. Truth is fulfilling.
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November 27, 2017 at 2:24 am
I “Grazed by the LDS faith when I was a teenager, mom went back to the church from her hippy ways. Yeah, I’m that old, I then married a young Baptist Calvinist for 20 yrs. When she lost her mind and left me with 3 kids to raise I went back to the church, but with a microscope of study. I am VERY THANKFUL FOR MY BAPTIST years it was EXTREMELY rigorous in a study. I continue to study the LDS beliefs and all ancient religious history. I do not have time to go through a response to the above article, I will tell you that it’s at best and I am being charitable here at best a low flying look above the trees. As you would expect in such an endeavor the ability to study field mice on the ground would be shall we say somewhat limited at best.
December 23, 2017 at 5:25 am
It’s all very hilarious if it weren’t so sad – personally I don’t have time for ANY of the Jewish cults, including Christianity and all it’s little offshoots. People are so credulous, wanting to shift responsibility to an imaginary father figure, and wanting to be forgiven by that same figure. Weird. Take your own responsibility, and forgive yourself – you are your best critic if you allow it. Don’t blame imaginary friends, and don’t rely on them either. Rely on yourself.
Certainly don’t rely on a well known con-artist who purports to have had revelations from God. Pity his nuttiness, and move along.
February 21, 2018 at 8:44 pm
I think this is all a very big waste of time
the snuggler says:
February 23, 2018 at 12:20 pm
Wow you people are pretty sad to be using partial truths and twisting things and just straight up fake facts as well to turn others away from the Gospel…I think it tells the rest of us something about what’s going in your lives that you came here to disgrace something you don’t even understand just because you’ve never tried to gain a testimony of Jesus Christ…I’m sorry that living a worthy life is too much for most of you, but you should just recognize that that’s a personal problem instead of thinking “oooooh look I’ve found this random piece of church history that I can twist and change to make sound it bad…now I feel justified in claiming to be ‘atheist’ just so I don’t have to try to restrain myself when necessary or live a decent life”
Well keep that “justification” to yourself next time, and don’t pick on us, we’ll try and teach you again when you’re in spiritual prison
John Cunningham says:
March 5, 2018 at 6:29 pm
They are Christ like…
Jesus was charged and killed by the Roman government for sedition, sorcery, insurrection, idolatry and treason. ..
March 14, 2018 at 9:21 am
Mormon theology is pagan and polytheistic and as fictionally melodramatic as Greek mythology. The ultimate destiny of every worthy Mormon elder who makes to the highest degree of Mormon heaven, exaltation, is to become Mormon heavenly father-gods, with a capital G, with their wives, who will become Mormon heavenly mother-goddesses, with a capital G, and do everything that their Mormon heavenly father, and his heavenly mother-goddess did, which includes creating an earth, and billions of spirit children to include a first-born son who will be the savior of that world just like the Mormon Jesus. For every Mormon elder there will be a savior-Jesus procreated in the perpetual cycle of Mormon godhood, which the Mormon Church now calls “deification.” Brigham Young stated in 1865 that, “there are as many Gods as there are stars, and as many saviors as there are Gods.” If you don’t believe me, here is the smoking gun proof from “Lesson 21-Man May Become like God,” from the 1984 LDS Melchizedek Priesthood Personal Study Guide, “Search These Commandments” which was the last 20th Century published affirmation and veneration of Joseph Smith, Jr.’s 1844 King Follett Discourse and Mormon Prophet Lorenzo Snow’s refinement of it in the late 1890s. http://richkelsey.org/lesson21.html The most dramatic expose of Mormon real Mormon theology was the 1877 book by Edward Tullidge, “Women of Mormondom.” which was dedicated to Eliza R. Snow and blessed by the Mormon Prophet Brigham Young in 1877, just before his death. The drama of Mormon polytheistic goddess-hood is detailed dramatically and fictionally as REAL Mormon theology in the book! http://www.gutenberg.org/files/54335/54335-h/54335-h.htm
Trey Reed says:
April 16, 2018 at 1:37 pm
Don’t believe everything you read. Any website (like this one) tells things in a skewed point of view. A lot of things mentioned here are either taken out of context or are completely false. Yes, certain things are true and might seem screwy, but you need a basic understanding before you can learn and understand more advanced things in the gospel. Like the Bible says, “line upon line, precept upon precept”. There are good people in every religion and bad ones too, that doesn’t mean Mormons are bad people, it means they are human. Unless you are part of the religion and really dive into it, you shouldn’t judge and assume. Do more research. Read both sides of the story and especially read the Book of Mormon with a true intent and not just to scrutinize. Then you can make your comments.
April 16, 2018 at 2:26 pm
Ah, milk before meat.
There are definitely good people in all religions, and I have known some very kind, honest, generous Mormons. There are also very kind, honest, generous people who are not religious. My own tendency, given the contents of Abrahamic religion, is to suspect that people are decent and good in spite of their religion, not because of it.
