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Skunk WorksBy Mel Duvall
Trends: Skunk Works
In the fall of 2001, pressed by dwindling revenues, cutthroat rivalry and a full-blown technology recession, Montreal-based Bell Canada needed to cut costsand fast. CIO Eugene Roman knew the telecom could save millions of dollars in customer service costs each year if it could tie together four different service-troubleshooting networks and give customers access to them. The idea: reduce Bell's payroll costs by letting customers, not high-priced service reps, check whether service complaints were being resolvedand how quickly.
Trouble was, vendors were telling Roman such a system would cost Bell as much as $10 million to buy the needed software and equipment. At first, Roman was discouraged: Even in good times, such a price tag would be a hard sell, but in the spending backlash, he knew approval would be even tougher to get.
Then Roman had an idea. Why not see if Bell could do the project more cheaply in-house? Roman would develop a pilot to prove the business payoffbefore asking Bell's executive board to commit to full funding. Sure, a pilot could fail. But what if it could instead produce cold, hard numbers about benefits to the bottom line? Roman would not only boost his own credibility as CIO before the board, he'd also get the backing he'd need to roll out the project companywide.
Roman's strategy worked. As a pilot, there was less risk of cost overruns. But Roman did better than keep costs down. The pilot delivered a workable, homegrown prototype, and did it in roughly 60 daysnearly a third of the time that many full-blown projects take. Further, the final cost amounted to about $1.9 million, a fraction of the $10 million Bell would have had to pay an outside vendor.
But better still, the pilot helped to establish a new and more permanent proving ground at Bell for all kinds of information technology projects. Called exCITE!, the new IT development lab has since tried, tested and proven the business merit of dozens of new IT initiatives that, all tolled, have resulted in more than $15 million in savings and some $10 million in new revenues for the company. "When you can tell a senior executive that, in no later than three months, he will get a solutionand know exactly what the payback will be, it's very different from saying, 'I'm going to deliver a project in 18 months,' and 'trust me,'" says Roman. Agrees Guy Marier, president of Bell Quebec: "The lab is a way to develop ideas and get results faster."
Skunk Works
Skunk Works
Bell Canada isn't the only company setting up testing labs to prove the business potential of proposed tech projects. Firms from Yellow Corp., a Kansas-based trucking firm, to Ford Motor Co. and Webcor Builders, a West Coast building construction company, also are starting to manage risk this way.
In a recent CIO Insight survey about IT spending, 25 percent of computer and communications manufacturers and 21 percent of government IT executives said they are starting to require more pilots before committing to new IT spending. "These labs do two things," says Wharton professor Eric Clemons. "They defer the big investment until you know more, and they hide the project from the guys who would stop it."
Unlike old-fashioned "skunk works" idea labs, which author Tom Peters in his book, In Search of Excellence, defined as "a band of eight or 10 zealots off in the corner," these new IT proving grounds tend to be led by CIOs and other IT executives, and staffed by business people as well as technologists.
Another key difference? Rather than expect geeky tech brainiacs to dream up fresh ideas that may or may not result in any solid business initiatives, these new IT labs demand business resultsand most within 90 days or less.
Yellow Technologies President Lynn Caddell, also the CIO of Yellow Corp., says the labs bring increased discipline to IT projects. She says that 95 percent of projects done at Yellow's lab come in on time and at or under budget. "The movement to create these new labs has just begun across industries, and should improve IT-business alignment and the CIO's ability to support the business," Caddell says. The majority of the projects go forward, but not all of them. At Yellow, about 20 percent of them don't pass final muster, Caddell says.
But the new IT labs can present challenges of their own. Jerry Luftman, a professor with the Stevens Institute of Technology, says they can be tough to manage. First, he says, "if these labs are started and run by the systems (IT) folks, they're more likely to fail. These labs must be run by both IT and business to succeed." Second, he says, there's a risk of having too many projects in the pipeline at once, and advises companies to limit each project to strict, 90- to 120-day timeframes.
Perpetual Beta
Perpetual Beta
Sunil Subbakrishna, president of Information Economics, an IT consulting firm, says there's also a risk that if you don't stop to properly engineer the technology, "it ends up in perpetual beta." Further, he says, while the new labs may promote business alignment and lower the risk of new projects, "the flip side is, can the solution scale once out of the lab? It might work small but face all sorts of new problems outside the lab once the project has to get bigger and roll out throughout the corporation."
To help prevent all that, ideas at Yellow are brought before a monthly meeting of the Technology Prioritization Committee, comprised of nine vice presidents, each representing a line of business within the company. Pitches must pinpoint how projects align to the company's business strategy and how well they would scale.
Usually, some 10 project proposals get presented each month. "Everyone has to build the business case for these projects," says Cheryl Pieper, Yellow Technologies' vice president of information solutions. "Does the project have to do with revenue generation? Cost savings? Cost avoidance? Customer satisfaction? Is it a mandatory regulatory project that we'd have to do, regardless?" Once that's determined, a case is made for the ROI. Those seen as having the best chance for a quick and significant payoff are tested immediately.
Projects also vary by application. For example, Yellow recently received a request to develop and then test new software that would help drivers pinpoint, at any given time, the exact loading docks they would need to use at client companies. Caddell says drivers, upon arriving at a customer's loading dock area, were losing valuable time searching for the precise dock at which to unload or pick up each shipment. "You could have hundreds of doors at a specific facility, and a shipment could come in one door and need to be loaded at a totally different wing of a company's dock facility," says Caddell. When Yellow switched recently to a business strategy that would offer customers express shipping, that kind of haphazard searching was no longer acceptable, Caddell says. The result? "This system helps move the shipment to the right dock so we can load it onto the correct trailer, and so that it actually ends up in the right location faster," he says. The projected benefit? A savings of hundreds of hours of time and thousands of dollars per month in payroll and logistics costs, Caddell says.
In most cases, the key to project success is gettingand keepingIT and business leaders aligned around common business goals. Most IT labs are places where such teamwork is not only encouraged, it's mandatory.
Similar to the lab at Yellow Technologies, projects at Bell's exCITE! are first nominated by an executive, business unit or individual employee and evaluated by a team that includes business and technology managers. Once given the go-ahead by that alignment team, all projects are developed under strict guidelines. Business-side staffers who stand the most to gain by the new technology must work full-time on development. This can sometimes be a source of conflict, Roman says, because project nominees may not realize the commitment involved. "They can't just dedicate an hour or two a day or week to the project," says Roman. "Once they're on board, they're on board full-time."
Other people, whether systems analysts, database engineers, designers or developers, also must be committed. "Our goals are simple," says Roman. "Cut the time of development on anything we run through the center in half, and reduce the cost of projects by 20 percent or better." Pay incentives also can help sustain IT-business cooperation on projects, "but the idea is that we're all working together to make the corporation more successful as an entire entity," Pieper says.
Increasing Revenue
Increasing Revenue
At Webcor Technologies, the lab is both a testing ground and a source of new revenue. In May 2001, Webcor acquired Hayward, Calif.-based BridgeNet Information Systems Inc. and turned it into Webcor Technologies, which tests, evaluates and develops technology for the parent company, and also does technology consulting for clients in the construction industry.
One recent development was an online time card system, which allows employees to "punch in" from remote construction sites and lets managers keep better track of worker productivity and safety data. The system ties into Webcor's Timberline accounting system, and speeds the time it takes managers to process time cards and site safety data required by federal labor regulations. Webcor plans to sell the application to outside construction firms this spring. Director Gregg Davis says the cost of developing the virtual time card project was minor compared with the results. "Superintendents used to spend four to five hours a week just processing time cards and safety data, and project assistants were spending about six hours a week doing this," Davis says. Now, he says, it takes less than an hour. Davis says he expects the new system to pay for itself within nine months.
Learning By Example
Learning By Example
Bell Canada CIO Eugene Roman says that while contemplating the idea of creating an IT proving lab, his project team studied what other consulting organizations and companies were doing, and went on field trips to technology incubators.
It was during one such visit in November 2001, to Ford Motor Co.'s iTek Center in Dearborn, Mich., that the ideas for Bell's lab began to gel. What Roman and his team saw at Ford was a cross between a joint application development (JAD) and a rapid application development (RAD) approach to new projects. But here, too, IT-business alignment was the secret sauce. Ford, which has invested about $80 million in the iTek facility, brings together teams from the business, design and technology divisions to work on initiatives. Their goal is to plan, develop and test a process or a technology application within a 90-day window.
Roman took the ideas he saw at Ford, combined them with strategies and input gained from other companies such as IBM and outsourcing partner CGI, and came up with the plans for what is now Bell's IT lab, called the Centre for Information Technology Excellence, or exCITE! for short.
Barely 60 days later, in February 2002, the lab was launched and now has branches in four Canadian citiesToronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Mississigua. Roman describes the Toronto workspace as "serious California"friendly and functional. Every available piece of wall space, he says, has been covered with "wall talkers," essentially whiteboards that run from floor to ceiling. Participants are encouraged to use the boards in lieu of paper, and add comments or thoughts to their colleague's ideas. But the lab is results-oriented, too. "It's like a living classroom, but it's like a living delivery room as well," he says.
So far so good: Since February 2002, 34 projects have run through the center, including a community portal application that was developed for Bell to sell to municipal governments. ExCITE! was asked to create a prototype that could be easily adapted by different cities and showcase the various Web businesses run by Bell, including Sympatico (Internet access provider) and GeoSolutions, Bell's satellite-mapping service business. ExCITE! developed the prototype in four weeks at half the cost informally bid by outside vendors. An additional 17 projects are in progress, and nine more are in the pipeline.
Roman, along with Yellow's Caddell, Ford's iTek director Greg Moran and Webcor CEO Andy Ball, is pleased by what's been achieved by these IT labs so far. Bell Quebec President Guy Marier says Bell's exCITE! center is a welcome relief to the "black hole" approach Bell used to develop technology projects during the IT boom years. "Show me the money in three or four months, or move on," Marier says. "Projects start to cost a lot of money when they derail."
But the biggest payoff so far? "Now, people know where to go when they have a good idea," Marier says. Indeed, done right, IT labs not only can help to institutionalize innovation, they can help to make innovation pay for itself.
Mel Duvall is a Calgary-based technology and business writer. His work has appeared in CIO Insight magazine and Baseline. Debra D'Agostino contributed to this report.
Problems, Challenges, Solutions
Problems, Challenges, Solutions
Webcor Technologies
Structure: A unit of Webcor Builders
Top Executive: Gregg Davis
Size: 19 employees
Business Problem Webcor was fighting an ongoing battle to get daily safety checks done faster and more accurately. It also needed more accurate time card data from workers in the field.
Technology Challenge To develop a technology that could be used by people with varying technical skillsand could be integrated with a database and link to Palm Pilots used at construction sites.
Lab Solution A safety check application for Palm Pilots and virtual time card software were created for construction workers and also for sale to other companies in the industry.
Yellow Technologies
Structure: unit of Yellow Corp.
Top Executive: CIO Lynn Caddell
Size: 325 employees
Business Problem Yellow was being pressed by rivals and customers to offer express delivery services that could be backed by customer service guaranteesand it had to be workable in 30 days.
Technology Challenge Modifications to various processes had to be made simultaneously, versus the traditional method of mapping business processes first, then wrapping solutions around it.
Lab Solution Simulated information flow to provide a feel for how the system would work and validate or disprove assumptions. Daily IT- business interaction was key to the project's success.
Bell exCITE!
Structure: operates within Bell Canada
Top Executive: CIO Eugene Roman
Size: 120 employees
Business Problem To develop a community-based portal to include in Bell's eCommerce product portfolio, and to help municipal governments in Canada work more efficiently.
Technology Challenge Lab technologists had to create a prototype in less than four weeksand do it at half the cost of what outside vendors were bidding to do the same job.
Lab Solution The exCITE! team was able to meet the challenge, and Bell's sales teams are now using the prototype to bid on new business opportunities within the municipal sector.
Software for Your Head: Core Protocols for Creating and Maintaining Shared Vision
By Jim McCarthy and Michele McCarthy
Addison Wesley, 2001
Engines of Tomorrow: How the World's Best Companies Are Using Their Research Labs to Win the Future
By Robert Buderi
Simon & Schuster, 2000


