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The goal of creating a just society is never achieved, but it is always achievable.
Dr. Susan Cole, president of Montclair State University, delivered this remark at a recent event welcoming more than 60 tenth-graders to the Give Something Back program. I think it was an appropriate message for these young people given how much their world is changing day by day, often with unkind or even tragic consequences.
Dr. Cole reminded our scholars that even though we may never achieve the just society we all yearn for, we must always be on the road to getting there. And the very best way to get to a better tomorrow is through quality education today.
At Give Something Back, we want to help provide a path to a college education for students who face adversity so they can achieve their full potential and make important contributions to our world. Our partner colleges, which include Montclair State, are on board with this mission.
These institutions (there are 26 Give Back partner colleges throughout the country), have as much skin in this game as we do. Each of our partners have generously agreed to cover any gap between college costs and the sum of financial aid and Give Back scholarships. They are putting a lot of money on the table.
As Dr. Cole noted, the future will never be perfect, but it can be better than it is today. By giving these bright, talented young people a Give Back college scholarship, we are handing down the responsibility of working toward building a better tomorrow — one that is more socially conscious, kinder, and ready and able to give back.
I am honored to join our partner universities in helping these scholars on this path.


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The Senate on Monday unanimously confirmed David Shulkin to lead Veterans Affairs (VA).
Shulkin, a physician, is the first non-veteran to head VA. As VA secretary, Shulkin will be responsible for the second-largest federal agency in the United States, which includes health care, benefits delivery, and other support programs. Shulkin will oversee 350,000 employees and almost 2,000 VA clinics and medical centers, the Washington Post reports.
Background on Shulkin
Before his confirmation, Shulkin served as VA's undersecretary for health—a position he held since June 2015. As undersecretary for health, Shulkin directed the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which oversees the care of about nine million veterans at nearly 1,000 VA clinics nationwide. Shulkin took over VHA following a scandal that emerged in 2014 over long wait times for veterans seeking health care and subsequent cover-up efforts.
The wait time scandal, a growing backlog of disability claims appeals, and more recent provider shortages at VA have prompted debate over privatizing VA health care. Some veterans groups strongly oppose privatization, arguing that VA is uniquely qualified to handle veterans' health care.
During his confirmation hearings, Shulkin vowed to reform VA's health care system without privatizing it. "There should be no doubt that if confirmed as secretary, I will seek major reform and a transformation of VA. But [VA] will not be privatized under my watch," he said.
Vote details
The Senate voted on Shulkin's nomination after 10 minutes of debate, during which several senators praised Shulkin.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said, "Although progress has been made in recent years there are still changes at the VA we need to address." He continued, "I look forward to working with Shulkin on these matters," adding, "I believe he's the right person to head the VA today."
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) recalled a town hall meeting Shulkin attended in Maine, saying, "I was impressed and remain truly impressed with Shulkin's understanding of the needs of rural veterans [and] the challenges of providing health care in rural settings," adding, "Shulkin is an excellent nomination."
Veterans groups react
Veterans service organizations also supported Shulkin's confirmation.
Veterans of Foreign Wars National Commander Brian Duffy in a statement said, "Veterans are very fortunate to have [Shulkin] voluntarily stay in what has evolved into the most scrutinized and criticized position in the country."
Concerned Veterans for America (CVA), which has supported efforts to privatize VA, said it was "encouraged" by Shulkin's comments to reform and transform VA. CVA Policy Director Dan Caldwell in a statement said, "We look forward to partnering with [Shulkin] to bring real accountability to [VA] and empower veterans who wish to use their benefits to access care in the private sector." The group added, "We remain optimistic that [Shulkin] will embrace the bold reforms President Trump laid out on the campaign trail, so that American veterans will begin to see a more transparent, efficient, and customer-focused VA" (Carney, The Hill, 2/13; Slack, USA Today, 2/13; Rein, Washington Post, 2/13; Peterson/Kesling, Wall Street Journal, 2/13; O'Brien, Politico, 2/13).
You've filled the position. Now what?
Retaining new hires is one of the longstanding challenges in health care. Despite manager and HR efforts, newly hired employees continue to turn over at a rate far above that of more tenured staff members. In fact, new hire turnover is a disproportionate driver of an institution's overall turnover rate. Nationally, employees with less than one year of tenure make up nearly 25 percent of all health care turnover.
But there's good news: better employee onboarding can dramatically reduce these rates. And we have two toolkits to help you improve the onboarding process, including editable templates, checklists, and guides to equip both HR and managers to efficiently and effectively onboard new employees.

subset: commoncrawl


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Discrimination in the workplace, be it to do with gender, religion, race or sexuality, is no joke and isn't something that should never be handled lightly. For years, women in the workplace have been subjected to varying forms of discrimination by their peers and superiors.
Discrimination can range from losing out of a promotion, an unfair gender pay gap, exclusion from an important project, or at it's worst – sexual assault. Despite how small or insignificant you may feel the discrimination towards you is, if it is affecting your quality of life in any way then you should seek to sort it out. There are laws place to ensure your happiness and safety in the workplace, and to stop exactly this kind of discrimination taking place.
How are Women Still Discriminated Against in the Workplace?
Sexual harassment is, sadly, still common within the workplace. Often played down as a 'joke', women are being made to feel uncomfortable day after day, for fear that a reaction will result in them being laughed at or not taken seriously.
Women are judged on their physical looks and what they wear considerably more frequently than are their male counterparts. Women are not only discriminated against for being "pretty" or "attractive", but they can also be victimised for not being attractive enough, or in some positions, for not being "sexy" enough.
The "glass ceiling", is a term which refers to the prevention of women from being able to become as successful or senior as their male co-workers, which derives from the sexist and archaic ideology that women should be secretaries, stay at home mums and men should be the main "bread winners".
In 2017, we would home that such an ideology should be long dead and buried, but old habits die hard and there is still discriminatory behaviour present towards women.
Women of "child making age" also often lose out on huge promotions to their male peers, because of the cost to the employer should they fall pregnant. A lot of women are aware that they are being treated this way, but feel they can't do anything about. After all, how will they prove it?
Sometimes discrimination is a systemic problem, meant to either stifle your professional worth or at least make you keep quiet about what is going on. On other occasions, it is one senior person acting upon their personal prejudices and values. In either case, there are employment lawyers that can to ensure that all women's, and people's, voices are heard and that any discriminatory behaviour is quashed.
Talk to Somebody You Trust:
If you are experiencing discrimination in the workplace, the thing to do is to speak to somebody that you trust. Even if it's a friend, partner or family member – they will be able to offer a fresh perspective and give you guidance.
Decide How to Approach the Problem:
Once you have been given some advice on how to handle the situation. You can…
Handle it Personally:
Being up front in a discriminatory situation can often have a really positive outcome. People who are acting in a discriminatory way sometimes just need the severity of the situation to be put into perspective in order for there to be any form of resolution. They may not realise the effect it is having on you or how it makes you feel. This is, of course, no excuse, but it can resolve the issue.
Speak to a Lawyer:
You should look at your company's anti-discriminatory policy and see if it highlights any of the behaviour you are experiencing.
Try and reach out to a senior member of the management team and tell them about what is happening. This can then either be resolved through them personally or will result in further legal action, either in a court or through a legal settlement.
The first thing that an employment lawyer will advise you to do is to document every action that you deem to be offensive or discriminatory. This may be in the form of a simple diary, which provides a means for you to clearly index and to refer back to.
Discrimination in the workplace is something that needs to be quashed. If you believe that you are being victimised, then it is important to take action and improve your work life.


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Three CMS faculty have received OK-INBRE grants totaling $189,160 for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Dr. Mohammad Hossan, Associate Professor of Engineering & Physics, received a Research Principal Investigator grant for $189,160. His project "Flow Analysis of a Bioresorbable Pipeline Embolization Device for Treatment of Aneurysms," involves the design and development of bioresorbable pipeline embolization devices (PEDs) that will control aneurysm-specific hemodynamic parameters and degrade after completely dissolving the aneurysm.
Dr. Hari Kotturi, Professor of Biology, received a $31,389 grant for his project, "Incorporation of Mycobacteriophages in Electrospun Nanofiber." The goal of the study is to develop an antimicrobial dressing by incorporating bacteriophages that can kill Mycobacterium abscessus, a common causative agent of soft tissue infections in hospitals. Dr. Kotturi's research team will be able to enhance the antimicrobial property of polycaprolactone/collagen I (PCL/Col I) nanofiber by integrating mycobacteriophages into the nanofiber used as a wound dressing.
Dr. Christina Hendrickson, Coordinator of the Human Physiology Lab in the Department of Biology, was funded $27,083 for her project, "Investigating Anti-carcinogenic Effects of Taraxacum officinale." The specific aims of the research are to: determine cancer cell viability and apoptosis; determine whether cancer cell apoptosis is activated by intrinsic or extrinsic pathways, and whether leakage of pro-apoptotic factors from mitochondria or induction of oxidative stress on cancer cells are involved in induced cell death; and determine cancer cell migration and invasion.