June 30, 2018 at 11:44 am
Though I read the Book of Mormon forty times in four years, and know what the book says and does not say, it is not intellectual knowledge of why I know it is true, and is the word of God, and another testimony, like the Bible, that Jesus is the Christ. Therefore, I know this because of my personal revelation by the Holy Ghost! First, I know we have a Heavenly Father, who is literally our Father, and His Son Jesus Christ, is the Savior of the world. Also, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s true church on earth today. Additionally, the Holy Spirit has revealed to me that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith indeed had a vision of the Father and Son in 1820 and he was given commandments to restore the Lord’s Church back upon the earth, as there was a “falling away” of truth as the Apostle Paul prophesied. Any historian knows of the facts of the Spanish (Catholic) Inquisition and the Protestant Reformation, therefore, a need to “restore.” BUT it is not only this, but the fact that when my mother and father were getting divorced when i was a teenager, that I had the experience of praying, with a faith to move mountains, for three hours, that I parted the veil, and the Lord spoke to me in a man’s voice and simply said, “Ronnie, everything will be OK.” At this moment, a feeling which puny words cannot describe came upon me, and yes, since that moment, I have never had one worrisome thought about the divorce. But this “visitation” did not stick unfortunately, it was not until years later, when I was twenty-four years of age (1984) after an accident, and read the Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball, and when I read, the book had at the top of the page the name “Ronnie” followed by a comma, and then the content. I read it in a day or two, and then the Book of Mormon in three days too, that I began to truly desire to repent. But also a few days later, the devil came to stop my progression; therefore, the Lord sent an Angel of the Lord to me, in the form of a man, standing just above me in the air and said, “Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord,” and other commandments such as, “I would die soon if I did not repent,” and other counsel, thus, I repented of my then rebellious behavior, and returned to church the on April Easter. I know that “spiritual experiences” do not necessarily convert souls; however, I bear humble testimony that these experiences indeed happened for me, so my “faith is swallowed up in a perfect knowledge” of some eternal truths. I do not have any bitter feelings to those who have either purposely lied or ignorantly lied on this page, and leave all judgement unto the Lord God. BUT I leave all with this, “Every head shall bow, and every tongue confess, that Jesus is the Christ.” In his sacred and holy name, even Jesus Christ. Amen
June 30, 2018 at 2:13 pm
Those are indeed powerful experiences, and experiences like these are what binds believers to each religion.
Tom says:
August 19, 2018 at 8:59 pm
If there really was an “all powerful” God who wanted human kind to “know” him/her, then there is one basic inescapable conclusion that any rational person would have to reach:
ALL the stories about, and “teachings” from, God should be the SAME all over the world.
And yet, every corner of the world seems to have different stories and different teachings.
Furthermore, all Judeo/Christian religions include the book of Genesis as one of those “truths”, and yet on the FIRST PAGE of the book of Genesis it says that PLANTS were created on day 3, and the SUN/MOON/STARS (“two great lights/luminaries”) were created on day 4. The notion that plants existed BEFORE the sun did is absolutely illogical.
What more needs to be said?
August 20, 2018 at 7:42 pm
Dear kimberly the thing is that it is a act the lds play on being this kind and helpful people to the general public but like the article said they are allowed to use deception and lie to the gentiles that is what they call all non lds members isnt strange through that you have a. child of 17. Saying he saw god in a field and god told him all churches were corrupt and they confess with thier mouths but their hearts were far from god and all christianity was a joke according to the lds church
The anabaptist movement of the 1500”s
The wesley brothers who started the methodist church in the 1700”s
They and all the other reformationist fathers got it all wrong sounds a bit fantastic of events
I dont think campbell or stone the first restoration theologians who came up with the same thing
Whom joe smith borrowed the whole restoration idea from ever condemed all of christianity to promote
Their theology view
October 2, 2018 at 11:25 am
And how did Joe Smith find all this info from the woods of NY at the age of 14?
August 20, 2018 at 7:55 pm
Valarie experiences and emotion have nothing to do with truth
A mormon missionary plays upon that for prospective convert
To appeal to their emotions and experiences
They will tell to read the book of mormon and if it is correct
I then say if you get a burning in the bosom after praying if the bom is correct
Then should i pray for a burning in the bosom to tell me if cheating stealing and lying is correct
No because god instilled man with comoon sense of what is right or wrong i do not need to pray
If something is true or false then the missionary will bear his testimony that the bom is true
And the lds church is the true church and joseph smith was a real prophet of god all memorized
Script they are taught if confronted by those they will not listen to and agree with thier thelogy
Ask a missionary why the numbers of missionaries use to be twice as many years ago as their are
Currently because they are not converting as many people as they did years ago the opposite is true more people are leaving the lds church then coming into their church
They just wont admit it to the general public
October 2, 2018 at 11:23 am
LDS missionaries are simply boys out of high school, nothing more. How many of your kids have you sent off to serve God for two years, oh thats right you do do that don’t you and you pay them 100K to do it for life. Pretty good gig for the right person huh? LDS do it at their own expense, live on 35.00 a week and NO ONE gets paid for anything in the church ministry. Yet they still grow and they have I think 85K missionaries in the field at any given moment. When a hurricane hit Haiti who was there first? The LDS with money and food via that other cult called the Catholic church. Go do some open minded research on the Book of Mormon and how it is constructed etc and tell me how one guy wrote it in less than 2 months and the Lord of the rings was 30years in the making and nowhere near as complex. Now with computer word printing, we can tell who wrote something based on their word choices etc. Mark Twain published some works under a fake name to see if it was his work or his name that sold the books. Now we know that it was Twain who wrote it. The Book of Mormon contains 55 Separate voices in it, none of them are Joseph Smiths way of writing not his scribe or even his wife.
October 1, 2018 at 11:33 pm
Very sadly, I posted an anti-Mormon meme on facebook for one of my daughters to see…I made a mistake and posted it on her timeline, not privately…my nephew, Joel Pieper, saw it and he is a Mormon….he decided to punish me and now I cannot see in person or on facebook pictures of my three grandchildren he adopted with his Mormon wife, Krissy Pieper. So sad. I don’t hate them, I hate their cult religion that will send them to hell….as for my grandchildren they adopted, all I can do is pray for them, which I do everyday. What a sad, nasty cult they are in…I am saved, so all I really can do is pray for the grandchildren: Cassie, Emma and Luke.