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It's the political season, and in California that means a lot of talk about "realism." Ballot initiatives are often defended against criticism of their flaws with the defense that the initiatives represent political "realism" -- that is to say, they can pass.
By the same token, good ideas are routinely dismissed as "unrealistic" if they don't poll well in the here and now. The result of all this talk about realism and the unrealistic is a political culture that's totally divorced from, well, reality.
Think about this. The notion of a constitutional convention is widely dismissed as crazy, overly ambitious and, of course, "unrealistic." But ballot initiatives are realistic, because they can pass.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
That's one way to look at it. But here's another. In California's it's considered realistic to fix the constitution -- a complicated, 160,000 word document -- with one small amendment at a time, passed by initiative. But it's considered unrealistic and irresponsible to rewrite the whole document so it actually makes sense.
This isn't the only example of where Californian notions of realism don't seem all that real. A few examples:
- Realism: selling the public on temporary tax increases as a grand fix to the state's budget problems (as Gov. Brown has with Prop 30)
- Fantasy: pursuing permanent increases in taxes as a way of fixing the budget
- Realism: throwing a half-dozen new budget rules into one initiative (as in Prop 31), on top of all the existing rules that govern the budget
- Fantasy: getting rid of all the reforms and rules in the budget system and designing something simpler
- Realism: changing how the state is governed by passing initiatives at the ballot
- Fantasy: changing how the state is governed by electing different people and a different party to run the state legislature.

subset: commoncrawl


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GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- An officer stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base traveled thousands of miles earlier this year to return to his birth country of Vietnam for the first time in eight years.
But Capt. Huy Tran wasn't there to reunite with his own family or friends. His mission was to help search for and recover missing Vietnam War personnel, a rewarding experience Tran says he won't soon forget.
In cooperation with the Joint Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command (JPAC), and the Language Enabled Airman Program (LEAP), Tran played a vital role as a Vietnamese linguist on a recovery mission to bring home servicemembers missing from the Vietnam War Era.
LEAP is operated by the Air Force Culture and Language Center at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. It is designed for those who have some existing language capability, and targets early-career Airmen most likely to take fullest advantage of language learning, maintenance and assignments.
Tran, who speaks and writes Vietnamese fluently, said he wanted to participate in LEAP because he was looking for a way to contribute his language skills to the military.
"LEAP has taken my language skills to another level and allowed me to utilize them to serve the Air Force," he said. "Programs like LEAP are what make the U.S. military second to none."
JPAC, on the other hand, conducts global search, recovery and laboratory operations to identify unaccounted-for Americans from past conflicts in order to support the Department of Defense's personnel accounting efforts. According to their website, JPAC continues to search for more than 83,000 Americans still missing from past conflicts.
This mission had a deeper meaning for Tran, who was born and raised in Vietnam until he was 11.
"As a son and grandson of South Vietnamese veterans, this recovery mission is dear to my heart," Tran said. "My father and grandfather were camp prisoners during the war. My grandfather served five years, and my dad served four years and 11 months in the prison camps."
Following his father's release from the prison camps, Tran and his family were offered an opportunity to relocate to the United States. They left Vietnam to pursue a new life in Rock Hill, S.C.
"After I graduated from high school, I knew I wanted to be in the military," he said. "I never thought that being in the military would one day bring me back to Vietnam as a servicemember. It's completely changed from the time I left; Americans are more welcome now and the attitudes and hatred are no longer there."
Tran said he was excited when he found out he would be going on a recovery mission to search for missing Americans.
"I was thrilled that I was finally able to use my special language skills to contribute and serve," he said. "Being there gave me insight into what happened that day. It let me imagine what it would've been like to be in their situation. It makes you realize the importance of the mission."
The first leg of Tran's journey with his team took him from Hawaii, to Thailand, and finally to a rural area of Vietnam, where the objective was to locate a crew of American sailors who had gone missing during a flying mission in the conflict.
The opportunities offered through LEAP, coupled with those offered by JPAC, allowed Tran to put his language skills to special use by translating between his team members and Vietnamese government officials and other locals.
"I would translate everything for them, including negotiating the areas where we would be working, what materials and how many workers we would need," Tran explained. "They also needed me for everyday things, like buying equipment to do our work, or ordering food."
One of the most vital aspects of Tran's job as a team linguist, however, was interviewing witnesses to help narrow down the location and the circumstances where the servicemembers first went missing.
Tran and his team negotiated with government officials to set up an area to camp, and an area to clear out some of the dense vegetation at the top of the mountain where the missing sailors were thought to be.
"By going through the rice fields, dense jungles, and up the mountain, it helped me relate to the time during which the crew got shot down," he said. "When we arrived at the crash site, we found aircraft parts lying everywhere. That moment was so surreal. It sent chills down my spine seeing so many aircraft pieces scattered on the ground. We knew then that we were in the right place."
Once those remains were uncovered and collected, they were sent to JPAC's Central Identification Laboratory, the largest and most diverse forensic skeletal laboratory in the world. Scientists from JPAC use circumstantial evidence, and forensic identification tools including dental comparisons and radiograph comparisons to analyze and identify remains.
Upon completion of the recovery mission, Tran and his team retraced their steps back home, first to Thailand, then to Hawaii, and finally to their respective destinations.
Tran said he looks forward to participating in more recovery missions like the one he completed earlier this year.
According to the Defense Prisoner of War and Missing Personnel Office, since 1973, the remains of more than 900 Americans killed in the Vietnam War have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors. Today, more than 1,600 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. The U.S. government continues to work closely with the governments of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia to recover its missing warriors.
"This JPAC mission was one of the most emotionally rewarding missions that I've had the honor to take part in," Tran said. "Most importantly, I was given a chance to bring heroes home to their families, and their final resting place. There is no greater satisfaction than knowing that those families can finally have answers and closure."