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Even though bonded labor is prohibited in India by law and even though the Constitution directly and indirectly prohibits the practice vide Articles 21, 23 (1) and 24, and a specific law that prohibits the practice, the Bonded Labor System (Abolition) Act was legislated in 1976, bonded labor is widely practiced and there is no sign that this will go away anytime soon.
When I tell people that there are more slaves in the world today than at the time of Abraham Lincoln, most are surprised. They have always known that Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery. Of course he did so only in the United States, but as far as most people's information goes, slavery did not occur anywhere else – much less in India.
But the fact is that slavery – modern day slavery— is alive and well in many parts of the world including India that have signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which is the fountainhead of all national legislation on life and liberty.
The following separate slavery from other human rights violations as per the website Anti-slavery. A slave is usually:
"forced to work — through mental or physical threat; owned or controlled by an 'employer', usually through mental or physical abuse or threatened abuse; dehumanized, treated as a commodity or bought and sold as 'property'; physically constrained or has restrictions placed on his/her freedom of movement."
In India slavery manifests itself in several forms – human trafficking, begging rings, forced marriages, bonded labor which includes child labor. Many of these are so embedded in our culture and practice that we have developed a blind spot. We can't easily discern them and even if we did, we would be often helpless in terms of knowing what to do.
Bonded Labor is one such form of slavery that we are inured to because it so pervades our social milieu. We are all familiar with the typical Bollywood zamindar, an evil, lecherous man who has whole villages at his beck and call because typically at a time of crop failure, they borrowed some grain to survive and then never could quite pay it back because the interest cascaded at a galloping rate. While we may think that this was all glamorized fiction, the fact is that this is all grim reality.
The US Secretary of State recently revealed an annual report on human trafficking around the world. According to this authoritative document the forced labor of millions of its citizens constitutes India's largest trafficking problem. Men, women and children in debt bondage are forced to work in industries such as brick kilns, rice mills, agriculture, and embroidery factories. A common characteristic of bonded labor is the use of physical and sexual violence as coercive tools."
Bonded labor, one common form of slavery in India, is deeply embedded in our caste system and social hierarchy; it is estimated that nearly 80%-98% of the bonded labourers in India would belong to the Scheduled castes and tribes. Weak economic positions and lack of access to resources increase Dalits' dependence on wage labor. Extreme poverty forces Dalits to take up loans and they hold no other assets to lever their debt other than their labor.
By Shantanu Dutta


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Boxing Junkie
The USA's top 2016 Olympic hopeful at heavyweight is doing double duty in Reno, Nev., this week.
He will be participating in the U.S. men's Olympic Boxing Trials there all week, hoping to gain a spot on the U.S. squad for the Rio Olympics.
And while he waited for competition to begin, did three standup comedy shows over the weekend at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino's Laugh Factory comedy club.
Few could do one, let alone both.
Cam F. Awesome handles it all with seeming ease, killing it on both platforms.
Awesome, 26, a four-time U.S. Amateur and three-time Golden Gloves champion, is looking to win his second consecutive Olympic Trials. He won at super heavyweight in 2012, but did not qualify internationally, which every Trials winner must do before actually qualifying for the Olympics.
He was suspended by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for missing mandatory drug tests and not being up to date on his paperwork. He was fighting internationally during that time but failed to inform USADA of his whereabouts three times during an 18-month span. He never had a positive drug test.
Awesome, from Lenexa, Kan., begins his 2016 quest on Monday against Adrian Taylor in the winner's bracket.
Since 2012, the fighter once known as Lenroy Thompson legally changed his name to Cam F. Awesome ("the F. stands for whatever you want it to be in your imagination"), became a vegan, and dropped more than 50 pounds. He qualified for the trials at both super heavyweight and heavyweight but is fighting in the heavyweight division.
Boxing Junkie caught up with Awesome last month during the black-tie Fight Night Charity event at the Washington Hilton Hotel. The charity raised millions for underprivileged children.
"The reason this charity means so much to me is because without the Inner City programs, I would have never been introduced to boxing. That's how I got involved," said Awesome, who initially took up the sport to lose weight. "I've gotten to see the world through boxing. In 2014 I went to 12 countries, got to be on an airplane for the first time through boxing, and it's done so many things for me. So, this event means a lot."
Awesome said his dynamic personality is due to confidence and belief in himself, which came partly from losing weight. "I speak to kids in different cities now and tell them to believe in themselves," he said. "So I cannot be a hypocrite and not believe in myself 100%. And I do. When I lose, I'm more confused than upset because I truly do believe I should win. And I believe I will get a gold medal in 2016. Yeah, I'm going to get a medal in 2016."
Awesome said it's time for the U.S. men to end an 11-year gold medal drought. Andre Ward, who will attend the trials this week along with welterweight champion Terence Crawford, was the last U.S. male to win gold, in Athens in 2004. The last American male to medal was current WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, who won bronze in Beijing in 2008. Claressa Shields won gold at middleweight in the debut of women's Olympic boxing in London, and Marlen Esparza won bronze.
"Claressa (Shields) is an animal. She's a gorgeous girl, she's sweet, but as soon as those gloves go on, she's a killer," Awesome said. "The girls brought medals to the U.S. in 2012, but the men haven't been following. I'm hoping in 2016, myself and nine other boxers in different weight classes will bring some medals in."
Awesome said he has gotten all his mistakes out during previous trials.
"I lost in my first Olympic Trials (in 2008). I think I finished fourth," he said. "I won the last one (2012) but was not able to go to the Olympics because of a technicality. Now, I believe I have the experience and maturity, the skill and the looks, and the charisma and the charm to win with ease and actually go to the Olympics this time.
"I just need to be myself and enjoy it like I always do. Everyone else puts pressure on themselves and I do really well when there's no pressure and I don't feel any pressure. I'm just going to enjoy myself and maintain my weight because that's new for me."


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Thursday, March 29, 2012
i'm so excited for the warm weather. the other morning, on our drive to work, danny and i were talking about all the things we wanted to do this summer. he started getting crazy saying he wanted us to go mountain biking and repelling. i got all into it and said i wanted us to do so many adventurous and crazy things too. like, ride our bikes to the park and have a picnic... we couldn't stop laughing. park and a picnic? i sure now how to live life on the edge.
Monday, March 19, 2012
my dad found this snail. he made a home for him. and then he called him slugo. kinda like how he found me. made a home for me. and called me daughter.
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I don't look at my referrer logs often, because they don't change much from day to day. A bunch of people have linked to some pages I wrote about weird Japanese fast food, someone linked from the Encyclopedia Dramatica to my rant about Super Princess Peach, and a few people have links to the post where I put a Halo helmet on my cat and took a picture of her.
My cat: Internet Celebrity.
That reminds me, I took a bunch of food photos while I was in Japan over the summer and inasmuch as most of my traffic comes from people looking for same (or looking for pictures of Pokémon characters in compromising positions, but this isn't that sort of blog), I should probably get to posting those.
But I digress.
Anyway, I noticed a new source on the referrer page, and following it led me to some deliciously-snarky writing about old videogames that nobody remembers. I blew through a couple of hours reading almost everything there; it's not a huge site but the content is of the "just one more article and I'll get back to productive work" variety.
Then I went through the links on the bottom of the page and lost nearly a week's free time to reading the entirety of the back archive of this guy's site.
As a rule, I don't follow the infighting and drama that surrounds anime fandom. This poor bastard has made it his career – he can't escape – but he's spent an awful lot of time in chronicling the most horrific parts of the "scene" in terribly entertaining fashion, and I felt the better for having read through all of it.
Also he nearly got me to buy a Gamera pachislot machine just by mentioning that companies import them, but that didn't pass the "wife test", for which – a week later, and saner – I'm actually grateful.