October 2, 2018 at 10:54 am
I am truly sad for you Arla, I would not cut anyone off from family, the LDS faith is all about families and getting along with everyone. Now, this doesn’t t mean there aren’t some jackasses in the barnyard by any means but I do know the LDS don’t teach casting anyone off from seeing kiddos especially the really cute ones. I currently hold dual citizenship in the Reformed Baptist and LDS worlds. I am genetically LDS from Nauvoo Illinois, my family is all LDS. I spent the first 20 years of adulthood in the Baptist world. I learned a tremendous amount from the Pastor about theology and church history, John Calvin, Martin Luther etc. When I decided to give the LDS faith a true inspection I had 20 years of serious theological teaching behind me. What I found was a church that had truly restored ancient concepts lost between Jesus death and the modern day. My research has been going on now for about 11 years. No, it doesn’t come from the LDS church. it comes from various sources of archaeology and even other faiths, The current “Christian” movement is lead by men who have been taught by men who have been taught by men who sat and argued over the exact substance of God. Does this save me more or less? In the end, it is simply the opinions of men. “The inerrancy of scripture is an excuse for lazy people” this is what the rest of Christianity accepts and clings to. Mankind is much like a horse that would rather stay on the barn as do some real work. Handing some one the inerrency of scrpipture is akin to Trust me I know what I’m doing here” What that quote means is that in order to truly know whether scripture is true or not each person should get it out and wrestle with it until they understand it. Also, I saw a Muslim man from the middle east ask what is a Bible? Various faiths have varying books in their bible. He simply asked which one is correct? which one is true? How many Books were omitted from the Bible way back when? Since the finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls (LDS have been very big on this project of cleaning and translating them) many Books have come to light that were lost to history yet they were excluded from the current KJV. If one is to cast out the LDS as not being a Christian one must define what Christian is and what scripture is to be used. Then one must be very careful someone doesn’t cast you out as not being Christian due to your baptism beliefs, or you view of infant baptism. Let’s not forget Baptism for the dead which Paul had no problem with and was practiced for 400 years before the Catholic Church banned it, to gain more control over the people in my opinion. In the end can you tell me why we came here to this eart?
December 23, 2018 at 9:41 am
The fact that you think Mormon religion will them to hell for them believing different than you tells me that you are as wrong as Mormons. When other religions try to prove Mormons wrong based on their religious beliefs it just exposes the weakness of their religion too. I’m not saying Mormons are right but they aren’t going to hell any more than the rest of Christians. Mormonism does not have a monopoly on untrue beliefs.
Mary says:
December 6, 2018 at 4:01 am
One thing ppl do not say here is, what if we could pick apart the lives of our past prophets in the KJV? One thing I read many times was how many did not think they were even worthy. I don’t think it is wise to pick apart their lives to find judgement. I think we should base our beliefs on facts, knowledge, and the pursuit of happiness. So far the dna thing can be tossed off and said that what tribe were they testing? It’s not fair to say all native Americans came from mongoloids. Many of the ancient tribes of the Americas are mixed and nearly extinct. Did they test every nation? Then the racist stuff, geez I’m not even going to go into how many southern churches…..lol it’s not in our doctrine today. And the papyri, according to church leaders, said it’s a correction. I researched. I asked questions. Truth is you can say we are idiots, that we are going to hell, but those ppl you claim as doctrine in the Bible aren’t any better than you or I or even JS. Do we feel the spirit? Yes. And quite honestly I’ve never felt more strongly than when I prayed with mormons. Does the Bible ask u to go on faith? BoA ask you to go on faith?yes so y are we pulling apart these ppl? Who the heck knows what god could have in store for us tmrw. Worry about yourself. Those prophets in the Bible had a ton of wives and concubines! Abraham himself! So we condemn it bc it’s not what we practice now?
I’ll be honest I’ve had a hard time drinking the koolaid. But every time I find stuff knocking it, I find stuff to restore it. Once ppl have a faith it’s very hard to shirk it. If it isn’t true then how do we feel that spirit? Why?
December 6, 2018 at 6:22 pm
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and musings. Let me address just the last little bit. It turns out that there are now rather solid naturalistic explanations for that powerful experience of feeling the spirit, which occurs in a number of religions and spiritual practices. My videos about cognitive science and Christianity delve into this a bit, as does Andy Thomson’s book, “Why We Believe in Gods.” (His video that inspired the book is available on Youtube.)
Mary says:
December 7, 2018 at 9:02 pm
Thank you I have been looking everywhere for that! I would try and research the science behind the feeling but never got anywhere. Truth is I was born in Mormonism. And I always said if it’s wrong then, I just can’t even be a Christian. Honestly I think many are afraid to find out if it is wrong. Knowledge is pain. The thought of being lied to is sad. I’m still researching but I will let you know my conclusions after I read and watch.
Mary says:
December 7, 2018 at 11:32 pm
Again I thank you so much for the thought and information. These are my findings. Just because someone told me to search ponder and pray, that I will know by a burning in my heart is not going to make me feel that feeling. I don’t think you understand my question. I asked what is the science behind this feeling. Why do I feel the burn? So much sometimes it engulfs my entire chest. That’s a feeling, not a thought ma’am. Just because you want to be warm when it’s cold outside isn’t going to make you feel the heat and warmth if there is no heater.
I feel I may never know the real answer here. I’ve searched a long time to disprove this feeling because I’d really like to be able to feel good about doing bad things lolololol. The only thing that I have found that gives me this feeling is the spirit. The church tells everyday what it is, yet a scientist and a doctor of psychiatry can’t tell me why I’m feeling this.
I’m a mri imaging specialist, I’d love to get a hold of that functional mri study that shows what ppl are thinking when introduced thoughts of religion.
For everyone else that reads this. Do your own research. If you feel like I do and you just can’t explain that feeling I beg you to keep searching and if I’m wrong please show me! I wanna know what the heck that is from a science stand point.
December 23, 2018 at 9:16 am
The problem with this article is that it is 20 % inaccurate. Like many other anti Mormon literature, all of the information gets thrown out because part of it is untrue. While I agree with most of the article, it would do more good if it was more accurate or better sourced. For example, Mormons don’t believe God the father lived in this earth. They believe he had a mortal experience in times past. Joseph had plutal wives bit the number is grossly exaggerated. Emma and Joseph’s ritual to get the plates is not ducmented anywhere. Stick to the facts that are documented and you will do more good in you efforts to disclose truth.