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WASHINGTON—Pope Benedict XVI has named Auxiliary Bishop Joseph J. Tyson of Seattle,53, to succeed Bishop Carlos Sevilla of Yakima, Washington, 75, and accepted the resignation of Bishop Sevilla from the pastoral governance of the diocese.
The appointment and resignation acceptance were publicized in Washington, April 12, by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States.
Joseph J. Tyson was born October 16, 1957, at Moses Lake, Washington. He attended Shoreline Community College in Seattle and the University of Washington, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in international studies. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from The Catholic University of America and was ordained a priest for the Seattle Archdiocese in 1989. Following ordination he served in St. Louise Parish, Bellevue, Washington, 1989-1991; St. James Cathedral, Seattle, 1991-1992; St. Mary of the Valley Parish, Monroe, Washington, 1992-1996; and as pastor of St. Edward Parish in Seattle with responsibility of two other Seattle parishes, St. George and St. Paul, 1996-2005. In 2005, Pope Benedict named him an auxiliary bishop of Seattle.
Bishop Sevilla was born in San Francisco, August 9, 1935, and entered the novitiate of the San Francisco Province of the Society of Jesus in 1953. In 1960, he was awarded a Licentiate
and a Master's degree in philosophy from Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington. He also
holds a Licentiate and Master's degree in theology from Santa Clara University, and pursued advanced studies in Christian worship at the Catholic Institute of Paris.
He was ordained priest in 1966. Assignments after ordination included serving on the faculty of Loyola-Marymount University, 1972-1980; director of Spiritual Renewal for the California Province of Jesuits, 1981-1986; and director of formation for the California Jesuits, 1986-88.
He was named an auxiliary bishop of San Francisco in 1988, and bishop of Yakima in 1996.
The Yakima Diocese includes 17,787 square miles, with 649,846 people, of which 12 percent, or 78,317, of them are Catholic.
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HOTEL HIGH JINKS: Admit it. Sometimes after disembarking from a posh elevator, and turning toward a fancily lit hallway, you've longed to run down the hall, knocking on every door, yelling "Happy Birthday" to no one in general. Or is that just us? Perhaps. Now you can, for 13 grand. That's the price to rent out Rumor Boutique Hotel in Las Vegas for a single night. Meaning behind all of those numbered doors? Your friends, your family, or at least the people you invite to be your very special guests.
TO-KNOWS: There will be additionals you'll need to cover, like your eats, drinks, tips, and taxes. And, honestly, if you're going to be the sort of person who yells "Happy Birthday" in a nice hotel's hallway, you'll want to tip extremely well. Bookable night one is June 15, 2011, and the offer wraps up two days after Christmas. So. Who's on your giant slumber party list? Will there be a theme? We say unicorn-covered pajamas for everyone.


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On-line version ISSN 2304-8557
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Koers (Online) vol.79 n.4 Pretoria 2014
An image of the church in Calvin's commentary on the Minor Prophets
H.H. van Alten
Jonathan Edwards Centre Africa, University of the Free State, South Africa
Frederik A.V. Harms, In God's Custody: The Church, a History of Divine Protection. A Study of John Calvin's Ecclesiology based on his Commentary on the Minor Prophets (Reformed Historical Theology, vol. 12)
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen, 2010
pp. 248
This work, volume 12 in the growing series Reformed historical theology (H.J. Selderhuis), is the culmination of Harms's PhD study. It focuses on Calvin's ecclesiology based on the commentary on the Minor Prophets. As the author rightly points out, relatively few major studies have been dedicated to Calvin's ecclesiology, and in addition these are already quite dated (for instance, P.J. Richel's study Het kerkbegrip van Calvijn of 1942 and Charles B. Milner's Calvin's doctrine of the church of 1970). This study is therefore a valuable contribution to this topic. There is also a tendency in current research into Calvin for more specialised studies, that is, studying specific topics in a limited genre. Harms's study on Calvin's ecclesiology from his commentary on the Minor Prophets falls within this tendency.
The author states that he has opted for a combined historical and systematic approach, although a third, comparative element should be added. These three elements form the three parts of this study.
In the first part the author aims to place Calvin in his own context during the period when the latter lectured on the Minor Prophets (1556-1558). The value of a historical placement cannot be overstated as it has often been a 'basic error in Calvin research' to regard 'everything that occurred in Geneva in Calvin's day as a special case, the like of which cannot be found in any other time or place', as E. Pfister noted in Calvins Wirken in Genf (1957:11). Therefore Harms does well with his aim of placing Calvin in his own context.
In a kind of staccato fashion, important events in Geneva, Europe and Calvin's personal life pass the revue. However, the author probably does not make enough effort to integrate these historical events and to show their relevance to Calvin's commentary on the Minor Prophets; because of this, this chapter loses some of its value to the rest of the study. After all, the purpose of placing Calvin in context is not merely to give an overview of historical facts that have been documented numerous times already, but rather to connect - in this case - the commentary on the Minor Prophets with the historical context, in a way that highlights the colour and emphasis of this specific commentary.
Part 2 contains the bulk of this study, and is also the most important in its value to Calvin scholars. In it Harms does a commendable job of systematising Calvin's teaching on the church in his commentary on the Minor Prophets. Topics such as election, covenant and worship are especially important in Calvin's ecclesiology; the only question I have is on what basis the author decided on the different topics and their sequence of discussion, which comes across as somewhat forced, almost like the loci of a systematics textbook, which - as often in the reformed tradition -follows a similar pattern to the one Harms employs.
The specific nature and context of the Minor Prophets provide the lines that can be found throughout Calvin's commentary. Elaboration on one specific and dominant line is in order here. Calvin sees the ancient church, broken up into the illegitimate and apostate 10 tribes and the legitimate Southern Kingdom of Judah, reflected in the situation of his own day, whereby the Papists form the parallel to the 10 tribes and the newly reformed church forms the parallel to the 2 tribes of Judah. The former needs to be reunited with the latter under one spiritual head (David as type of Christ) if they are to have any hope of restoration. This theme constantly returns in Calvin's commentary and gives him the justification for the Reformation against the claims and accusations of Rome. This view on the ancient church subsequently determines Calvin's view on election, and brings him to a distinction between a general and a specific election. It also plays its part in his view on worship, where he suggests a degree of similarity between the Roman Church's ceremonial worship and that of the northern kingdom.
The purpose of part 3 is to give an overview of the ecclesiological aspects that can be found in the exegesis of the Minor Prophets amongst commentators in the Early, Medieval and Reformation eras. The author himself says (p. 195) that this overview is brief and thus necessarily incomplete. This brevity is not helped by the fact that the author, within roughly 15 pages (at least 10 of the 25 pages of part 3 are devoted to Calvin's own principles and practice in the interpretation of Scripture), tries to cover all of the first 16 centuries, discussing at least 15 theologians who wrote commentaries on some or all of the Minor Prophets. This discussion at times becomes so broad, and with a lot of references to secondary rather than primary sources, that it loses its impact. This part could have gained value if the author had discussed only one representative from each of the eras.
The part on Calvin's exegetical principles and practice, however, is of great value. It shows how Calvin stayed true to the principles he had already identified in the preface to his commentary on Romans in 1539. In the preface to Calvin's commentary on Hosea the author identifies three principles: pursuit of the original author's mind as closely as possible, edification of the children of God, and simplicity in explaining the text.
Despite the abovementioned criticism of parts 1 and 3 of this study, it still remains of great value for grasping Calvin's multifaceted ecclesiology. Although Calvin says that he discusses doctrinal topics in the Institutes so that it will not be necessary for him to divulge on them in his exegetical works (see his letter to the reader in the 1539 edition of the Institutes), the latter still remain a goldmine for understanding the reformer's doctrinal views. True, it is harder to filter the necessary information on Calvin's ecclesiology from his commentaries than it is to open book 4 of the Institutes, but the result is surely satisfying. Without deviating from what he wrote on this topic in his magnum opus, Calvin's commentaries still open horizons and provide emphases that are unique to a specific biblical text. Therefore, this tendency of studying specific topics from a limited genre should be valued and continued by Calvin scholars. Harms surely shows that Calvin's ecclesiology still retains its usefulness to the church in the 21st century, a question he leaves open to the judgement of the readers of his study (p. 14), but one I have the pleasure of answering in the affirmative.
Pfister, E., 1957, Calvins Wirken in Genf, Verlag der Buchhandlung des Erziehungsvereins, Neukirchen. [ Links ]
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A Northern California mom gave birth to triplets that weighed a combined record-breaking 20 pounds. Someone please get this woman a prize, a drink, an extra set of hands?
"Twenty pounds is no joke," points out CBS Sacramento. "That's the same weight as two big bags of potatoes, or 36 onions, or 40 loaves of bread, or four gallons of milk."
Brittany Deen delivered three babies by c-section at Sacramento's Sutter Memorial Hospital on November 8. While triplets are usually born early at about 32 weeks, Deen made it to 37, giving the infants plenty of time to grow. The average length of pregnancy is 38 weeks.
"We were excited. We were scared out of our minds," Deen told CBS.
Sidney came in at an impressive 7.8 pounds; Elliott weighed a healthy 7.2 pounds; and Jenson was the smallest at 5.5 pounds. "Together they made for a Guinness World Record setting 20 pound child birth," CBS Sacramento reported. (Keep in mind that the average triplet weighs about four pounds.)
Until the Deen clan came along, the heaviest set of living triplets on record were reportedly born last summer. Kate, Ethan and Owen Sullivan of North Carolina weighed in at 18 pounds 11.48 ounces, according to the News Observer. A Canadian family held the record before the Sullivan trio.
Eating 6,000 calories a day, Deen gained 80 pounds during pregnancy. She lost 50 immediately after birth. Most moms delivering one child are 12 pounds lighter after birth, according to BabyCenter.
While multiple births are often the result of infertility treatments such as IVF, Deen's pregnancy was completely natural. This is rare—triplets occur naturally in about 1 in every 7921 pregnancies.
Sidney is unable to eat on his own and in the NICU. The parents are looking forward to him getting strong enough to come home.