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Pascal's Wager (Blaise Pascal, 1623-1662) caught my attention because of its unique "game show-like" approach in philosophy. His position of simplicity makes the assumption that each person must ultimately come to a reckoning about God's existence (or non-existence) and His relevance (or lack thereof) to one's life. It was formed under a Christian apologetic framework that did not give an option of backing away from a choice just because one does not have answers one way or the other. (More on this later as to its relevance to the unbeliever making a decision for Jesus Christ.) It makes the assumption that (1) God exists and (2) that there is an eternity as He is eternal, and (3) that an eternity with God is a great outcome and a preferable alternative over a person's non-existence or an existence of separation from God.
A quick logical summary of Pascal's Wager:
1. "God is, or He is not"
2. A Game is being played… where heads or tails will turn up.
3. According to reason, you can defend neither of the propositions.
4. You must wager (it is not optional).
5. Let us weigh the gain and the loss in wagering that God is. Let us estimate these two chances. If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing.
6. Wager, then, without hesitation that He is. (…) There is here an infinity of an infinitely happy life to gain, a chance of gain against a finite number of chances of loss, and what you stake is finite. And so our proposition is of infinite force, when there is the finite to stake in a game where there are equal risks of gain and of loss, and the infinite to gain.
7. But some cannot believe. They should then 'at least learn your inability to believe…' and 'Endeavour then to convince' themselves. [1]
I'm not a gambler by any stretch, but the "wager" aspect of Pascal's argument is one of its major strengths. It rings true when you consider the decision-making opportunities of an unbeliever of Jesus Christ. Every day that goes by for the unbeliever is a calculated risk when no decision is made in acknowledgment of Christ as personal Lord and Savior. Without the intervention of God's Word and the Holy Spirit, a person (the flesh) is incapable of making a decision for Jesus Christ (John 15:26-27; 16:8-11, 13); however, from the moment that the Holy Spirit provides sufficient knowledge and consciousness to a person who has yet to commit to Christ, that is essentially the moment when he or she becomes a "risk taker" as to their eternal destiny. Can we assume that the rich man in Luke (16:19-31) knew enough about God but chose to take the fateful risk each day of loving himself and his wealth?
The weakness of Pascal's treatise can be seen in its general criticism that it was insufficient in its explanation of who God is (or even His presence) even though he clearly presented God from a moralistic argument. [2] His critics were largely atheists and agnostics who dismissed his argument altogether; however, they all missed the point. Pascal's point no. 7 (above) is an excellent one. Even if one does not understand God or question His presence, there is no reason to not "try" to understand (Proverbs 4:7). God only asks for a person to seek and that He would provide the answers (Matthew 7:7-8). In other words, there is no excuse for not seeking Him. Those that choose to dismiss God's presence in spite of the realization of nature are taking the ultimate risk:
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:20 NLT
When I came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, my knowledge of God was at a level somewhere between naivete and infancy. Once you acknowledge Him, you gain the ability to learn more and more about Him and His ways through faith in those moments you remain in fellowship with Him because of the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. All of this is a matter of faith. Agnostics dismiss faith in something that they cannot conceptualize, while atheists deny God altogether and put all of their "faith" in self:
"An atheist accepts that only in a knowledge of himself and a knowledge of his fellow man can he find the understanding that will help lead to a life of fulfillment." [3]
I wonder if Pascal had a dialogue with a non-believer who says there is no God and he responded with, "You wanna bet?!" If I were to present this to a non-believer, I would take the approach that Pascal conveys in his concept: "What do you have to lose?" and "Try it…you'll like it!" A failure to make a commitment would continually challenge the non-believer's sensibilities in the potential to miss out on eternal happiness in Christ–the essence of lostness (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:10, 23). Some people, however, will make the choice to reject Christ and live according to their flesh (where Pascal says you haven't lost anything). [4] The person who does not believe there is a God can live a life without a moral foundation, but this comes down to the "you'd better be right" assertion, for the other side of that is being lost for all eternity if God does indeed exist. By Pascal claiming that the non-believer must make a sincere choice (your wager, please), it presents a serious dilemma.
In my humble opinion, having a person consider Christ will take some time if there has not been given any consideration to who He is and what He is about. The moment that a person senses that the messenger is exerting pressure or coercion over allowing for a thought process to take place would push virtually anyone away. A non-believer should always get the sense that Jesus' burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30), but allow for the Spirit and the Word to do the "heart surgery" necessary to compel the non-believer to make a decision for Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:12-13).
In summary, I was intrigued with Pascal's Wager as a method to present a non-confrontational message to a non-believer. Even though we are challenged to go and preach the gospel (Matthew 28:19-20), we do not have the burden of explaining everything there is to know about God (because we can't)–all we are called to do is bring it (and let the Spirit take care of the rest).
1 Article – Pascal's Wager (n.d). From Wikipedia. Retrieved September 18, 2014 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal's_Wager
2 Blaise Pascal, Pensées, part III, p. 59; Published 1958 by E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc. Boston MA http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18269/18269-h/18269-h.htm
3 Quote – Murray v. Curlett, American Atheist Center (n.d.), Copyright 2014 – American Atheists, Inc., Cranford NJ, Retrieved September 18, 2014 from http://atheists.org/about-us
4 Lecture – Vernon Caston (n.d.). Week 2 Lectures, p. 8 – Topics in Philosophy CST5225, Crown College, St. Bonifacius MN


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Best Friends let itself get shuckered by a snake oil salesman who claimed to be someone who could train and re-home Katrina pit bull victims, and most of the 28 dogs they sent his way have turned up missing or dead.
Good for Best Friends for going after this scumbag though and for getting his ass hauled into jail. Good for the judge who is demanding restitution. This whole thing must have been turning insiders in-side-out all this time.
Katrina's lessons were beyond harsh. This raving bitch was bigger than all of us and she squashed good intentions like a Louisiana bug. But one thing she couldn't steal away was the impression the gulf coast pit bulls made on their rescuers. As a group, these dogs were exceptional. No matter how tattered and scarred, they were so true to their old world roots that they made each of us fall deeper for the breed. The fact that so many were destroyed post-storm is enough to twist our stomachs for years to come.
Next time, we must all be a little wiser, better connected, better resourced to make better decisions for the victims of these bigger disasters. There's no room for snake oil salesmen.
I posted pix of some of the storm dogs we brought back here. They represent just a tip of the iceberg of what was lost. If you own a pit bull from Katrina or have one in your circles, please share your story and let's turn this depressing blog entry around. (And yes, the pretty girl above made it. She was absorbed by Humane Society of Calumet and adopted to a young couple.)


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After a fun-filled afternoon at the Providence Children's Museum last Sunday, the family was looking for somewhere to eat before starting our journey home. Since I had randomly found out about the nearby Trinity Brewhouse a few days earlier, and subsequently confirmed they had a kid's menu, it seemed like a sign that we had to check it out!
I had a feeling this place was going to be fun before we even got inside. My picture doesn't really do it justice, but the outside of the building is lined with catchy signs advertising their wares and letting passersby know exactly where they can hope to find some good beer. Inside, a variety of decorations, signs, and murals added plenty of character to the otherwise dark, pub-like atmosphere. I won't go too much into the food, but my wife and I both really enjoyed our meals and found them far superior to your stereotypical pub fare. Both her bison-burger topped with goat cheese and my cheeseburger featuring onions and chorizo sausage were amazing. Not to leave anyone out, our toddler devoured his hot dog and fries, so I guess we can consider that dish a success as well. He was also quite amused by a T-Rex head mounted on the wall so I guess you could say they really did have something for everyone!
Now that I've set the scene, let's bring out the beer! There were eight house beers on tap that day so we ordered two six-pour flights in order sample them all and get a feel for the place. My wife recently starting drinking beer again, so this time around I had both help with all this beer and someone I could compare my notes with. Let's run down that list.
Starting at the top, we both found the 5.5% Kolsch to be one of the standouts. It had a smooth, clean sweetness and light body that paired very well with our hearty meals. Something about finding a good example of such a classic style really made me happy. Next on the list was Tommy's Red, a 5.9% amber ale that neither of us had any strong feelings about. It was a perfectly fine example of a style that perhaps isn't the most glamorous, but it also didn't give us the simple joy that the Kolsch did. Moving on we came to the RI IPA, a 7.9% English-style IPA that combined dry citrus notes and a mild piney bitterness with a solid malt backbone. I enjoyed this one, but my wife wasn't quite as impressed. Our opinions then flipped for Darkness, a 8% Russian Imperial Stout. My wife really enjoyed the robust roasted malt and chocolate profile whereas I thought it was a bit too roasty for my taste and would have liked it to have been slightly thicker.
Leading us into the bottom half of the list was Screaming Viking, a 5.6% wheat beer brewed with honey, ginger, and cardamom. There was a nice wheaty sweetness on the bottom of this, but ginger was by far the most prominent flavor. I'd say we both appreciated the novelty of a sample, but don't think either of us needed much more than that. Up next was the Cousin Brother, a 5% brown ale that wound up being my wife's favorite as she really enjoyed the light toasted malt profile and called it "the kind of beer you could drink all day." Not being a fan of brown ales I don't know that I quite agree with that statement but I can say that this was a very good example of the style for those that are into them. Second to last on the list was the 5.6% Belgian Gold which we both really enjoyed. Mild and smooth, it had a nice fruity Belgian yeast presence right from the start with a subtle peppery/spicy/floral finish. This one was probably my favorite. Closing things out was the biggest beer of the day, the 11% Belgian Quad. It drew a hard pass from my wife as it started out with a harsh alcohol presence she found off-putting but I gradually made peace with this one. It eventually settled somewhat into the more familiar realm of caramel malts and bubblegum yeast, but did maintain a hot edge to throughout.
And there you have it. Everyone found something they liked and we all left full and happy. With the consensus opinion being that the beer was good and the food was great, we will definitely be stopping in here again on future trips.


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Boke Dokie to Open inside Rachel's Ginger Beer on SE Hawthorne
In our April issue, we called out Rachel's Ginger Beer, an Emerald City export whose tart, lemony ginger elixir has amassed a cult following in Seattle since it opened in 2011. But the first Portland location, opened late last year and sitting across from the Bagdad Theater at 3646 SE Hawthorne, is still flying deep under Portland's radar.
At the end of this month, Boke Dokie—the scaled-down fried chicken concept from Boke Bowl—will join forces with RGB, bringing its devilishly spicy fried chicken nestled in a soft, buttery bun with tangy kimchi-slaw. (The kitchen inside RGB was briefly occupied by another Seattle concept, Sunset Fried Chicken.) Boke Bowl co-owner Patrick Fleming says that in addition to the basic menu, you can expect a rotating cast of green, leafy salads and desserts, miso butterscotch Twinkies to tapioca. Fleming expects Boke Dokie to open its kitchen at the back of RGB by the end of April.
Boke Dokie is in rapid expansion mode after the explosive success of its downtown food cart experiment in 2016. The cart has moved to the Tidbit pod at 2880 SE Division, and is expected to open with regular hours as soon as the weather gets good—probably the end of May. Yet another location is slated to open in the next week or two, inside the upcoming Portland Food Hall at 827 SW 2nd, alongside Aiko Ramen (formerly Hapa Ramen cart), the Whole Bowl, and Zaatar.
This feels like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.