January 14, 2019 at 5:45 pm
1. How many teenagers and women do you think Smith talked into illicit unions with him? Mormon historian Todd Compton, who wrote In Sacred Loneliness, says there’s good evidence Smith entered into illicit unions (not Compton’s words) with at least 33 women, with Emma being his only wife.
Other scholars put the number as high as 40 or 50. As per Compton, one-third were between fourteen and twenty years of age. Another third were lawfully married, and some of the husbands served as witnesses at their own wife’s polyandrous union with Smith.
Also, in entering into these illicit unions with these teenagers and women, Smith disobeyed the revelation he said God gave him about polygamy. Conveniently, Smith’s revelation doesn’t seem to contain any punishment for Smith disobeying God, but if Emma disobeyed – and she did – she would “be destroyed.”
That part of his revelation didn’t come to pass. Could his “revelation” have been merely a way to have access to sex with lots of women and keep Emma quiet about it?
2. Where do Mormons believe God lived as a man?
General Authority Milton R. Hunter wrote:
Mormon prophets have continuously taught the sublime truth that God the Eternal Father was once a mortal man who passed through a school of earth life similar that through which we are now passing (The Gospel Through the Ages, 1945, p 104).
Kyle Kohler says:
December 30, 2018 at 5:06 pm
You fail to realize personal revelation. Although your article may be logical, without revelation confirmed time, and time again, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints teaches true doctrine; I can testify of this, and hope one day, you will be curious enough to engage in thoughtful prayer with our Heavenly Father to be confirmed of the same
January 6, 2019 at 1:24 pm
All revealed religions rely on the same kind of “revelation,” the same kind of subjective evidence, and each persuades a great number of earnest truth seekers that they have the found the One Way. If a certain kind of evidence can lead to many different worldviews, then it isn’t actually evidence for any of them. It is evidence instead regarding the nature of the human psyche and persuasion–why and how we are so able to believe devoutly once we go down a certain thought path.
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Virtuous says:
February 10, 2019 at 11:41 am
Half of this is false. Black people were not cursed. This means black as in literal black. Like the color of this text black. Also, polygamy was once apart of the church but we have received revelation that we should no longer practice it. You shouldn’t go posting garbage like this. Especially since it’s not true. Go to church. At least we don’t go around saying things like “Buddhists are dumb because they believe in this and that” we have our beliefs like other religions.
February 27, 2019 at 2:51 pm
historical “Man/God/Ism…
And still humans believe the
Rituals each time they hear
Ian says:
March 16, 2019 at 1:45 pm
Since none of the sources for the ‘information’ in this post are referenced, it is hard to determine where the truth begins or ends. I managed to track down one: “Naked Truths About Mormonism”, allegedly written in 1888, which contains the alleged affidavits from people who grew up with Joseph Smith (but there was no copy of the book available in Google Books, Archive.com or Project Gutenberg, so it is difficult to evaluate the tone or credibility of its author, who by all accounts was an anti-Mormon ‘crusader’.). Since Joseph Smith was born in 1805, this would have made these informants (if they had actually existed) around 83 years old in the late 19th century at the time they made their affidavits. This in itself is possible but hardly credible, but this evidence is questionable for four reasons. Firstly, it is hardly a representative sample of people who grew up with Joseph Smith so we don’t know what biases are inherent in this ‘sample’. It also means that the vast majority of people that Smith grew up with were dead, so on the one hand, anyone who held a contrary view was probably not around to express it nor was anyone around who could have questioned whether these ‘witnesses’ ever actually knew Joseph Smith. Finally, at that age in that era, you would have to wonder about the accuracy of their memories and the extent to which having lived through 50 years of anti-Mormon propaganda they weren’t affected by False Memory Syndrome and conflated what they could actually remember with the propaganda they had heard.
The author of this article mentions “Lying for the Lord” but given that anti-Mormons had no problem with massacring Mormons including women and children, why wouldn’t they also be willing to manufacture their own “Lies for the Lord”? So you might reasonably compare “Naked Truths About Mormonism” with anti-Semites and the bogus “Protocols of the Elders of Zion”.
A lot of the other items on the list have been previously debunked decades ago (and on Google Books you can find books which do so.) But the thing I find particularly annoying is the idea that Mormons ‘conceal’ their true doctrines. Unless someone is EXTRAORDINARILY lazy, what Mormons believe is readily accessible on the Internet, you can read excerpts from Mormon books in Google Books and so on. You can get copies of their teaching publications on their website. And as a conversion strategy it would not be particularly effective since any convert who suddenly found out that what Mormons ‘really’ believed was radically different from what they had been told up front, would be perfectly free to leave the LDS Church and probably would.
I’m not a Mormon, but as a critical thinker, what I find disturbing is the number of people who have posted here who didn’t even bother to think critically about what was being said or to do any investigation themselves but simply blindly believed what confirmed their prejudices. It’s what I call ‘epistemic laziness’ and is one the prime intellectual sins of our age.Gullibility isn’t a virtue.
March 25, 2019 at 1:22 pm
As I read through the list of the criticisms at the beginning of this site my thought on each one that I went through was that they were either false, misleading, and/or partially true. I wondered what type of half baked education the person had who wrote that initial post. Then I read that others here are who posted accused members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of being uneducated. Then I read that the educated stay in The Church of Jesus Christ because they went to BYU!!! Amazing, absolutely amazing!!! I attend The Church of Jesus Christ with a number of members who have their undergraduate degrees and graduate degrees from all over the world. There are four universities in this area. Local LDS members that I see each have their degrees from the University of Alexandria in Egypt, Cornell, BYU, Long Island University, UC Berkeley, Stanford, the Air Force and Naval Academy and other illustrious as well as not so well known institution of higher learning. Me? I have my degrees from Southern Illinois University. I never took a class at BYU. I think some people need to rethink their biases and take a course in logic.