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It's not actually Michael Bay's fault that the Transformers movies make no sense. According to the blindingly detailed Transformers Wiki, which tracks the continuity of the Transformers franchise:
The Transformers multiverse consists of at least 15,962,782 cataloged universal streams (1,176,325 of which have "come to termination"), according to the TransTech Cybertronians' exhaustive records. There are at least 59,927,225 realities that the TransTech Cybertronians have yet to catalog. Bug Bite claims that there are fifteen quadrillion concurrent realities.
Want to figure this all out? Check out the Transformers Wiki "continuity family" page, which attempts to group these quadrillion concurrent realities into just seven "families."


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Adelaide Crows FOF Adults Two Toned Gloves
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As the chilly seasons hit, make the grab for these Adelaide Crows FOF Two Toned Gloves in the goal square, when you suit up for every AFL match. Constructed with a soft and premium merino wool, the woven marle design adds a hint of simplistic style to your gameday outfit. With a ribbed wrist which seals in the warmth and provides a comfortable secure fit, the gloves are complete with a woven embossed team logo badge; making these Adelaide Crows FOF Two Toned Gloves the perfect winter accessory.


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Journalists are great at pattern recognition. It's a silly function we perform this thing looks like that thing and we usually do it to show off our vast institutional knowledge.
Still, with the launch of the first "Google phone," it doesn't take a journalist to notice the obvious signs of history repeating itself. Is Steve Jobs, whose iPhone is the toast of the telecommunications world, doomed to relive the mistakes of the past?
The tragedy of Apple is, of course, well known. Jobs, a young visionary, and his older, nerdier pal, Steve Wozniak, created the first true personal computer in 1976. But while Apple established and dominated the early market for computers and software creating a record for "fastest start-up to reach the Fortune 500" it rapidly lost the market. The rise of the IBM-compatible PC a decade later, which ran Microsoft's operating system, smashed Apple. The key to the PC's success and Apple's downfall was that the open-standards-based IBM-compatible PC created a platform for third-party hardware and softwaremakers to ply their stuff.
Clearly, Jobs, who left Apple in a power struggle, then returned to resurrect it from a near bankrupt state, learned something from his missteps. The iPhone is more open than Apple's computers. Apple relies almost exclusively on third parties to create software for the iPhone, and even sells it to developers in its App Store. That's why iPhone applications look to be a $1 billion business.
But! The platform is far from open. Developers and their programs must be approved by Apple. This does not sit well with the dudes who write software, and it's getting ugly among the rank and file. Apple, which has accepted then summarily rejected some apps after they've gone up, is doing a poor job of handling developer relations and is getting a reputation for being capricious. Some angry developers are already defecting to Android the OS that powers T-Mobile's G1 and will power all successive iterations of the Google phone.
And that's the point, of course. The G1 is but the first in what's bound to be a very long line of smartphones that will live in a wide-open ecosystem. Sure, they're crufty and ugly as are Windows and the machines that run it but I guarantee that they will get cheaper and better looking as more devicemakers launch their Android phones. And unlike Apple, which listens only to Jobs, these manufacturers will be listening to the market. It was not a coincidence that the very first Android phone gave users a cut-and-paste function something that iPhone users have wanted since Day One. The tragedy, and the farce.


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Products, Regulatory, Services, Training
By Staff Writer | March 25, 2013
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ENAC, the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, has issued Level D certification for Rotorsim's CAE 3000 Series AW139 full-flight simulator (FFS).
Rotorsim, a joint venture between CAE and AgustaWestland, currently has the new AW139 FFS located at the AgustaWestland Training Academy in Sesto Calende, Italy. The FFS is the third simulator for the company, and features added upgrades allowing for new mission training to include search and rescue (SAR) roles. The simulator enables pilots to train for confined area operations, autorotation and landing on platforms at sea, among other challenging procedures.
Ian Bell, CAE's vice president and European business leader, said helicopters are starting to favor simulation-based training as one of the best approaches to ensuring mission readiness.
Related: Simulator News


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Roasted Brussels sprouts are one of my very favorite side dishes, especially for Thanksgiving. This recipe gives a twist to this classic dish with the addition of barbecue rub, which doesn't solely have to be used to add flavor to meats — rubs can also be used as an all-purpose spice mixture to jazz up side dishes. Many contain various blends of dried chilies, dry mustard, cumin, salt, pepper and other spices that can add a flavorful kick to your food. (I'll even sprinkle barbecue rub on my scrambled eggs for breakfast!)
For this recipe, I used Stubb's Bar-B-Q Rub which contains a mix of smoked salt, paprika and black pepper. It pairs perfectly with the crisp, smoky bacon in the dish.
Read the rest of this entry