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"There is a small village graveyard in one of the remote corners of Russia. Like almost all our graveyards, it presents a wretched appearance; the ditches surrounding it have long been overgrown; the grey wooden crosses lie fallen and rotting under their once painted gables; the stone slabs are all displaced, as though some one were pushing them up from behind; two or three bare trees give a scanty shade; the sheep wander unchecked among the tombs…. But among them is one untouched by man, untrampled by beast, only the birds perch upon it and sing at daybreak. An iron railing runs round it; two young fir-trees have been planted, one at each end. Yevgeny Bazarov is buried in this tomb."
Only birds are allowed to sit on the grave of one of the greatest heroes of Russian literature…
A Short Summary of Fathers and Sons
The protagonist Bazarov is a nihilist, he believes in nothing but science. His friend Arkady is a bit younger and looks up to him. Together they visit first Arkady's father and later Bazarov's parents. The parents adore their sons and are extremely happy to have them visit, but the sons are easily bored and don't stay long. In the course of the summer the friends drift apart; Arkady gives up his nihilist ideals and gets engaged. Bazarov returns to his parents and helps his father, who is a doctor, with his practise. One day in town he assists in dissecting a peasant who has died of typhus and accidentally cuts himself, gets infected and dies soon after.
Now let's attempt to analyse the wide variety of birds can be found in this short novel. The symbolic meanings of birds varies widely on both time and region, so I tried to use only the most common meanings and characteristics, that I could find.
1 Chicken
"A plump young chicken in motley plumage strutted self-importantly along them, tapping away firmly with its large yellow claws."
– This is the scene as father Nikolai waits impatiently for son Arkady. A chicken symbolises a need for shelter and protection. Father is anxious for his son to get home, so that he can keep an eye on him again, even though his son is already big. Bazarov calls Arkady a chicken a couple of times later on.
2 Dove
"A large grey dove flew down on to the road and hurriedly set about drinking from a puddle beside the well. Nikolai Petrovich started watching it and then his ear caught the sound of approaching wheels."
– Same scene, Nikolai is still waiting. The dove is of course a symbol of peace, and more significantly, in biblical terms: a messenger of peace and deliverance. Indeed, Nikolai's mind can rest at ease, no sooner has he seen the bird, or his son arrives. Ancient Slav beliefs say that the soul of the dead goes into the dove, so the dove could also be Arkady's mother, who has died a long time ago, especially since Nikolai was just thinking of her.
3/4 Skylarks and Rooks
"Everywhere skylarks poured out their song in unending, resonant streams. Lapwings cried as they circled above the low-lying meadows or ran about silently among the tufts of grass. Rooks wandered about, darkening beautifully among the soft green of the low spring wheat and disappearing in the rye, which was already beginning to whiten, their heads showing here and there among its smoky waves."
– This is the scene that greets Arkady and Bazarov as they drive to Nikolai's house. The skylark, lapwing and rook are all three strongly associated with spring in Russia, optimistic, cheerful spring. The skylark also symbolises the divine, flying up to heaven singing. There are several sayings in rural Russia concerning the rook, and most of them are about farming. Nikolai has recently turned his estate into a 'farm', a company with paid employees. It is not doing very well yet.
5 Snipe
"'You've got a bit of marshland there, by a grove of aspens. That's where I started up half-a-dozen snipe. You can go and kill them, Arkady.' 'You're not a hunter yourself?' 'No.'"
– Bazarov has gone for an early morning walk and tells his friend Arkady at breakfast about the snipes he saw. He uses the word 'killing', clearly he does not agree with his friend's hobby. Snipes are notoriously difficult birds to hunt, due to their erratic flight pattern.
6 Long-tailed Siskin
"From the ceiling, on a long cord, there hung a cage containing a short-tailed siskin; it ceaselessly chirruped and jumped about and the cage ceaselessly rocked and shook and hemp seeds pattered down on to the floor."
– This cage hangs in Fenitchka's room. She is Nikolai's unofficial wife; Nikolai is a widower, but he now has a child with the young Fenitchka, the daughter of his former housekeeper. Later he marries her, but at this point he is still embarrassed about the relationship. The siskin is a typical Russian bird, and Fenitchka is a typical Russian girl, with all the qualities generally associated with that.
7 Quail
"Dunyasha would gladly giggle at him and give him sidelong, significant looks as she ran past him all aflutter like a little quail."
– Dunyasha is a servant girl in Nikolai's house and she has taken a liking to grumpy Bazarov. She tries to attract his attention. In Russia the quail symbolises a young woman.
8 Swallows
"Swallows flew high above; the wind had quite died;"
– Actually you can already tell by that short sentence that it is a warm summer evening. Nikolai is outside thinking about his love for nature and poetry and the generation gap between him and his son, who thinks poetry is nonsense. The swallow stands for freedom. Nikolai worries too much about what others think, and thinks himself old, but he is only in his forties, and independent, free to marry Fenitchka. Several swallows flying above you is a good omen, Nikolai shall be happy.
9 Nightingale
"And now I hope, Arina Vlasevna, having sated your mother's heart to the full, you'll think about sating our dear guests because, as you know, even nightingales can't live on songs alone.'"
– Long lost son Bazarov has returned home to his delighted and adoring parents, together with his friend Arkady. Father tells mother to stop crying over his return and arrange dinner instead, because literally it says "it won't do to feed nightingales fables", thus Bazarov and Arkady are nightingales. Nightingales are generally considered poetic birds, valued for their beautiful and varied song. I should think here that father means quite literally that his wife should stop crying and feed those clever nightingales. Nightingales are always considered a good omen.
10 Telling a bird from its flight
"'Have it your way, please,' responded Vasily Ivanovich with a friendly grimace. 'I may be put on the shelf now, but I've also been about the world a bit and I can tell what a bird is from its flight."
– Bazarovs father thinks that Arkady is a spoiled youth, accustomed to luxury, Arkady denies that, but clearly the father doesn't believe him. What he probably thinks is that Arkady could never be a real nihilist like his son Bazarov, because he comes from an aristocratic family. This is the second time that Vasili uses an expression with a bird.
11 Fledgling Hawk
"Somewhere high above in the tips of the trees the unceasing screech of a fledgling hawk rang out plaintively."
– Bazarov and Arkady are lying in a haystack, talking and in the background you can hear a hawk and also cocks crying at each other. Their talk ends in a quarrel. An aggressive person can be referred to as a hawk, and cocks are also known for their aggression. This is one of the first signs of the friends drifting apart.
12 Falcon
"'There's nothing for it, Vasya! Our son's cut off from us. He's a falcon, like a falcon he wanted to come and he flew here, then he wanted away and he flew away. But you and I, we're just a couple of old mushrooms, we are, stuck in the hollow of a tree, sitting side by side and never moving. Except that I'll always remain the same for you for ever and ever, just as you will for me.' Vasily Ivanovich took his hands away from his face and suddenly embraced his wife, his true friend, more tightly even than he'd been used to embrace her in his youth, for she had comforted him in his misery."
– A typical and brilliant Turgenev piece of writing; in a way it summarises the whole book, capturing the difference between the generations. In Russian fairytales the falcon stands for a young man: fearless, courageous and fast. It also symbolises the boundless energy of the youth, often bordering on madness. So it is up to the young to conquer the world, and Arina and Vasily are doing the right thing by leaving their little falcon (I have noticed that Turgenev sometimes uses 'falcon' as a term of endearment) free. Here it's Bazarov's mother who uses and expression with a bird in it.
13 Sparrows
"He held in his hand a half-opened book while she picked out of a basket some last crumbs of white bread and threw them to a small family of sparrows which, with their characteristic cowardly impudence, jumped about twittering at her feet."
– Arkady is sitting in the garden with Katya, about to declare his love for her. She is feeding sparrows, widely associated with marriage in Russian folk tradition. This scene clearly suggests she is ready to get married.
14 Chaffinch
"'I suppose,' he began again in a more excited voice, just as a chaffinch in the birch foliage above him launched casually into song, 'I suppose it's the duty of any honest man to be entirely candid with those … with those who … with people close to him, I mean … and so I, er, intend …'"
– The next day Arkady wants to propose to Katya, and chaffinch 'casually' starts to sing. The male bird (casually!) sings to attract a mate, but Arkady is feeling anything but casual. Chaffinches are monogamous birds and thus Katya and Arkady can expect a happy and harmonious relationship.
15 Jackdaw
"'Goodbye, old mate!' he said to Arkady when he'd already climbed into the cart and, pointing to a pair of jackdaws sitting side by side on the stable roof, added 'There's a lesson for you! Learn from them!' 'What's that mean?' asked Arkady. 'What? You can't be all that poor at natural history! Or have you forgotten that the jackdaw is the most respectable family bird? Let them be your example! Farewell, signor!'"
– Here Bazarov even explains the superstitious meaning to us; jackdaws are indeed mates for life and in some cultures a pair sitting on a roof predicts a new arrival. Jackdaws looking at a traveller (Bazarov is already in the carriage!) is, however, a very bad omen indeed…
16 A wee grouse hen
"Arina Vlasevna was so flustered and ran about the house so much that Vasily Ivanovich compared her to 'a wee grouse-hen' and the docked tail of her short blouse actually did give her rather a bird-like look."
– Bazarov has returned home again and his mother is in all states. Turgenev uses the visual image of a grouse hen to bring the scene to life. We can certainly imagine her running about like a wee grouse hen.
17 A Crowing Cock
"Everyone had long faces and a strange quiet descended. A noisily crowing cock was removed from the yard and carted off to the village, quite unable to understand why it was being treated in this way."
– When Bazarov gets ill they remove a noisy cock from the yard. Bazarov's fighting spirit has left him too, he is going to die.
Legend has it that the original last page of Fathers and Sons was full of tear stains. Well, I certainly cant read it without crying, so it's probably true. Read and weep, dear readers..
"Often from the little village not far off, two quite feeble old people come to visit it—a husband and wife. Supporting one another, they move to it with heavy steps; they go up to the railing, fall down, and remain on their knees, and long and bitterly they weep, and yearn and intently gaze at the dumb stone, under which their son is lying; they exchange some brief word, wipe away the dust from the stone, set straight a branch of a fir-tree, and pray again, and cannot tear themselves from this place, where they seem to be nearer to their son, to their memories of him…. Can it be that their prayers, their tears are fruitless? Can it be that love, sacred, devoted love, is not all-powerful? Oh, no! However passionate, sinning, and rebellious the heart hidden in the tomb, the flowers growing over it peep serenely at us with their innocent eyes; they tell us not of eternal peace alone, of that great peace of 'indifferent' nature; tell us too of eternal reconciliation and of life without end."
-Fathers and Sons by Turgenev. I read the Dutch translation by Karel van het Reve and the Constance Garnett English translation. The 17 bird quotes are from the Oxford edition.
The photo of the skylark is from Wikipedia and the painting is from V.G.Perov, "The old parents at the grave of their son".
© Elisabeth van der Meer 2020