April 28, 2019 at 11:48 am
The one dead give away to the Mormons is that they can never substantiate their beliefs.. Questioning them about their beliefs or how they justify their claims is always met with defensiveness and redirection to ” Other religions”… While Other Christian religions will point to the bible as their source, and find passage and verse to support their beliefs and although for instance the Protestants disagree with the Catholics, they do not take personally the attack, also,I have yet had an explanation as to how a war that claimed 230k casualties in up state New York can leave no trace of evidence. When asked, Mormons will take offense. When confronted about their inconsistencies, they fall back on personal testimony and defensiveness, instead of bringing Historical facts and Archeological evidence. The bible can be validated by Historical facts, supported by overwhelming archeological evidence and Scholars .. I just wonder why the BoM cannot, and why Members take such offense to this fact.. feeling personally offended when asked about the beliefs of your religion is a sure sign that your religion cannot stand the stress test that is needed to validate it’s claims. It would be an oddity that a protestant felt personally attacked if they were questioned about Martin Luther writing his 95 points on reformation in the 1500’s, thus causing the protestants to leave Catholicism.. They certainly would either tell the story, and back it up with historical undisputed fact, and leave the issue to stand or fall on it’s own merit, or they would shrug and say they didnt know… but I seriously doubt it would be taken as a personal attack..
Perhaps the personal frustration is when history contradicts their timeline and chain of events.. It’s fine to believe in yourself becoming a God… But the path to get there must not contradict historical fact..
By that I mean, you cannot make Christian claims that were not even around before Christianity. There was no baptism, or Church of Christ before Christianity You cannot claim God spoke to your Prophet in 1978 to magically accept Blacks into the priesthood, when CLEARLY your history shows an aversion towards blacks..I believe it was The Mormon president Kimball that was approached By US President Carter, and told of Federal discriminatory lawsuit threats if ” something didnt change”
Truth is sometimes so hard to take.
Ian says:
May 24, 2019 at 6:06 pm
I’m not a Mormon, but you raise two points that should be addressed.
Firstly, as the old saying goes “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence’. Take the Exodus. It is a pivotal event of the Bible, referred to in not only Torah, but in the Psalms and Prophets and in the New Testament. Yet there is zero physical evidence that it ever occurred. There is no written record from any of the neighboring ancient peoples that between 4 million and 6 million people wandered around for 40 years in the wilderness followed by a mass invasion of Canaan nor any physical evidence that it occurred. And contemporary archaeological and genetic evidence would suggest that it never happened. So based on your argument, should we cease to believe in the accuracy of the Bible and as a result cease to be Christians? I personally still believe that it happened regardless of the lack of evidence, and I would extend the same right to believe to my Mormon brethren. Whether or not evidence is preserved is surely in the hands of God. ( Note that there is physical evidence that the Trojan War occurred which to a limited extent vindicates Homer’s Iliad – but that in itself doesn’t prove that the Greek Gods exist or that the supernatural events recorded in the Iliad occurred.)
Secondly, both Luther and Calvin were racist, with a virulent hatred of the Jews. Does this lead you to disbelieve the rest of what they taught? Or more recently, the whole reason the Southern Baptist Convention exists is that they broke with the rest of the Baptist church over the issue of slavery. And in fact it is only in the last 12 months that they have issued a formal apology to African Americans over the historic stance of their church. Historically, the membership of the Ku Klux Klan has been drawn entirely from Protestants (since the apart from African Americans, the KKK hate both Jews and Catholics.) So given the historic record of the Protestant churches, do you think they have a right to sling mud at the Mormons? Note that Joseph Smith was pro-Jewish and not anti-African and the Mormon church has never denied actual membership to any race; the priesthood was denied to African Americans, however the reasons for this is unclear since Mormons claim that neither the Book of Mormon nor the Doctrines and Covenants, nor any other writings of Joseph Smith made this formal position of the church.
I believe the Bible to be true but I also believe that churches generally teach many things that are not clearly taught in the Bible (e.g. the Trinity wasn’t a Christian doctrine for the first three centuries of Christianity; that doesn’t mean that it isn’t true but it certainly raises serious doubts unless you accept the Catholic teaching on tradition.) So to that extent the Mormons are right: no contemporary church teaches what the first Christians believed.
Jr silk says:
July 29, 2019 at 2:29 am
If it makes us better human beings, who cares if it’s right or wrong. That’s who God is, the good in all things.
John novak says:
September 5, 2019 at 6:23 pm
I have done extensive research on Mormonism
Besides the wacky claim.that native Americans are descendents of Hebrews
That inhabitants live on the moon and the sun
That god lived on a star named Kolob
The denial of the doctrine of the trinity
The garden of eden was located in Missouri
Adam is god and took one of his wives into garden and conceived Jesus just like any ordinary baby
That their is no hell
But three heavens the celestial the terrestrial and whatever the other one is called
The belief in being married for all eternity in a temple doing Masonic type rituals
And wearing undergarments that are to protect the wearers
The despising of the cross
The false claims found in the Book of Mormon
The claim the lds church is the true church and all other churches are false
all these wacky things the lds church teaches proves they are wacky and a cult
Susan says:
September 7, 2019 at 5:59 am
Ok, can you please tell me where you got this information, because many of the things you said are false. For example, Adam is God. I don’t know where you got this, but we do not believe this. We despise of the cross??? Where did you get this? We do not despise it by any means. Also where did you get that we don’t believe Jesus wasn’t perfect, and he was just an ordinary baby?!? We do not believe that.
February 22, 2020 at 8:26 am
Most religions have controversy at their roots, I would say ‘all’ but Buddhism seems untouched (to me).
Certainly racism crops up in many, especially Hinduism (Indira springs to mind). It is also not PC to mention it, but the FBI crime statistics do seem to indicate something is amiss – whether that can be named a curse or not seems trivial to me.
Other forms of bigotry seem to be an intrinsic staple in Islam and if Jews are to be considered to be a race, well …. there are some parts of Islamic scripture which are frightfully negative on this point.
Judaism speaks harshly and punitively over gentiles.
Not that these examples are to constitute endorsement of such hard heartedness or sumpremacy.