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Texas Woman Fired For Refusng To Let A Tranny Use Women's Fitting Room! "A Guy Can Dress Up As A Woman All he Wants, That's Still Not Going To Make You A Woman"
Natalie Johnson told a transgender customer to use the men's fitting room.
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The category of medicine contans any works on the applied science or practice of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness in human beings.
أخذت الدراسات الطبية تتلو الدراسات، وكلما أفل جيل أورث دراساته جيلاً آخر، حتى شهد عصرنا العتيد ذروة التقدم الطبي، وذلك من نواحٍ شتى منها الكيميائية والليزرية وغيرها، ومن جانب آخر بدأت الأمراض تزداد تعقيداً أكثر وأكثر بشكل متناسب طرداً مع الأكتشافات، وكان الإنسان هو الضحية، إذ أضحى جسمه حقل تجارب للأطباء، ومع هذا كلِّه لم يفلح الطب في شفاء سوى 10% من الأمراض المختلفة باعتراف كبار الأطباء، وما زالت رحى الحرب الضروس تدور مع الفيروسات والجراثيم.
فهل تركت الرحمة الإلهية الإن...
This book is quoted from the main book of Cupping which is very important for human kind
Actually it is a summary of the important scientific Cupping book.
The importance of this book is clear in establishing and clarifying the true method of practicing Cupping and in manifesting the scientific precise rules of true scientific hygienic Cupping. these rules control the Cupping operation therefore they prevent any side effect and make it very fruitful.
Actually the b...
Este libro representa un viaje por el mundo a traves de la meditación.
Over 100 peer reviewed reports describing a medical disorder recognized in the 1980s and finally named in 2013. ASIA, according to the US American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association there are over 100 autoimmune disorders affecting as many as 50 million Americans. One of the functions of the immune system is to protect the body by responding to invading microorganisms, such as viruses or bacteria, by producing antibodies or sensitized lymphocytes (types of white blo...
There is a silent epidemic of enormous proportions composed of Autoimmune Diseases—nearly 100 different illnesses—that have already affected millions of Americans. Autoimmune Disease is now a major American health problem. The National Institutes of Health estimate that there are 23.5 million Americans suffering from Autoimmune Disease and the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association estimates that there are 50 million Americans suffering from one Autoimmune Dise...
The history of the global vaccination program in 1000+ peer reviewed reports and studies chronologically ordered and chaptered providing the reader with an understanding of disease outbreak, vaccine efficacy, the historic development of vaccines, unwanted contaminants, vaccine production methodology and more.
INTRODUCTION (Excerpt)
Over the past 35 years, patients have suffered from a largely hidden epidemic of side effects from drugs that usually have few offsetting benefits. The pharmaceutical industry has corrupted the practice of medicine through its influence over what drugs are developed, how they are tested, and how medical knowledge is created. Since 1906, heavy commercial influence has compromised Congressional legislation to protect the public from unsafe drugs. T...
House dust was once 99% skin cells. Today a significant percentage of house dust—dust found in the home, classrooms, daycare, employment, retail and other locations frequented by human beings—contains laboratory manufactured chemicals that never existed in nature before and we're all affected by these chemicals, everyday. Today it rains endocrine disrupting bisphenol A and the chemical is also in our dust, along with hundreds and in fact 1000s of additional chemicals. Ch...
Mixtures of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are present in indoor environments. Studies of the developmental effects of exposure to these chemicals in large prospective mother-child cohorts are required, with data on prenatal exposure and long-term follow-up of the children. We aimed to investigate the relationship between prenatal and childhood exposure to PBDEs and neurodevelopment at the age of six years. We determined the levels of PBDEs and other neurotoxican...
1,764 pages, 43 chapters with endnotes, provides the reader with an education in food safety and the 1000s of healthy choices available to all of us if, and only if we know the hazards of certain additives and how to avoid them.
Humanity, you and I, were never intended to eat petroleum based chemicals. The peer review confirms that petroleum based chemicals—additives, colors, sweeteners, preservatives and excipients'—have been surreptitiously and almost covertly or silently introduced into the global food supply in steadily increasing quantities since the 1940s. Pesticide and herbicide use has grown alongside this increase and now a typical apple contains as many as 15 detectable c...
Pedophilia is rarely considered as a research target. The focus on some of the recent theories of the etiology of pedophilia such as neurodevelopment or alterations of brain structures and their function as the frontal, temporal and limbic cortex that have been proposed to try to understand the alterations in the development and neurobiology of the pedophile patient.
How unwanted dogs are rescued and then trained as service dogs to help people with disabilities.
WINNER--2016 Midwest Book Award.
All proceeds will go to the 501(c)(3) charity, Pawsitivity Service Dogs.
This book is for three kinds of people: 1. Professional dog trainers who want to train service dogs. 100% of this book will be helpful to you. 2 People who work for non-dog-related nonprofits. If you wish to learn how we started our charity, kept it running, and made it work, then over half of this book will be helpful to you. Just ignore the part about dogs! 3. People who love service dogs.
This book is NOT about how to train your own service dog.
Applied Anatomy For Obstetrics and Gynecology is a book that combines the basic subject 'Anatomy' and the applied or clinical subject 'Obstetrics and Gynecology' for postgraduate students and clinicians. It has 91 pages, 14 chapters, and 37 illustrations which explain why a clinician does what he does in treating his patients, or the anatomical principles underlying the treatment of Obstetric and Gynecological disorders. The book has an advantage over the conventional bo...
A book to explain why obstetricians and gynecologists do what they do.
This book has 165 chapters which cover problems in areas like Menstrual disorders, General gynecology, Gynecologic urology, Gynecologic endocrinology, Infertility, Congenital malformations of genital tract, Gynecologic oncology, Operative gynecology, General obstetrics, Obstetric hemorrhage, Medical disorders, Obstetric disorders, Disorders of labor, Surgical disorders, Maternal fetal infections, Fetal medicine, Postpartum period, Operative obstetrics and Contraception. ...
Expert chefs have had many years of training and experience in getting their food looking and tasting great - but it doesn't take years to perfect the small details that will get you excited about cooking! Try these tricks, and your meals can go from bland to fabulous starting today!
Scientific white paper made in a small pathology lab in Latin America.
Introduction Uterine cervix cancer is the second most common neoplasm in women. Of all uterine cervix and vagina cytologies, between 0,5 and 0,6% reveal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), and between 2 and 3% are low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL). The tem ASC-US (atypical squamous cells, of undetermined significance) is a diagnostic category, not a biological entity, that comprises inflammatory, reactive and reparative processes. In our re...
Monografía científica de un laboratorio de patología en América Latina.
Introducción El cáncer de cuello uterino es la segunda neoplasia más común en mujeres. De todas las citologías de cuello uterino y vagina, entre 0,5 y 0,6% revelan lesión intraepitelial escamosa de alto grado (HSIL), y entre 2 y 3% son lesión intraepitelial escamosa de bajo grado (LSIL). El término ASC-US (células escamosas atípicas, de significado indeterminado), es una categoría diagnóstica, no una entidad biológica, que engloba procesos inflamatorios, reactivos o repa...
This book has been prepared for students of undergraduate courses in
medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, laboratory medicine, physiotherapy,
veterinary science, agriculture, biochemistry, genetics, microbiology,
biotechnology, molecular biology, etc. The main purpose is to provide an
understanding of the basic concepts in biochemistry and biotechnology
which are required for them in a simple and interesting manner. Though
there are a lot of books providing extensive kno...
Biochemistry for undergraduate medical students is no less than a terror. Hence, this book brings them out of this nightmare.
Product Description
Name Algal Amino Acid Mixture (U-15N, 98%)
Cat# CPIL103740
Chemical Formula NA
Unlabeled CAS# NA
Labeled CAS# NA
Molecular Weight NA
Chemical Purity 0.99
Pathology Atlas for medical students
The requests of procedures aimed to improve the "look" are significantly getting increased recently. This eBook includes a whole range of technologies, drugs, substances, procedures have been studied, selected, well improved and subjected to continuous development in order to treat facial skin imperfections.
Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) complex, which include: M. tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. bovis BCG, M. africanum, M. microti, M. canetti, M. pinipedii, M. caprae and M. mungi [1]. Other Tuberculosise that may infect humans include: M. leprae, M. avium, M. intracellulare and M. scrofulaceum. M. tuberculosis is an aerobic, non-spore-forming, non-motile bacillus. It belongs to the family Tuberculosisceae [2]. M. tuberc...


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Community garden reaps calm, gifts year-round
Garden plot to be Christmas giveaway site
Andre Lee Ellis got a housewarming gift a few months ago that he'll never forget.
"When I first heard the gunshots, we came out and right away I said I can't have this, I have grandkids," said Ellis, a local theater producer and activist.
He said he remembered a shooting not far from his doorstep and that was inspiration enough for a change.
"I got off the porch and went into the streets and started talking to my people," said Ellis. "I said we have to take our hands off the trigger and put them in the soil."
He would start a community garden in an unlikely place, 9th and Ring, on Milwaukee's north side.
"My first thought was, what are they doing ... don't nobody know nothing about this," said Darius Williams, 21, who has lived in the neighborhood all his life.
But slowly, Williams and other neighbors said they saw a change in the neighborhood. The garden became a meeting place, a place of pride. And the people began to look out for each other as they did the garden.
"Growing up and putting plants in the garden for my grandmother and watching her do it. I said alright, a garden. That would be cool. That would be nice. I like that," said Williams.
Now just as the garden has given peace and produce, it will give even more over the 12 days leading to Christmas. Ellis and Williams have teamed up to give back.
"[Darius] said we should do something for Christmas," said Ellis. "And we should have everybody sing a song every night and we should give away free gifts."
And they will, starting Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. It will be a free Christmas gift giveaway for their neighborhood.
"I want to give back to the community as much as anyone else would. I have seen a lot of people grow up less fortunate, without anything. So I'm like, we might as well go and give back to the community," said Williams.
The group will accept gift donations at the garden location.