text:
John Zydron
Attorney Zydron combines over 32 years of military service, extensive courtroom experience, and outstanding industry recognition to get results.
He is a member of the Virginia State Bar and the North Carolina State Bar. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals – 4th Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the United States District Court – Eastern District of Virginia, Eastern District of North Carolina, the Supreme Court of Virginia, and the several Courts of the State of North Carolina. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Richmond in 1971, his Juris Doctorate from George Mason School of Law in 1977, and graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1986.
Mr. Zydron is a former Judge Advocate General of the Virginia National Guard and retired as a Brigadier General after 32 1/2 years of service. He earned the U.S. Legion of Merit Medal, the Virginia National Guard Bronze Star, the U.S. Meritorious Service Medal, the U.S. Army Commendation Medal, and the U.S. Army Outstanding Achievement Medal.
He is a former Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Norfolk, member of the National District Attorneys Association, and former President of the Chesapeake Bar Association. He is listed in the Richmond Magazine Super Lawyer's Section – "Top Attorneys in Virginia 2009 and 2010 and 2012" and also selected for SuperLawyer.com for 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016. He was selected as a "Top 100 Trial Lawyer" by the National Trial Lawyer's Association, and is a member of the Brain Injury Association of Virginia.
- United States Army Command and General Staff College, 1986
- George Mason School of Law, JD, 1977
- University of Richmond, BA, 1971
Bar Memberships
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- United States Supreme Court
- United States Court of Appeals – 4th Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
- United States District Court
- Eastern District of Virginia
- Eastern District of North Carolina
- Supreme Court of Virginia