Whilst divinity is pure and correct, the minute it enters the earthly real, where all is tested and oft distorted. Surely it is in the hands and hearts of those who think deeply about that which is right and wrong, who try their very best to commune with our Heavenly Father, iron out the creases in the perfect garments which were sewn without seam, but got a little creased when stepping into a less perfect realm.
And the same might be said of the prophets who were or became men. In stepping down to our level, they too became worldly and flawed.
Surely it is about intention and endeavor. About how brightly the spark of divinity burns and in the window of the soul; there to banish darkness yet even in its purity, bend with the wind and leave soot and smoke occasionally.
Even an evil encounter can bring one closer to God.
I have read all these points and considered them. I am still mightily impressed with Fundamental Mormons and still planning to go pray with them tomorrow for the first time; having asked God to bring me closer to his truth and love. For I have been in the desert for decades and I truly thirst.
Child of Gods says:
March 18, 2022 at 6:38 am
As a child brain-washed into the LDS religion, had no choice. As an adult, I have a choice. The LDS practices are indeed racist. We were not allowed to date or befriend, people of color. Black skin was the “Mark of Cain.” What a horrible thing to propagate. Children are forced to “Bear their Testimony” and are completely brain washed from birth as to what that “Testimony” is and what to say. Joseph Smith was a conman, I believe. According to “Eye witnesses” Joseph Smith was “a thief, a drunk, an amoral man and a liar.” If the LDS church is based on that, it will be a huge awakening for members when the “Truth” is revealed. We already know there are MANY species of hominid that did not survive over the last 300,000 years. Proof in Peru, Turkey, basically the whole Middle East.
I was lucky to have been adopted as an older child. I knew about the real world already. The brain washing didn’t take, but I don’t have a close family, because I emphatically refuse to succumb to their false teachings. It is sad. No bigger judgy group exists. Please, EDUCATE YOURSELF! Everything you need to know, is out there. Don’t be Sheeple. The True Bible stories are found, “inconveniently”, by a farmer. You Can’t Hide the Truth…
April 29, 2022 at 12:08 am
Never have I met a Mormon with a bad character, very pleasant, always looking towards the good, the positive, and that is all that matters to me as a muslim woman. Character matters, beliefs do not matter.
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If you’re interested in booking a Group Whitewater Rafting Trip near Girdwood, Alaska,
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Taking advantage of Alaska’s Sixmile Creek with Class I through Class V rapids, Flow AK can provide an unforgettable Group Whitewater Rafting Trip to help you maximize your time in Alaska. Whether you live here or just visiting The Last Frontier on vacation, there are very few options for adventure and exploration that can put a smile on your face quite like a river trip. It’s the thrill of a lifetime!
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Watch the natural world unfold itself before you as you glide along the upper sections of Sixmile creek. In the upper sections of sixmile creek we see bear, moose, beaver, bald eagles and many other interesting creatures. Your local guides will share their love of Alaska with you. This is generally a class I-II section. This trip is an appropriate trip for families of different ages and fitness abilities.
Exit Sixmile Creek and float into vast Turnagain arm. Float on this unique waterway for a few hours and watch for seals, eagles and bears. If you are extremely lucky a Beluga whale might swim by! Turnagain arm has the highest tidal range in the United States and the fourth highest in the world, come float this unique body of water with us. This trip is tidal dependent and as such start times vary daily, call us for timing. This class trip is an appropriate trip for families of different ages and fitness abilities.
Thank you thank you thank you!!! Such an amazing time. Bucketlist item for sure. Our guides, Ion and Mike were extremely experienced and made our group feel comfortable throughout the entirety of all the canyons. The gear is all new... Read MoreThank you thank you thank you!!! Such an amazing time. Bucketlist item for sure. Our guides, Ion and Mike were extremely experienced and made our group feel comfortable throughout the entirety of all the canyons. The gear is all new and kept me completely dry from neck all the way to my toes!!! Which I was shocked and grateful for. The scenery of this river is absolutely to die for. We saw many animals along our way, so not only did we raft class five rapids, we had a sightseeing tour as well! Ion knew the name of every bird and creek we passed. (Blown away at his ability on all levels.)
Will absolutely return again. Read Less
This is amazing!! Beautiful views, & nicest folks who run this small operation rafting company. Incredibly talented guides. Thank you Mike for giving us the best time on the rapids, and Jake for doing a great job on the other... Read MoreThis is amazing!! Beautiful views, & nicest folks who run this small operation rafting company. Incredibly talented guides. Thank you Mike for giving us the best time on the rapids, and Jake for doing a great job on the other raft! Scotty was fun to watch on the safety raft, and Brad took some awesome photos. As a past raft guide myself, I was super impressed by this company and how quickly they got us on the river. We didn’t have to wait around in the office for them to wrangle people together, they were efficient and got us right out there. And the way they navigated those Class V rapids was exciting yet safe. Couldn’t ask for anything better! Read Less
Such an epic time with this crew!
Level 5 can be a bit intimidating but Mike, Scotty and Jake make it so seamless!
The process of getting ready was quick, the instructions were straight forward and the water test was great to... Read MoreSuch an epic time with this crew!
Level 5 can be a bit intimidating but Mike, Scotty and Jake make it so seamless!
The process of getting ready was quick, the instructions were straight forward and the water test was great to get a feel of the water!
The whole ride down was way longer then expected and absolutely gorgeous! The first half of the ride is relaxing with some small rapids then the third section is where is where gets real fun!
Mike was so experienced and knew the river so well that we never came close to flipping and felt so safe!
The more you participate the better it is!