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Top Left to Right: Adela Florence Nicolson, Alejandra Pizarnik, Alfonsina Storni, Amelia Rosselli, Ana Cristina César, Anne Sexton, Beatrice Hastings, Charlotte Mary Mew, Deborah Digges; 2nd Row Left To Right: Inge Müller, Ingrid Jonker, Gertrude Bell, Jane Aiken Hodge, Elise Cowen, Katherine Lawrence, Penelope Delta, Robin Hyde, Pamela Moore; Bottom Row Left to Right: Helene Migerka, Sara Teasdale, Marina Ivanovna Tsvetaeva, Sarah Kane, Rosario Castellanos, Sylvia Plath, Veronica Micle, Victoria Benedictsson, Virginia Woolf
Writing; Death As A Possible Side Effect
"Natasha, you're a crybaby!"
My cousins would tease when I was little. Running to take refuge in the arms of my aunts, I cried until hiccupped sobs only remained and fat tears streaked down my face. I was rocked in the comfort of their arms, quietly being assured everything would be okay.
At the time, I was the only girl in my extended family. My cousins ensured I was subjected to the random taunts most little girls at the age of seven have the pleasure of bearing. I was teased for everything I did and couldn't do; crying only made it worse but I couldn't help myself.
In my young mind I couldn't understand and always wanted to know "How could they be so mean to me?" After all, I hadn't done anything to them but trip on my own shoelace or couldn't draw as well as Daniel. But in one thing they were right—I was a crybaby. And 30-some-odd years later I still am, sort of.
Today, I am a combination of being innately sensitive and slightly insecure. Each trait is mixed with a certain 'awareness' of brutal truths life imparts. In some ways because of this I do not differ much from that tanned Puerto Rican girl of my past. Creatively speaking the petri dish of my life has, at times, created a crippling affect in my ability to cope with the disappointments most of us can face. But more than that it has helped me become an intuitive person to life and people.
This complicated mix has been a curse and a blessing, both in my writing and understanding of others. For so long I felt alone in this acute knowledge. I was the only one screaming in a room of silent spectators. However, in becoming the writer I strive to be I've come to comprehend (some) artists and writers swim within the same realm of sensitivity, awareness and creativity.
"Artists are so sensitive."Perhaps. And while there are many deeply rewarding aspects of being creative and highly sensitive person, it seems to me, this way of being, way of perceiving life and people can take an emotional and mental toll on writers, fine artists, actors, singers and comedians.
Each of the women depicted in the image above are Pulitzer Prize Winning poets, authors, story tellers and creators of real and imaginary worlds. They took their own lives (violently and otherwise), and the stories that still lied within them to the grave..to be forever untold.
But what makes us so different? Are we more susceptible to Mental Illness like the doctors and scientist try to correlate? Why are some of us pushed enough through the threshold of hurt, pain and disappointment to want to end it all? We want to stop asking the questions of why or looking for hope, however small it may be?
As a writer I will take a biased stance. It seems some artists such as painters and sculptors can utilize their medium to exorcise their internal demons. The monsters they wrestle with can be force outward on a painted canvas and given a physical so that the creator can be relieve of the their burden. Writers however, can grapple with their monsters internally and dwell within this chaotic world for long periods of time before they can expulse the heaviness away from themselves.
When I write, I am always asking the question why. Why is love often pushed away? Why do parents turn a blind eye to their children in need? Why do we fail even when we work our hardest?
At times I use portions of my life to help ask and answer these questions. This seemly simple act requires me to relive some of my most hurtful life moments again and again. I do it once as I outline and another hundred times as I write and then edit. Play, rewind and repeat. Play, rewind and repeat.
The constant sourcing of one's own life becomes taxing. It can wreak havoc on any writer's emotional state, especially if you are close to the work of which you are writing about. It's an issue of reliving and revisiting the monsters that have been tormenting you either consciously or subconsciously.
This is not to say all writers and artists are tormented creatures seeking the answers and meaning to life. But one cannot deny the many instances where the pain of a writers life translates on the written page affects not only the reader but writer themselves.
Take Dorothy Allison, author of 'Bastard Out of Carolina'. Writing late nights after working all day on legal pads, writing the story of her life, and the abuse she experienced. From it came the semi-autobiographical book that became pivotal to her life and work as a writer. This constant revisiting can be overwhelming for a writer. Even Stephen King wrote a large portion of his most infamous works, while high on cocaine and alcohol. Was 'Cujo' a written manifestation of his own internal monsters?
Certain gifted writers can have extraordinarily high standards for themselves; they have low tolerance for mediocrity and develop a strong level of frustration during the execution of their work. They can have acute awareness of life's complexities and consequences while having a strong need for self-determination and self-actualization; each ideal applying a level of pressure on them. In some cases this weight is enough to push an artist to extreme measures of abuse and suicide.
I Am Woman, Hear me Roar.
What is it about the inherent demands on female writers that lead to so many deaths of women writers? Is it the clashing of who we are as caregivers, lovers and strong holds in the home front all the while grappling with our identity and self-worth, a convergence that leads to disaster? From Anne Sexton to Rosario Castellanos, each creative maverick taking their own lives while coping with loved lost, death, abandonment and abuse; each having an "acute awareness" leading to distress over their own personal and social conditions. Quite possibly an existential dread creating depression causing their own death.
Lady Lazarus herself, Sylvia Plath, not only tried once to end her life, but it was on the dreadful third attempt did she finally succeed. At approximately 4:30 am, Plath had sealed the rooms between herself and her sleeping children with wet towels and cloth, placed her head in the oven, and turned the gas on. They found Plath dead of carbon monoxide poisoning. She was 30.
Although not suicidal, there are many times I feel the world I live in is not meant for me. When I know the heart I have easily breaks when the hope I have fails. Sometimes my active awareness is good but many more times I wish I wasn't so sensitive. There are days, weeks and months that go by where I don't want to understand the unspoken actions and behaviors of people or the inevitability of our lives. At times having the distinct feeling of not belonging, of feeling too different.
By no means am I comparing myself to Woolf, Hemingway, Burgos or any of our past writer heroes, but even at my level, swimming within the waves of awareness, sensitivity and creativity, has not always been easy to navigate. It has caused me to see life with a sense of futility as well as hope. And instead of taking refuge in my writing I at times become stunted. I stop completely, letting the weight of my pain, personal setbacks or hurt take over.
It isn't until I read the work of others or speak to a caring friend do I remember what I had forgotten, that there has been and will hopefully always be calm under the words and in the worlds I've created within my stories. Although trudging through the unpleasant actions of my characters, mulling through the muck of the repercussions is not easy, I try to push through, always seeking out the reasons why.
Now, far from the tender age of 7; my life and its hurts have become more complex and colored within many shades of gray. Yes, it often does lead to some tears shed. I also realize my willingness to give has left me opened and exposed. I'm exposed in my writing, exposed in this post and in my love for others. In the end all I can be is myself and use my openness to help me become a better writer while hopefully achieving some internal peace.
Virginia Woolf, Died March 28th, 1941– Drowning


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Jewish Studies
Jewish Studies
Jewish Studies Graduate Programs at Spertus Institute are designed for students who seek to explore the breadth of the Jewish experience through advanced scholarship.
Taught by skilled and distinguished faculty, courses are offered at our downtown Chicago campus at twice-yearly seminars, as well as through both synchronous and asynchronous distance learning formats.
At Spertus Institute, we embrace the idea that the wisdom of Jewish thought and the richness of Jewish experiences inform Jewish society and Judaism today. Our programs encourage intellectual and spiritual reflection. Our students grapple with Jewish ideas in the service of their personal, professional, and communal advancement.
Spertus Institute Jewish Studies degree offerings:
- Master of Arts in Jewish Studies (MAJS)
- Doctor of Science in Jewish Studies (DSJS)
- Doctor of Hebrew Letters (DHL)
Programs are offered on a quarter-term system with flexible start dates.
Contact Associate Dean for Outreach Elana Kahn at email@example.com or 312.322.1711 to discuss program content and format, and to learn about how curricula can be designed to meet your needs.
Students pursue Jewish Studies at Spertus for a range of reasons, tied to what is most important in their own lives.
Pursuing my MA in Jewish Studies elevates my credentials as an official tour guide to religious sites, both Jewish and Christian, in Rome, Vatican City, and throughout Italy. — Brenda Bohen, Rome, Italy and Chicago, IL
Spertus Institute's doctoral program allows me to focus on my research on Judaism's influence on Western civilization. I am especially interested in how religion shapes family life. — Trevan Hatch, Faculty, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
I am enrolled in Spertus Institute's MA in Jewish Studies to broaden my knowledge of the vast history of Jewish civilization. I want to set an example for my children and grandchildren: You are never too old to learn. — Joel Kaufmann, Chicago, IL


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There's been all manner of speculation as to what will become of Mel Gibson and his career in the wake of his maniacally profane tirades recorded by his erstwhile ladyfriend. But the only thing that any serious, thoughtful person should be concerned with was the fate of Gibson's ready-to-be-released comedy, "The Beaver."
Many have assumed that there's no future for the film in which Gibson plays the CEO of a toy manufacturer who becomes so depressed he can only communicate with the outside world via a beaver hand puppet.
Well the folks at Summit appear to have heeded our counsel and are moving ahead with the film's release, having submitted it to the Motion Picture Association of America, which has given the film a PG-13 rating for "mature thematic material, some disturbing content, sexuality and language including a drug reference."
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
Not only are we eager to see this film, we're even willing to help out by nominating Sept. 10 as a release date. The biggest movie out that weekend is "Resident Evil: Afterlife," which will apeal to an entirely different audience. Beyond Milla vs. the Zombies, there's an Australian musical, a French film about junkies in love, a feel-good about a high school wrestler and two super low-budget movies that no will see. Really, the field is wide open.
The film was directed by Jodie Foster, who co-stars as Gibson's wife, along with Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence. The script, by Kyle Killen, was recently No. 1 on the 2008 Black List of best unproduced films floating around Hollywood.
This thing had buzz before it was even made, stars two of the biggest A-listers of the previous generation and possibly two of the biggest A-listers of the next generation, plus it's got all this added heat from Mel's personal problems. All Summit has to do is add water, it'll make it's own sauce.


text: i have 10ft pine trees that were very healthy. there is thousands of bags on them. not practical to pick off bags lol. it snuck on me, i saw one of them dieing and noticed bags, I had 7 trees and 5 shrubs infected. did research and found out what they were. I just went to lowes and bought some sevin that you hook to a hose. i talked to some places and they all told me something differant. I just did the easiest thing I could find before major damage was done