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An exciting adventure story, The Call of the Wild was first serialized in the Saturday Evening Post in 1903 and was published in book form shortly thereafter. This novella is a great way to introduce students to naturalism, a literary movement that focuses on Darwin's idea of "survival of the fittest." Students should learn about this Darwinian theory and consider how it relates to the story. Naturalism also emphasizes the power of primitive emotions over human reason. Your class can discuss how Jack London anthropomorphizes the dog, Buck, in order to examine this concept.
The Call of the Wild centers around the Klondike Gold Rush, so providing a historical background on this event and information on the climate and general geography of the Yukon will give students a better understanding of the setting. The story can also be linked to other lessons on the history of the American frontier.
The story opens with Buck, the canine protagonist, being stolen from a California ranch and transported to Yukon, Canada to serve as a sled dog during the Klondike Gold Rush. On the trip north, Buck experiences the harshness of men and other sled dogs, both of which treat him brutally. As Buck adapts to this merciless environment, his primitive instincts come to life, and he reverts to his wolfish nature.
The Call of the Wild contains some violence and animal abuse.
Theme of Survival
Theme of Wilderness
Theme of Nature vs. Nurture
The Call of the Wild has been made into a number of movies, although some deviate significantly from the source material. The most accurate adaptation is a 1997 film, Call of the Wild: Dog of the Yukon, directed by Peter Svatek.
Find more great resources for teaching The Call of the Wild in your classroom here.
See all our Teacher's Guides to Literature here.
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Is the circumambulation (tawaaf) around the Kaaba seven times, during the Islamic Hajj (pilgrimage), supported in the Bibles?
The sections of this article are:
1- What is circumambulation around the Kaaba in
Islam, and Why?
2- Does Tawaaf (circumambulation) exist in the Old Scriptures?
3- The Islamic Rituals of Worship are all supported in the Bible.
(a)- The mystery of Number Seven in the Bible.
4- Islam is GOD Almighty's One and Original Faith to mankind, even
according to the Bible!
5- Conclusion.
Isaiah 35
1 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the
Arabia will rejoice and
blossom. Like the crocus,
From https://biblehub.com/lexicon/isaiah/35-1.htm:
1- What is circumambulation around the Kaaba in Islam, and Why?
Also visit:
Allah Almighty Said in the Glorious Quran:
"Behold! We gave the site, To Abraham, of the (Sacred) House (i.e., the Kaaba), (Saying): 'Associate not anything (In worship) with Me; And sanctify My House For those who compass it round, Or stand up, Or bow, or prostrate themselves (Therein in prayer). And proclaim the Pilgrimage among men: they will come to thee on foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways; (The Noble Quran, 22:26-27)"
This Prophecy indeed gets fulfilled every single year during the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca. For ample more Prophecies in Islam, please visit:
"Ṭawāf (طواف) is one of the Islamic rituals of pilgrimage. During the Hajj and Umrah, Muslims (Isaiah 56:5: Muslim is the future believers' name. Sons and daughters titles will be "no more")" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: #008000; font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.1875px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-image: none; background-repeat: initial initial; background-position: initial 50%; " href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslims (Isaiah 56:5: Muslim is the future believers' name. Sons and daughters titles will be "no more")">Muslims (Isaiah 56:5: Muslim is the future believers' name. Sons and daughters titles will be "no more") are to circumambulate the Kaaba (most sacred site in Islam) seven times, in a counterclockwise direction.[1] The circling is believed to demonstrate the unity of the believers in the worship of the One God, as they move in harmony together around the Kaaba, while supplicating to God." (Source)
For more information, please visit:
Jesus' Original Name:
Prophet Jesus' original name was Eesa, as this is also his Islamic name. The article (Eesa) also gives ample Hebrew references and proofs. Even in Latin, it is Iesu, and in Greek it is Iesus. There is also a great deal of evidence that Jesus spoke and preached in Arabic. Not only that, but Greek wasn't even that popular in Palestine. Islam's claims are very strongly supported. See proofs below.
Did early Christians preach Prophet Muhammad in Rome?
Did the early believers preach Prophet Muhammad in Corinth, Antioch, Rome and all other places? Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him, was the Jews' Messiah and final Prophet. In both the Glorious Quran and the Dead Sea Scrolls, Ahmed was prophesied to come. Ahmed in the Quran is Prophet Muhammad's prophetic name. Also, see below the Dead Sea Scroll image. The New Testament too predicts the coming of three:
Click on
Roman massacres:
Roman massacres:So did the early believers preach the coming of Prophet Ahmed or Muhammad? The answer is quite possible, but Muhammad would've been phase 2 for them and not phase 1. Jesus was the early believers' immediate Prophet, not Muhammad. And all of the details that they had were about Jesus, not Muhammad. It is also important to know that the following seven Roman Emperors have thoroughly burned all (burnt all) of the early believers' writings:
1. Nero
Read all the
details with references
here. Also visit: How big was the first New Testament?
What we have
today from "gospels" and "New Testament" were
100 years to 300 years after Jesus'
departure from this earth. So, the current
writings that we have are not original writings.
Also, to appease the Roman Empire's 3-headed
pagan religion and practices, the pagan 3-headed
trinity was invented [1]
Many lies had been fabricated after the original
writings were all lost. The Jews and
Christians of Arabia, however, did have writings
that predicted the coming of Prophet Muhammad.
These were some of the original texts that
survived. The early believers were expecting an Arabian Prophet. The OT thoroughly talks about him and his new Covenant coming from Kedar in Arabia, and the NT talks about him coming after the Messiah: Why wasn't Prophet Muhammad preached by the early Christians in Jerusalem, Arabia, Africa and Europe? Early cities like Antioch, Corinth, Rome and others were never taught the coming of Prophet Muhammad. Doesn't this prove that Islam is false? But he was preached!
The early believers were expecting an Arabian Prophet. The OT thoroughly talks about him and his new Covenant coming from Kedar in Arabia, and the NT talks about him coming after the Messiah:
Why wasn't Prophet Muhammad preached by the early Christians in Jerusalem, Arabia, Africa and Europe? Early cities like Antioch, Corinth, Rome and others were never taught the coming of Prophet Muhammad. Doesn't this prove that Islam is false? But he was preached!
From Why Jews settled in Arabia section:
Jesus also preached in Arabic:
See the clear proofs in the following:
Prophet "AHMAD" is found in the
Dead Sea Scrolls:
2- Does Tawaaf (circumambulation) exist in the Old Scriptures?
Also visit: Becca is Mecca in Psalm 4:6. According to (1) Cambridge commentary, (2) Jewish Encyclopedia and (3) Encyclopedia Biblica in Arabic and other sources. Ample Jewish and Christian references declare Becca's geography to be modern-day Mecca.
Let us look at the following verses from the Bibles:
Joshua 6:14-16
14 So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
15 On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times.
16 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, "Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!
It is unknown why the Jews circled or circumambulated Jerusalem seven times. The number 7 is unknown. It's just there in the Scriptures. If anything, this proves that there is a lot more from rituals and Commands in the Bible that are missing today. This is just one example. The Bible has examples of great things that are almost entirely not talked about in it. For example, the Bible very briefly talks about Enoch, and how GOD Almighty loved him so much that He took Enoch to Heaven in his body so that he wouldn't have to taste death:
Genesis 5:21-24
21 When Enoch was sixty-five, he had a son named Methuselah,
22 and during the next three hundred years he had more children. Enoch truly loved God,
23-24 and God took him away at the age of three hundred sixty-five.
Hebrews 11:3-6
3 Because of our faith, we know that the world was made at God's command. We also know that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen.
4 Because Abel had faith, he offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. God was pleased with him and his gift, and even though Abel is now dead, his faith still speaks for him.
5 Enoch had faith and did not die. He pleased God, and God took him up to heaven. That's why his body was never found.
6 But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him.
The following articles shed more light on the topic of the Bible and its contents:
Isaiah 35
1 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the
Arabia will rejoice and
blossom. Like the crocus,
From https://biblehub.com/lexicon/isaiah/35-1.htm:
3- The Islamic Rituals of Worship are all supported in the Bibles:
The Islamic Fasting, Prostrating to GOD Almighty in Worship, Doing Pilgrimage are all pillars of the Original Faith, and each one of them is supported in the Bible's Scriptures, and also outside of the Bible's Scriptures.
Again, also visit: The Bible also called the path to Mecca "THE PATH OF HOLINESS".
It was the pagans who plagiarized Islam's practices, not the other way around. The Bible also declares it.
Becca is Mecca in Psalm 4:6.
According to (1) Cambridge commentary,
Jewish Encyclopedia and (3)
Encyclopedia Biblica in Arabic and other sources. Ample Jewish and
Christian references declare Becca's geography to be modern-day Mecca. In the NIV Bible commentary of Psalm 84, they also mentioned that Selah was mentioned in verses 4 and 8 of Psalm 84. Half of the Book of Psalm talks about Selah, and half of the Book of Isaiah has prophecies about the blessed future Arabia [2] [3].
(a)- The mystery of Number Seven in the Bibles:
The following verses from the Bible make it clear that the number seven has a great importance in the Old Scriptures. But the reasons are not known. It's a mystery from GOD Almighty:
Genesis 33:3
He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
Genesis 41:2
when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds.
Genesis 41:5
He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk.
Genesis 41:22
"In my dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk.
Genesis 41:30
but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land.
Genesis 41:34
Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.
Genesis 41:53
The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end,
Genesis 50:10
When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father.
Exodus 13:6
For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the Lord.
Exodus 16:26
Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any."
Exodus 16:27
Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none.
Exodus 16:29
Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out."
Exodus 16:30
So the people rested on the seventh day.
Exodus 20:10
but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.
Exodus 21:2
[ Hebrew Servants ] "If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything.
Exodus 24:16
and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud.
Leviticus 8:33
Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days.
Leviticus 8:35
You must stay at the entrance to the tent of meeting day and night for seven days and do what the Lord requires, so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded."
Leviticus 13:4
If the shiny spot on the skin is white but does not appear to be more than skin deep and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest is to isolate the affected person for seven days.
Leviticus 15:13
"'When a man is cleansed from his discharge, he is to count off seven days for his ceremonial cleansing; he must wash his clothes and bathe himself with fresh water, and he will be clean.
Leviticus 23:42
Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters.
Leviticus 26:18
"'If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over.
Leviticus 26:21
"'If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve.
Leviticus 26:24
I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over.
Leviticus 26:28
then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over.
Hebrews 11:30
By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
Revelation 1:4
[ Greetings and Doxology ] John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,
Revelation 1:20
The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
As we clearly see, the number seven is simply a mystery from GOD Almighty. We simply don't know why Allah Almighty Chose the number 7. Also visit:
Isaiah 35
1 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the
Arabia will rejoice and
blossom. Like the crocus,
From https://biblehub.com/lexicon/isaiah/35-1.htm:
4- Islam is GOD Almighty's One and Original Faith to mankind, even according to the Bible!
I first of all want to make it clear that in Islam, we do not rely on the Bible. In fact, the Bible doesn't play any role in any of our Islamic Scriptures. But, the Bible does remain important, nonetheless, because:
1- It is mainly used by the Jews and Christians.
2- Islam is written ALL OVER the Book!
3- Islam is the Bible's One and Original Faith of GOD Almighty.
The original believers were called
1- The believers' title was always Muslims (Isaiah 56:5: Muslim is the future believers' name. Sons and daughters titles will be "no more"), Salamays, Mushlams, Mushlemanies. This is also where we get Shalom from. It is SALAM. The Jews' deficient tongue pronounces the S as SH and the soft A as O. This is similar to those who pronounce the W as V in India, and the TH as Z in Europe and elsewhere.
2- Moses' in-laws from Jethro and others were Salamays and Muslimays (video):
Also this important video:
Believers also during Adam, Noah and Abraham's times were also called Muslims (Isaiah 56:5: Muslim is the future believers' name. Sons and daughters titles will be "no more"). You can think of them as Arabia's Muwahiddeen (monotheists) before Prophet Muhammad became a Prophet.
3- Allah Almighty called Islam SELM or SILM [1] in the Glorious Quran. Because indeed, the religion before Allah Almighty is Islam, as He said, and before Prophet Muhammad it was called also Selm or silm.
4- Jesus also in the Bible called the believer's title Mushlem. The English translators falsely translate it as "perfect".
Peace be upon all of the Prophets of Allah Almighty. Please visit:
5- Conclusion:
Circumambulation around the Kaaba, seven times, is certainly a Divine Command from GOD Almighty, and we do find support for it even in the Old Scriptures. This certainly should not be a surprise, since Islam is indeed the One and Original Divine Truth and Religion of GOD Almighty to all of mankind, for all times and all places.
Isaiah 53, Psalm 91, 116 disprove Crucifixion:
Bible's OT and NT declare
Jesus was never
The Romans had to fake his crucifixion due to Passover issues:
Jonah was alive: But Jonah was always alive in his ordeal. He was alive on the shore,
This Prophecy is a lie!
Jesus laid on the floor, got healed, and got up and
Matthew 27:16-17: There were two Jesuses! Not one. Allah Almighty Said in the Glorious Quran: Divine Setup for Conjecture: Matthew 7:22-23: GOD sent Jesus to be Christianity's lying spirit. "... but so it was made to appear to them..." (Quran 4:157) The two double-Jesus men & Pontus Pilate in Matthew 27:16-17: According to the Gospel of Matthew, Pontus Pilate was standing between
Divine Setup for Conjecture:
Matthew 7:22-23: GOD sent Jesus to be Christianity's lying spirit.
"... but so it was made to appear to them..." (Quran 4:157)
The two double-Jesus men & Pontus Pilate in Matthew 27:16-17:
According to the Gospel of Matthew, Pontus Pilate was standing betweentwo double-Jesus men:
1- Jesus Barabbas.
"...The Bibles' Christ was put on the cross for three hours. Any one of us would've survived this silly crucifixion. Your human body, when faced with death, can become 10+ times stronger, more resilient, more resistant and more stubborn than normal. This is what would enable you, for example, to lift an entire truck with your bare hands if your precious child was under it. Similarly, if you were put on the cross for three silly hours, your body would've survived it. A soldier was placed on the cross for 63 hours and still lived to tell the world about it." (Source)