Out of lots of guided raft trips, this is so far the best I’ve had! The safest I’ve felt for the class of white water we ran. From the quaint and quite location of the outpost, to the relaxed pace... Read MoreOut of lots of guided raft trips, this is so far the best I’ve had! The safest I’ve felt for the class of white water we ran. From the quaint and quite location of the outpost, to the relaxed pace of the whole experience, I would recommend this to anyone interested in a very awesome and unique way to explore the gorgeous and otherwise inaccessible area. Read Less
Mike was our guide on the raft. He was awesome with safety and precautions without freaking us out. Talked about the land and the fish which our whole crew enjoyed and gave us the best splashes of the day! Hatter... Read MoreMike was our guide on the raft. He was awesome with safety and precautions without freaking us out. Talked about the land and the fish which our whole crew enjoyed and gave us the best splashes of the day! Hatter was the safety boat (I believe) and the guy that took our photos (name I cannot remember, sorry), they made the place feel like home. All of them gave a warm welcome and took us on a wild Alaska adventure! Very well put together and an extremely fun time. Read Less
This the best damn rafting company in Hope! They made a huge effort to let us join late. They also kept telling us we were the best rafting crew they had all afternoon. Seriously, pay attention to the safety briefings,... Read MoreThis the best damn rafting company in Hope! They made a huge effort to let us join late. They also kept telling us we were the best rafting crew they had all afternoon. Seriously, pay attention to the safety briefings, they kept us safe. We hold the distinction of being the first to flip the boat in 8 YEARS!!. So Much Fun!!! Dave from Mesa AZ Read Less
Gareth was our guide down six mile creek and absolutely crushed it. All the gear we used worked flawlessly. The guides were super fun and helpful. An amazing adrenaline rush shooting through the rapids. Also had some nice photos of... Read MoreGareth was our guide down six mile creek and absolutely crushed it. All the gear we used worked flawlessly. The guides were super fun and helpful. An amazing adrenaline rush shooting through the rapids. Also had some nice photos of us ripping down. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a wild, but great experience! Read Less
Flow AK was the best! This was my first time ever white water rafting and they made it a memorable, fun, and safe adventure. The guides are experienced and funny. It feels like you've known the guys your whole life.... Read MoreFlow AK was the best! This was my first time ever white water rafting and they made it a memorable, fun, and safe adventure. The guides are experienced and funny. It feels like you've known the guys your whole life. I highly recommend this trip to anyone looking for an alaskan experience. 6 mile creek couple with some amazing people is an unforgettable trip. Read Less
This is a first class outfit. Their guides are very experienced, super skilled, and delightfully funny. From beginning to the end, I knew I was trusting professionals to keep us safe in very turbulent waters while giving us the ride... Read MoreThis is a first class outfit. Their guides are very experienced, super skilled, and delightfully funny. From beginning to the end, I knew I was trusting professionals to keep us safe in very turbulent waters while giving us the ride of a lifetime. The water was quite high, so it was a fast and exciting trip, but our guide Scotty was incredibly skillful in guiding our raft through all the hard parts and making the best use of the passenger paddle power. The dry suits and other equipment are in terrific condition, and it is clear they have invested in creating a great reputation. It is obvious that the whole crew loves their work, and they are very attentive to making sure that every guest has a great experience. Read Less
I don’t normally post but this outfit is accommodating, experienced, professional - and fun! I was camping in Hope so it made it an easy add on to my trip but I’d honestly go out of my way to do... Read MoreI don’t normally post but this outfit is accommodating, experienced, professional - and fun! I was camping in Hope so it made it an easy add on to my trip but I’d honestly go out of my way to do a run even if my ultimate goal was Kenai, Seward, Cooper Landing, etc. My son and I had a blast and plan on hitting it again this summer. Practice using these words ahead of time “rowdy, gnarly, and stout”. Everyone I interacted with was super cool and enthusiastic. They had good and new gear too. Can’t say enough. Read Less
Incredible run on Wednesday June 15, 2022.... I've never experienced white water like that! Exhilarating and terrifying. The crew was exceptional - best training we've had and it was a good thing!! Devin and Hatter were awesome... Read MoreIncredible run on Wednesday June 15, 2022.... I've never experienced white water like that! Exhilarating and terrifying. The crew was exceptional - best training we've had and it was a good thing!! Devin and Hatter were awesome as our guides and Scotty - we love the bus! Read Less
Unreal experience today! After a change in our plans, Scotty got us stoked to join Flow AK!! Our guide, Devin, was awesome. We had never rafted but he gave great directions that made me feel safe and have an incredible... Read MoreUnreal experience today! After a change in our plans, Scotty got us stoked to join Flow AK!! Our guide, Devin, was awesome. We had never rafted but he gave great directions that made me feel safe and have an incredible time. I loved it and would recommend it to everyone!! Read Less
Absolutely ready to do it again once we finished. Thrilling as well and fun. Devin, our guide, was more excited than I after going through some of the rapids. The entire team worked expertly together and clearly... Read MoreAbsolutely ready to do it again once we finished. Thrilling as well and fun. Devin, our guide, was more excited than I after going through some of the rapids. The entire team worked expertly together and clearly love what they do whole heartedly. Done trips in Denali and the Kenai and this was the most fun and exciting not just in Alaska but any other state I've rafted in. Read Less
Celebrated my 31st rocking some class 5 rapids. Terrifying and thrilling. Highly recommend Flow AK, so friendly, an amazing group of guides + you’ll be supporting Alaska locals who are family focused. Felt super safe in their capable and experienced... Read MoreCelebrated my 31st rocking some class 5 rapids. Terrifying and thrilling. Highly recommend Flow AK, so friendly, an amazing group of guides + you’ll be supporting Alaska locals who are family focused. Felt super safe in their capable and experienced hands. Epic time - don’t miss out. Read Less
Flow AK is hands down the best! The operation is ran with a perfect balance of SAFE & FUN! My friends and I just celebrated a birthday party on the creek with these guys and it was one for the... Read MoreFlow AK is hands down the best! The operation is ran with a perfect balance of SAFE & FUN! My friends and I just celebrated a birthday party on the creek with these guys and it was one for the books! Book your trip now! Read Less
My husband and I went to Hope, AK with a group of friends to kayak 6 Mile Creek (a beautiful, classic and challenging river) last summer. Flow AK took our friends and family (who couldn't kayak) rafting down 6... Read MoreMy husband and I went to Hope, AK with a group of friends to kayak 6 Mile Creek (a beautiful, classic and challenging river) last summer. Flow AK took our friends and family (who couldn't kayak) rafting down 6 Mile. The guides and the experience was so awesome, and the trip was run so professionally. They had such a good experience in the first two 'easier' canyons, they decided to continue on through the last canyon, an exciting class V stretch. They were so glad they did! From the safety talk, to the practice swim, to the super nice drysuits they wore, to styling the rapids, Flow AK made our group's day and were a huge highlight of their entire trip to Alaska. I don't typically take time to write reviews, but I felt the need to share how great that experience was. I highly recommend this outfitter for anyone who wishes to have an incredible and memorable adventure on Six Mile Creek with an extremely professional river guiding and outfitting service. Read Less
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Have you ever met someone for whom you just feel a special kinship? You share easy conversation and perhaps have similar interests. As you spend more time with this friend, you discover you are willing to do anything for this person.