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- For Fall/Spring: This option is for Subscription School Year Option with monthly payments – $68 per month flat fee. Enroll anytime for Foundations, Level 1, 2, 3 or Mixed Age. First monthly payment charged upon receipt of this registration. Additional payments are charged on the 1st of each month. View our subscription information, guidelines and perks! All paid subscribers can sign up weekly for a secondary class in addition to their primary class. Reservations are required. Any cancellation requests must be sent to Grow and Sing Studios via email (firstname.lastname@example.com) prior to the 1st of any month, and the request will be honored. If received after the 1st, no refunds will be given for prior month charges, but will be effective for any future charges.
- For Summer: Your fees will be split in 2 payments with the first payment charged at time of registration, and 2nd payment charged on the first day of our Summer semester. This option incurs a $3 convenience fee.
For Discounts / Vouchers (Groupon, etc.)The amounts shown do not reflect any discounts (multiple siblings, dual enrollment, prorating, etc.) or vouchers (Groupon, etc.) which will be applied before your credit card is charged.When entering the Attendee Information, follow the instructions provided regarding vouchers in the Payment Information section on the Attendee Information page. Please note that any multiple class or child pricing (along with any other deductions that need to be made as per your note during registration) will be adjusted AFTER you enroll. We review all registrations prior to any charges being made. Our system computes classes on the full price basis only and we adjust for you after we receive! Thank you!
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The City of Portland is streamlining the annual tax billing process to create greater efficiency and lower overall costs. Beginning with the FY20 tax bills, which will be mailed in early September 2019, residents will receive a single annual tax bill with two payment coupons. In previous fiscal years the City incurred significant additional staff, supplies, and postage cost by mailing two separate bills semiannually. The City website has also recently been updated to make all tax information available to the public at any time, 365 days a year at the following link: https://www.portlandmaine.gov/1567/View-AndOr-Pay-Your-Property-Taxes-On-Li
During the first year of transition the City will be mailing the annual tax bills in early September, rather than the traditional August mailing date. First half tax bill due dates will be adjusted accordingly, with payment not due until October 18, 2019 vs the standard mid-September due date. The March 20, 2020 second half bill due date remains unchanged.
Complete details on the change will be included in the September tax mailing. In the first year of implementation a reminder postcard will be sent to residents in February 2020.


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not_essence2 wrote:Holy crap. I really hope that this won't happen, but I always remembered to have a little voice inside my head to say "Don't go into denial. Deal with it realistically. Denial won't help anybody."
So if 15 states are really signing petitions to leave the US, 1. Who's actually signing the petitions? The citizens or just the government?
and 2. If they really secede, we know that it's not going to be pretty. This secession will be cutting the contiguous US into pieces, especially with New York. And as it stands, I'm thinking of preparing for war.
But 3. If the citizens are filing the petition, those numbers are pretty weak.
And 4. If more states are "expected to follow", and it ends up being almost all of the 50 states, the rest of the states will probably go with them, along with District of Columbia. It's just bureaucratic crap for nothing, except that Obama won't be the president anymore.
5. There's been hotly contested races before, and there's been depressions before. It's a wonder secession only happens now, but of course, Catastrophe Theory hasn't been properly researched yet, so we couldn't predict it.
xsvMix wrote:This makes me sad. Back where I live we have had the same party controlling the country for 20 years, the president himself has faced charges of corruption, which magically disappeared. Now my country is a financial and infrastructural mess with racially unfair laws in effect.
So as a foreigner to American politics I ask what is so bad about Obama getting another term?
not_essence2 wrote:Hmm, well, I do believe that no president will do as much damage as a state seceding. I mean, Obama can't do that much damage... Usually.
Or were you just trolling?
But seriously, if the citizens are signing the petition, then they should really just leave the country themselves. Yes, it would be less dignified, but those numbers look small.
Mars7411 wrote:What's Bad About Obama's Next Term? We now have to Get shitty Health Care which will raise our taxes 85% and we have to even PAY for it or if we don't get Obama care, we get Fined.
Mars7411 wrote: I don't have the Money to Leave. So, we Try to get our states to Secede.
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Call of Duty (Juggernaut Soda)
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An officially licensed Call of Duty framed print available to buy online at PyramidShop.com.
Our framed print range is produced using the latest digital printing technology to produce a high quality and durable image. The prints are pre-framed in a black wrapped MDF frame using clear plexi glass to prevent damage during transit and make ideal gifts.


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Cordless Screwdriver Kit
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Storm Force cordless Li-ion screwdriver kit. Attached with an integrated 3.6V Li-ion battery, which supplies superior power and longevity compared to conventional rechargeable batteries.
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A new report identifies better business practices, herd health and risk management as opportunities for higher profitability.
Pennsylvania, still the fifth largest U.S. milk producing state, is not keeping pace with production increases of competing top dairy states, according to a year-long analysis conducted by Pennsylvania's Center for Dairy Excellence (CDE).
"The analysis was a comprehensive year-long review of Pennsylvania's dairy industry to identify historical trends and needed interventions in the production, processing and consumption segments of the industry," says John Frey, CDE Executive Director.
The analysis shows that Pennsylvania is geographically well-positioned near large consumer population centers. But a decline in fluid milk sales has changed the region's milk blend price, with more milk now moving into Class II yogurt sales. Nevertheless, products labeled as "local" or "100% high quality" resonate with consumers' taste for locally produced, high quality dairy products.
State dairy farmers also have not kept pace with industry standards. From 2008 to 2012, milk production has increased just one pound per cow per day. "If Pennsylvania's rolling herd average grew from 21,000 lb. to 24,000 lb., that would translate to 1.6 billion lb. more milk annually," says the report.
Small herds, those with less than 50 cows, are out-performing similarly sized herds in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and New York. But production per cow from herds with more than 500 cows is the lowest among the five states. As a result, Pennsylvania's rolling herd average is the lowest of these states.
Many farms also produce grain and other crops for cash. "If the 600 herds surveyed with under 100 cows increased the percentage of their cropland use for dairy forage production by 10%, an additional 6,000 cows would be supported by those dairies," says the report. "That, in turn, would allow those farms to optimize their assets and spread fixed costs over additional units of milk production."
Along with these production issues, the report identifies better business practices, herd health, risk management as opportunities for higher profitability. It also challenges dairy processors to do a much better job marketing dairy products to reverse fluid milk sales declines.
The analysis was a joint effort by CDE, Penn State, the University of Pennsylvania and the Saint Joseph University School of Food Marketing. You can read more here.