Christianity's Salvation Lie:
Because Christianity's scriptures didn't get documented for 200+ years after Jesus, the Church and Christians had developed and invented the crucifixion lie and its requirement to save a person from Hell (by him believing in it), which had been thoroughly proven from both the Bible and the Glorious Quran, to be a fabricated lie [1]. Salvation verses like John 3:16 and others are all forgeries that were invented by liars 100s of years after the real Eesa , the real Messiah. Even in Latin, it is Iesu, and in Greek it is Iesus. Notice here Jesus' statements:
Matthew 9
Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Being Merciful to others makes you a good person. And Jesus didn't come for you if you are. Jesus didn't come to invite merciful and good people. They're already saved. They need no invitation. The Christian lie about one must accept that Jesus died on the cross for his/her sins is mandatory for their salvation, and that otherwise they'd be doomed to Hell is thoroughly destroyed in Matthew 9:12-13.
Matthew 9:12-13 I have not come for you if you're a merciful Jew.
The Bibles are all corrupt. The Glorious Quran also declares them all to be corrupt. The Glorious Quran also confirms the Messiah, Eesa(not Jesus) and his virgin mother, Marium (not Mary), peace be upon both of them.
Trinity is a Joke!
Some Details:
The cursed satan QUOTED Psalm 91 to Jesus challenging Jesus to jump. Jesus simply told him that yes, while the promise of GOD Almighty to protect me from all harm and death is there, but the scripture also says:
"Do not tempt GOD."
The Bible is very clear about the crucifixion being a man-made lie:
Psalm 118 & Jesus the "stone":
Furthermore, we read in Psalm 118:
Psalm 117
Yes, they beat the day lights out of Jesus (he never felt a thing), but he never died. He was never crucified. He was never given over to death. GOD Almighty saved him. I quoted Psalm 118:22 above for you to show you that the Psalm chapters and verses that I referenced are all talking about Jesus, and not anyone else.
Never felt a thing:
Again, Jesus never felt a thing. Clear proofs from the Bible and the Glorious Quran are given at:
Satan Christ?
Matthew 26:39
If it is possible?? Why are you backing down now??? I thought you were the brave King Kong that satan made out of you:
(Jesus: King of Kings or King Kong?)
So let me get this straight:
1- Jesus calls Peter a satan for telling Jesus that GOD Almighty would not allow Jesus to suffer.
2- Jesus himself begs GOD to save him from the crucifixion and all suffering?
Is Jesus greater than Adam? NT says no.
Our Creator?
And Jesus is supposed to be our Creator? Infidels bray too much, and their whole religion of conjecture, "Christianity", is all empty nonsense and lies.
The doomed-to-Hell infidels have nothing but garbage NT scriptures and lies.
For more, please visit: Satan Christ?
Becca is Mecca in Psalm 4:6.
According to (1) Cambridge commentary,
Jewish Encyclopedia and (3)
Encyclopedia Biblica in Arabic and other sources. Ample Jewish and
Christian references declare Becca's geography to be modern-day Mecca. In the NIV Bible commentary of Psalm 84, they also mentioned that Selah was mentioned in verses 4 and 8 of Psalm 84. Half of the Book of Psalm talks about Selah, and half of the Book of Isaiah has prophecies about the blessed future Arabia [2] [3].
Ask me any question section.
It was the pagans who plagiarized Islam's practices, not the other way around. The Bible also declares it.
The Overwhelming Scientific Miracles in the Holy Quran.
Which "Book" is the People of the Book's?
Just who were the real authors of the Bible?
If Islam is so against any form of idol worship, why do they bow to the kaaba? Why do they call it God's House? Do they believe He lives there?
Prophet Muhammad prophesied in the Bible, and his Prophetic name, Ahmed, was also found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The date of the yearly Pilgrimage to Mecca is the date when Islam was "perfected".
What is the black stone? Nothing holy about it. It's just a starting point for the tawaaf.
Dhul Qarnayn's story. Sunrise and sunset. Also Why حمئة and not حاميةٍ. Dhil Qarnayn's journey is detailed with scientific and geographical maps that are more 1000 years old.
Allah Almighty
in the Glorious Quran said that earth is:
- Spherical: "egg-shaped" [1].
The Glorious Quran also speaks about
many earths
and not just earth.
In the end, Allah Almighty uses the Glorious Quran to "...Thus doth God leave to stray whom He pleaseth, and guide whom He pleaseth..." (74:31). The infidels misuse the Glorious Quran to find "scientific errors". The Glorious Quran is Allah Almighty's Perfect Divine Holy Book. It contains no scientific error. Visit the following example and the link to see 1000s of Numerical and Scientific Miracles:
1- The root for message and all of its derivatives, such as messenger and others occurs 513 times throughout the Glorious Quran. The Prophets' and Messengers', peace be upon them, actual names (Muhammad, Moses, Noah, Abraham, Lot etc....) were also all combined mentioned 513 times in the Glorious Quran. The detailed breakdown of all of this is thoroughly listed here.
Coincidence? See 1,000s of examples! [1]. (zip file).
Quran's Stunning Numerical & Scientific Miracles.
Stunning Prophecies [2] [3]
The Bible also called the path to Mecca "THE PATH OF HOLINESS".
Muhammad was prophesied in the Bible.
Islam and the Noble Quran - Questions and Answers.
Isaiah 53 and Psalm 91 prove that Jesus never got crucified!
Psalm 91
clearly confirms that Jesus never got crucified!
Psalm 116, 117 and 118 indisputably prove that Jesus Christ never got crucified.
Prophecies in the Noble Quran.
Prophet Muhammad's peace be upon him section.
Allah, Islam, Quran, Muhammad questions and answers.
What is the place of Jews, Christians and non-Muslims in Islam.
Answering Trinity.
Corruption in the Old Testament.
The New Testament confirms the Apocalypse (Revelation in Greek) of Peter which claims that Jesus never died on the cross!
Crucifixion of Jesus is a lie according to several of the Disciples' early writings.
Also see detailed refutations to Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12, Zechariah 12:10 and Psalm 34:20 that supposedly suggest that GOD Almighty was going to get pierced on the cross.
History of Man's corruption of the Bible.
The New Testament was not even written by its original authors.
The "God" title in Isaiah 9:6 was given to others before and after Jesus.
The early Christians rejected Trinity and never believed in it.
Contradictions in the resurrection story in the Bible.
Was Jesus crucified on a tree (according to Peter), cross (according to others), or never got crucified (according to Islam)?
We only believe in Jesus'
personal quotes as closest to the truth.
Jesus according to Islam never got killed on the cross. Allah Almighty saved him.
The blessed Jesus in Islam.
Do Psalm 16:8-11 refer to Jesus' resurrection as the book of Acts suggest?
Jesus was never crucified according to the Gospel of Barnabas.
Isaiah 42-54 seem to predict Islam and the removal of GOD Almighty's Covenant from the people of Israel.
Deconstructing Isaiah 53 & the crucifixion/resurrection of Jesus - Exposing Paul's inventions.
None of Jesus' disciples witnessed the crucifixion. They "all fled" and "deserted" Jesus. This further confirms Islam's claims.
See Also:
The "Son of God" Title in the 1 John 2:22
Jesus is Yahweh the Son? See how Christians got this very wrong in the NT,
using Jesus' words himself!
Also, is Islam the anti-Christ system according to 1 John 2:22?
Who was the sacrificed son?
Here is the short answer:
From https://www.answering-christianity.com/blog/index.php/topic,3150.msg15747.html#msg15747:
Can anyone prove from bible that hazrat ismail (a.s.) was in Arab and Ibrahim (a.s.) was about to slaughter him?
Both the Bible and the Glorious Quran agree that:
1- Ishmael's covenant was put on hold (pause) until the Jewish covenant comes to pass, and the latter generations come:
2- Ishmael's name means the GOD finally heard the Prayer. Ishmael's name is a great proof that he was the sacrificed son. He was born after long decades of frustration and long waits. He was born after a long time of decades of desperation. Isaac would not have been that big of a deal relatively speaking, because Ishmael was already born, and the long horrid desperation was long gone. And Ishmael at the time was his only son, and for a long time too. Ishmael was 13 years older than Isaac. Peace be upon them all.
The challenge wasn't just for Abraham to give up his son for GOD Almighty. Any mere person can do this, even to pagan deities:
[006:137] Even so, in the eyes of most of the pagans, their "partners" made alluring the slaughter of their children, in order to lead them to their own destruction, and cause confusion in their religion. If God had willed, they would not have done so: But leave alone them and their inventions.
While it was a test for Abraham to give up his son for GOD Almighty, but I believe it was also more of testing Abraham to give up what he longed for, and was desperate for, for many decades. And it was also to honor Ishmael, the Prophet of Allah Almighty. Peace be upon Abraham and his sons.
It matters not:
Let me make it absolutely clear that Islam does not stand and fall on:
(a)- Whether Ishmael was
the sacrificed-to-be son or not.
None of this matters in Islam. We are only presenting what the Glorious Quran confirms here. If Isaac was the sacrificed son, then it wouldn't matter. We still say Peace be upon all of Allah Almighty's Prophets and Messengers. And Isaac was certainly one of them, and we love Isaac and revere him as much as Ishmael and all of Allah Almighty's Prophets. Peace be upon them all.
And again, ethnicity has nearly no value in Islam:
[049:013] O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).
This Noble Verse is not just to Muslims (Isaiah 56:5: Muslim is the future believers' name. Sons and daughters titles will be "no more"), but to all humans. For more details, please visit:
Also Visit:
3- The Jews' accounts and the Bible's credibility are a joke! The Jews fabricated many lies. Ironically, their accounts even admit this.
I have thoroughly proven the
above points
Quran Miracle: The Jews' and Christians' scribes changed and still change the Words. Proven with images, text and videos from their corrupt bible and books! See how they removed words and altered words.
As to Ishmael being an Arab, again, it matters not. But if you care to know, Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac's father, was from Iraq. Most Iraqis are Arabs. Assyrians and others are a minority. And even Assyrians and Kurds and others speak Arabic, and their bloods are mixed with Arabs. Arabic had always been the dominant language in the Middle East and North and Central Africa for 20,000 years, if not even more. And it's the language of the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty's Perfect and Miraculous Book with 1000s of Numerical and Scientific Miracles [1], and also Prophecies [2]. See literally the 1000s of STUNNING Miracles are listed here. Also visit:
But again, it matters not to Islam what ethnicity Abraham was.
Take care,
The following is the detailed answer....
1- Who was the sacrificed son?
Ishmael's Covenant was made for the later generations according to both Islam and the Bible. Let us look at Ishmael in great details:
2- The Bible's Support for Ishmael:
Even in the altered Bible, there is strong evidence that support that Ishmael was the son to be sacrificed. Ishmael's name means "GOD Heard", which implies:
•Ishmael was 13 years older than Isaac, and •Noble Verse 37:102 supports that Ishmael was a teenage boy:
For ample more passages, visit:
3- Abraham had no child for almost 100 years. He was completely barren:
Abraham was very desperate for a son. Ishmael was the greatest gift from GOD Almighty to Abraham. This is why Abraham named him GOD finally Answered my Prayer. GOD Almighty put Abraham to the ultimate test by Commanding him to slaughter this precious son. Abraham obeyed GOD Almighty by attempting to slaughter his son, Ishmael. Ishmael too was true to his promise. He never resisted, nor disobeyed. He was willing to get slaughtered for the Will of Allah Almighty. GOD Almighty saved Ishmael at the last minute, and Commanded Abraham to slaughter a ram instead.
4- The corrupt Jewish books say it was Isaac:
But the name "ISHMAEL" really exposes their lies and gives it all away! The name clearly suggests that Abraham was MOST DESPERATE with Ishmael, and hence, Ishmael's test would've been FAR GREATER than Isaac's. Isaac was the second son, and 13 years younger. The Jewish Law gives double the inheritance to the OLDEST SON when the father dies (Deuteronomy 21:17).
This is not a war between Ishmael and Isaac. In Islam, we honor all of the people of Israel's Prophets and Messengers of GOD Almighty. Peace be upon Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac. And peace be upon Hagar and Sara. Again, please visit:
Again, please visit: Ishmael was put on pause until the Israelites' Covenant passes. See slides 32-38. Both the Bible and Glorious Quran agree on this.
"El" in names as in Ishmael was common among the Jews. Is the GOD of Islam different? Allah Almighty allowed for His Holy Name to be shortened as "El" in Ishmael, and Lillah for Li-Allah in the Quran, as in Alhamdulillah in both Islam and Judaism.
5- Is Elohim Allah? [1, *] [2] [3]
The "im" in Hebrew is a majestic plural for GOD Almighty. The root Word is "Eloh". And the more original Jews such as Yemenites and others say Alohim or Alah-im. And when you yourself pronounce it, you do naturally pronounce it with a double "l": Allah. Jews do call Him: Allah-im. Aramaic-speaking people also call GOD Almighty Allah. See the following videos for Biblical references and proofs. Also, pre-Islamic Biblical archeological findings have GOD Almighty as "Allah". So the Original Holy Name for GOD Almighty is not Eloh. It is Allah! Eloh is a Hebrew dialect, which not all Hebrew speakers use anyway. Allah had always been the Original and Universal GOD Almighty even before birth of Judaism, and the existence Hebrew. And Hebrew is a developed language from Phoenician. See the following links:
6- What about "EL"?
•"El" was a shortened name for Allah (ALIF, LAMED, LAMED, HEY) In Hebrew. Watch above vidoes. •Allah is also spelled out with ALIF, LAMED, LAMED, HEY in Hebrew to be GOD. •Allah Almighty allowed for shortening of His Holy Name and Titles for the Jews. This is where you get Ishmael, Garbriel, Ezekiel (short for Allah). This is also where you get Hallelujah, Netanyahu (short for Yahuwah, or Yahweh) •Islam also has shortened Name for Allah Almighty. –Alhamdulillah is short for Alhamdu li Allah. Visit:
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24 hour fitness before and after; The start of the year is significant for those of us that have made New Year's goals. The main goals that strikes a chord is weight reduction. Getting fit as a fiddle runs a nearby second, and stopping smoking comes in third spot … . What number of a great many dollars are spent ...Read More »
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It may look like the poor man's Google Glass, but don't let the iPhone-strapped-to-the-side-of-your-head thing fool you, Neurocam and its accompanying app may foretell the future of advertising.
Demoed recently at the Human Sensing 2013 conference in Yokohama, Japan, the system includes a headband equipped to hold an iPhone next to the wearer's temple. The phone is fitted with a special prism so that the camera can record footage from the wearer's point of view.
PHOTOS: Quirky Vending Machines Dispense Wit and Wonder
The headset also includes EEG sensors that scan the brain for correlative spikes in interest. The Neurocam iPhone app assigns the EEG data a value from 1 to 100. When the data hits 60, interest is detected, which cues the phone's camera to start recording. Footage is recorded as five-second GIFs, which are then stored in an album so users can remember what exactly struck their interest.
While most of us can easily remember that pair of boots or motorcycle that made us linger, advertisers would love to tap that vein of consciousness. Which is why advertising titan Dentsu is backing the Neurocam via a joint venture called Dentsu ScienceJam.
"Because this system is hands-free, we think it could capture a life log, which would be different from deliberately pressing a shutter to capture things you like," ScienceJam's Kana Nakano said in this video.
"As an application in a B2B environment, Neurocam could determine what goods in stores interest people. And because the information includes position data, you can do mapping, so it could also show what places people are interested in as an aid for urban development planning. We think it could be used in lots of ways like that."
BLOG: Wristband Pulses Warm or Cool You
So much for being mindful of all that cell phone radiation, now that it's strapped to the side of the head.