Jonathan was heir to the throne, and David was anointed to be the next king. This should have caused great division between these two young warriors, but instead, the two became fast friends. Jonathan would do anything for his friend, David, even give up his place as future king. Jonathan symbolized his honor for David by giving him all his possessions.
After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them…Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.
David mourned for his friend when he heard of Jonathan’s death in battle. When given the chance, David remembered the promises made to Jonathan and passed the blessing onto Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth.
“Don’t be afraid,” David said [to Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth], “I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father….”
The rewards to friendship are amazing. I encourage you to show yourself friendly towards others and gain friends. Remember to keep your promises, and guard your priorities. Friendship is more important than position or power.
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly….
[Jesus says], “You are my friends, if you do what I command.”
How thankful we should be that Jesus left His position and relinquished His power to become as one of us, live a perfect life, die on the cross, and pay the ultimate price for our sins! He first loved us, so we have freedom to love Him and live for Him.
I am a friend of God. I am a friend of the King. Are you?
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As a former mathematics teacher and pastor's wife, I encounter many people facing difficult problems in everyday life. I desire to inspire others to push on during times of difficulty. I am a mother of two grown children, and what I lack in personal experience, I have gleaned through the experiences of others. My goal is to encourage through my "Priddy" words. View all posts by priddywords
Posted on December 13, 2016 Author priddywordsCategories Of God and Kings
One thought on “Friend to a King ”
December 13, 2016 at 12:08 pm
What timing for talking about friendship and scripture to go with it in the Old Testament. I just shared this on FB. Thank you, Amy, hugs!!
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I pray that you and your loved ones are healthy and safe as we work through the coronavirus pandemic.
Safety seems to be the top priority for many people, and we are taking that seriously at KML too. In spite of the current health concern, your KML teachers, leaders and staff are still working diligently as we continue fulfilling our mission “to educate, encourage and equip God’s people for life and for eternity.”
I’m also fully aware that many people are concerned about their financial health during these uncertain times. Businesses have closed and incomes are affected. Again, I pray that you are able to manage during these challenging times and will get through this as painlessly as possible.
So, with that being said, what is my message for you?
Continue praying for your high school. Your support is provided in many forms (not just financial), and right now your prayers are extremely important.
This coronavirus demonstrates the uncertainty we face in our world. This situation reminds me of the importance of KML. We need to assure our students of God’s unwavering love for them regardless of the events that occur in society.
If you haven’t updated your will, created Powers of Attorney, or reviewed your beneficiary listings lately, now is a good time to do that since most people have little more time available to accomplish special projects.
I also want to assure you that God continues to be by our side, especially during these challenging times. Our faculty and staff are sharing this confidence with our students, and I gladly share that with you too.
Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”
What great words of comfort. Regardless of the events that surround us, we have that solid assurance that Jesus is still our Savior and that His love is never-ending!
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
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If you have questions about the best way you can support the KMLHS Foundation, contact Paul Snamiska to discuss your options.
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A beautiful purple floral celebration of life program with photos your personalized wording, designed for you so you can then print locally. A perfect commemorative for your loved one. Receive your digital program file ready to be printed in 24 hours.
A lilac themed celebration of life program with photos and beautiful watercolor florals, designed for you so you can then print locally. A perfect commemorative for your loved one. Receive your digital program file ready to be printed in 24 hours.
How It Works
Placing an order and what to expect.
Placing an Order
To order, simply place the item(s) into your cart. Please provide all of the wording exactly as you would like it to read on each design so that we may customize them for you. If you have additional notes for the designer, simply add them to the box at checkout. Select your quantity for each and once you have your complete design order ready, you can then checkout.
Just like most online shopping experiences, you'll be asked to either submit a credit card number during checkout or select paypal as an option to provide payment. Your card will be charged at that time and you should see that reflected on your account within the next day or two. We do ask that you submit an order before prepare a digital proof for your design, so you will be asked to make a payment before you see the finished product.
Your order will be immediately sent to the designer who will now begin your proofs. Each product will be personalized with your wording and professionally typeset into a pdf file for you to review. A proof will be emailed to the email address you provided when setting up your account within 24 hours. You will have the opportunity to review the digital proofs for errors and make edits to the wording as needed. The edited revision will then be sent to your email for review and finalization. If you are printing on your own, you will receive file specifications to provide to your printer. If we are printing, we will need your approval for the order to be printed. Once you have approved your proofs the order will immediately go to print.
Standard printing takes (2) business days and then your items will be shipped. Please see our shipping charts for standard shipping timelines to your state.
Funeral planning can seem overwhelming. Losing a family member is an emotional experience, and grief can make the planning process difficult. We want you to feel confident and comfortable planning the Celebration of Life for your loved one. Please know that customer service is our number one priority. Our small, family oriented team will design everything for you so you don't need to worry about this part of the planning. We sincerely look forward to working together. Warmly, Sandy Buckley, Owner
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