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Serious Green: Community Supported Kitchens
"A CSK doesn't just deliver local, sustainable product, it provides you with a ready-to-eat meal."
You try your best to be green, buying local when you can, recycling, conserving water, the list goes on. But when it comes to participating in a Community Supported Agriculture (or CSA) share, you stop short. Unknown quantities of a random assortment of vegetables piling up on you week after week? Eeek.
What's New On Serious Eats
If this sounds like you, or maybe you don't like too cook or find it too time-consuming or too isolating, Community Supported Kitchens to the rescue!
A Community Supported Kitchen (CSK) is a new idea to connect farmers and eaters, especially those eaters who wand to eat locally, but currently don't. CSKs are a totally new model: they're not a catering company and not quite a private home chef. These cooperative kitchens take away the mystery of what to do with those vegetables and all the cooking that comes along with them. They buy fruit, vegetables, meat, and eggs from local farms and transform them into meals for sale to that same community, all the while using super-high standards for environmental stewardship.
A CSK moves beyond the original idea of buying into a share of a farmer's harvest or even the second-wave idea of buying into a share of bacon, preserves, pie, or fish.
Instead of buying into the vegetables from a CSA, you're buying into the prepared food made from those same vegetables. A CSK doesn't just deliver local, sustainable product, it provides you with a ready-to-eat meal.
The CSKs below all emphasize a sustainable model for producing prepared food and meals on a community scale, not on a corporate or home scale. The people behind the kitchens encourage members to get involved and stress that preparing and sharing food is an important human activity, an essential part of any community.
And yes, it's expensive. And no, this is not the answer to getting fresh, local, sustainable food to all people, regardless of income or socio-economic level. But, it is a new way to get more people eating good food and for communities to feed themselves.
Here are four CSKs in different parts of the U.S.
Three Stone Hearth: Berkeley, CA
Berkeley's Three Stone Hearth, was the first CSK and has paved the way for others around the U.S. It's run by five worker-owners along with a slew of apprentices, interns, and volunteers.
The kitchen adheres to the dietary ideas of the Weston A. Price foundation. They follow a model of using nutrient dense, local foods including: traditional fats, fermented foods, raw and cultured dairy products, soaked or sprouted whole grains, unrefined sweeteners, animal products from pastured livestock, and avoid processed and chemical ingredients.
All food is packaged in reusable containers, like mason jars. Some of this week's menu includes: beef barley stew with mushrooms, split pea soup with bacon and pork broth, three bean salad with pickled peppers, pink passion sauerkraut, and nectarine raspberry crisp. Along with the meals, customers can order specialty products and pantry items like fermented sodas, local cheese, multi-grain crackers, and coconut oil. Food can be picked up on-site, at drop-off sites, or delivered door-to-door.
Salt, Fire & Time: Portland, OR
Salt, Fire & Time was started by a former apprentice of the Three Stone Hearth kitchen in Berkeley. This CSK offers similarly delicious, traditional food options organized around a weekly pick-up at their kitchen. In addition to meal options like lamb burgers and beet salad with citrus and vanilla, Salt, Fire & Time sells snacks like crystallized ginger-date truffles and spiced almonds. They also organize seasonal community feasts, classes, and volunteer opportunities.
Sweet Deliverance: New York, NY
Kelly Geary is the one-woman powerhouse behind Sweet Deliverance. Geary trained at Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Little Giant but felt she was missing a connection with the farmers growing the food she was cooking and people eating the food she was making.
So she teamed up with Hearty Roots Farm and Paisley Farm to bring busy New Yorkers healthy, hearty food like shepherd's pie with caramelized onions and cheddar smashed potatoes, citrus roasted beets, and pear and cardamom tart. A 12-week basic share starts at $265 along with a delivery fee. Geary also offers special packages to help keep new moms healthy and full. Sweet Deliverance delivers to your doorstep (if your doorstep is in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, or the Bronx).
Here is a short video of Kelly taking the food from the field, to the kitchen, and finally packing it all up for delivery:
Local Sprouts Cooperative: Portland, ME
The worker-owned Local Sprouts CSK started in 2007. They offer "Local Choice" memberships, allowing you to pick and choose when and what food you want or a "Seasonal Membership" where you pre-pay for a week's worth of food for the season. A Seasonal Membership for two costs $384.
The weekly menu for pick-up might include carrot ginger soup, Southern style greens with bacon, roasted tomato and garlic haddock over homemade herb pasta, and baked apples for dessert. All food is packaged in reusable fabric bags, boxes, and glass jars. Local Sprouts also has opportunities for worker members, who can work in exchange for food credit. Local Sprouts is opening a Community Supported Cafe in 2010, which will feature a local foods menu, community events and workshops, local food retail, and art.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Are you dazzled by the glitz of the Oscars and BAFTA awards ceremonies? The lavish stage sets, lights, screens, and triumphant fanfares? Well, here at Lightsource, we're determined to help you dazzle at your own awards event and at a fraction of the cost!
We have the tools and the skills to make your awards event in Birmingham look and feel truly special. We enhance our Presentation Packages with shining stars, lighting effects, special music cues, live video on-screen, photography backdrops, and DVDs of the night for your guests or for the web. And you don't have to be in the Royal Opera House or have a unlimited budget to get big results. Why not let Lightsource add the professional quality to the look and feel of your celebration and ensure the success of your event? Birmingham will never have seen the like!
Let Lightsource bring the sparkle, all you'll have to worry about is getting your glad rags on!
"Thanks for all your help over the years; it has always been a pleasure working with you and the team."
"I personally believe the conference was the best yet!"
"Magnificent support. Took one major area of worry completely off my shoulders and everything handled by Lightsource was totally superb. Great result, audience happy and wonderful feedback from the event Very many thanks"
"As a team we decided we wanted a video that was professionally produced to head up and share our school with a wider audience. From the outset we were confident that Lightsource Productions would deliver. "
"All went like clockwork and gave a really professional feel to the event."
"Lightsource have helped us in three stages of development of our main hall and each time we have found them to be excellent. We now have an auditorium that seats 600 with a lighting, sound and visual projection system in place which is robust and reliable, easy to use for a variety of user groups, and of excellent quality. It really feels like they intuitively know what we are trying to achieve and therefore it does not require too much explanation."
"Thank you for your contribution to the success of last night's Pride of Shropshire Awards. There was a lovely atmosphere in the room and great to see so many of our sponsors and guests enjoy their evening."
"...great presentations, videos and branding…The feedback has been really positive Thank you for all your support, flexibility and delivering on time!"
"I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Lightsource."
"Thank you for all your efforts and professionalism. As usual we provided tight deadlines, but you delivered to a brilliant standard with great innovation."
"We have had fantastic feedback and your ability to run the event so smoothly really adds to the impact the event can have. Appreciated your humour and support, as it felt like a long few days, so thanks to yourself and also your team "
"I was pleased that the team included an intern from a local college."
"I wanted to let you know how pleased we were to have Rob help us with the conference - we couldn't have done it without him. He dealt with the quirky wiring at the venue really well and the DVD looked great."
"From the point of quotation, Lightsource was very friendly and efficient. Their non-flappable and relaxed way of working was reassuring and the results were great."
"We had a tight turnaround for the project and Lightsource delivered ahead of the deadline."
"The team were thorough, efficient and very quickly produced the video that we were hoping for. In fact it exceeds our expectations and was extremely good value."
"Thank you to everyone at Lightsource for the help and support for our event, we'll be sure to recommend Lightsource in the future "
"Please accept my sincere thanks for all your help and pass on my thanks to your team"
"Customer service was excellent – responsive, enthusiastic and easy to deal with. I would happily recommend Lightsource."
"On behalf of the team here, thanks so much once again for another brilliant stage production."
"Your input was greatly appreciated and I look forward to working with you again."
Huge printed set backdrops!
Lightsource Productions provided awards staging, lighting and technical production for a recent event that recognised individual and team contributions and collaborative working in the mental health service focussing on improving people's lives.
Tourguide Technology
Lights, music, large screens, video, glitz and glamour....what a year 2015 has been for awards!


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At PLAYMOBIL FunPark, located in Zirndorf to the west of Nuremberg, it's playtime all year round! The 90,000m² of indoor and outdoor areas offer all kinds of fun and entertainment for children aged three and above.
PLAYMOBIL FunPark in Zierndorf, a stop on the German Road of Toys, is a popular all-weather attraction for families with children and has a great hilltop location. In among the oversized PLAYMOBIL activity worlds are a 17m pirate ship, a 20x20m medieval castle, a jungle ruin, an American Indian village, a gold/gemstone mine, a farm with tractor trail, a dinosaur discovery trail and a treehouse with a magical fairy well. Cowboys and cowgirls will love the Wild West city, and there's plenty more to capture the imagination of the little ones, not to mention all the play equipment and places to run around and have fun. Kids can also practise climbing, clambering and balancing on the covered high ropes course with its light labyrinth or on the huge Okta climbing net. Another fun-packed highlight is the 5,000m² HOB Centre: from fearless Vikings, brave knights and romantic fairytale castles to modern city living – in this indoor PLAYMOBIL city, kids get to play with larger-than-life versions of the original PLAYMOBIL figures. The colourful power paddle boats on the lake are ideal for budding sea captains aged three and upwards. PLAYMOBIL FunPark is also popular because of its regular special events. Whether it's the children's carnival, the popular play afternoons or the many fun activities, boredom doesn't stand a chance!
Of course, no trip to the PLAYMOBIL FunPark with its larger-than-life models is complete without a trip to the shop. Here you'll find the most popular figures and play kits to take home as souvenirs. Other highlights in the park include a mini golf course, a family-friendly hotel and a garden centre that features special activities for kids. And right next door there is even a spacious motorhome site with a fresh water supply (no drainage or electricity hook-ups, no camping).
Kaksi hyödyllistä näppäinyhdistelmää selaimen tekstikoon muuttamiseksi:
Suurenna: +
Pienennä: +
Lisäohjeita saat selaimen valmistajalta napsauttamalla kuvaketta:


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Private and exclusive piano lessons for adults in London
Are you looking for outstanding quality piano lessons in London?
Do you believe in receiving top-notch instruction with a master piano teacher who genuinely cares for your piano success?
Do you like the idea of attending private and exclusive music events with like-minded friends of music in a formidable and prestigious setting?
If this resonates with you, then you've just discovered the perfect private piano learning establishment dedicated to you!
Make Your Piano Dreams Come True…
You've dreamed for years to play Sergei Rachmaninoff's third Concerto… you secretly want to play this divine instrument, but somehow you just haven't found the time yet.
Now there is no excuse, we are located only 5 minutes from Liverpool Street station! lessons take place in a divine setting overlooking the city!
It's the ultimate stress reliever, helping you get rid of your frustrations and workload.
It doesn't matter if you've never played before – as long as you've got a passion to want to learn how to play, we will show you how to learn in an easy, fast and efficient manner.
You can now study classical piano, jazz piano, blues piano, popular piano and rock piano styles with us.
On a regular basis you will benefit from student contest and get-togethers when you can meet other like-minded professionals who play the piano for their pleasure!
In these prestigious evening parties, you can have an opportunity to perform in a non-judgemental setting and discover the glory of music while enjoying a glass of champagne!
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» Yes, You Can Play the Piano!