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Here is a collection of good reads gathered from across the internet this past week. Enjoy!
On fostering and the church: Foster Children Need the Church by Brittany Lind
The need is enormous, but when you consider that there are roughly 348,067 evangelical churches in America, the 430,000 children-in-foster-care number doesn't seem quite so daunting. Unfortunately, it's not a problem that can be solved by simply doing the math and distributing children among churches. Many factors complicate the issue, but the numbers are still fascinating to consider.
The church really can do something to help. While not all may be called to open a home to foster children, there are numerous ways to get involved and be part of the solution. I've been incredibly blessed by a meal from a friend on a busy week of social worker visits, or by friends who took the time to get fingerprinted so they could be approved babysitters. Larger group homes may be in financial need to care for the children, or they may have a child in need of a tutor or a counselor. The needs are many and ongoing at every level of the foster care system. Who better to meet those needs than the church? (click here to read more)
On your identity and behavior: Always 'Be' Before You 'Do' by Jon Bloom
Jesus came with the true gospel and the gift of the new birth to set us free (John 8:32). We must not allow the old, corrupt virus to dictate our lives. We must refuse to "submit again to a yoke of slavery," by living out of the old "Do. Have. Be." ethic (Galatians 5:1). "For freedom Christ has set us free," so let us "stand firm" by living out of the liberating gospel ethic of "Be. Do. Have." (Galatians 5:1).
When it comes to the source of our identity, discerning and then choosing which operating system governs how we live, we must always "be" first. (click here to read more)
On life in Jesus: Jesus: Living Water by Jonathan Camac
That's the beauty of the gospel. Jesus makes a way.
Where joy is found lacking, Jesus provides (John 15:11). Where hope is left wanting, Jesus comes through (Hebrews 6:19). Where help seems absent, Jesus is always present (Matthew 28:20). Where life is cut mortally short, Jesus eternally extends (John 3:16).
Jesus offers us something that nothing in this world can ever offer. Where the world can only promise temporary life and joy, Jesus promises eternal life and joy. And get this. We know for sure that Jesus is not in the business of ripping people off.
Because he offers all this for free. (click here to read more)
On getting rest: Christian Restivisim by Stephen McAlpine
But the radical reality of the gospel is not that it enables us to be activists, but that it enables us to be restivists. It enables us to rest from all our labours (Hebrews4:10); enables us to be something that the secular culture won't applaud; enables us to be something that our self-righteous, harried hearts feel nervous about, and therefore will shy away from.
Indeed our self-righteous, harried hearts DO shy away from rest, and our church culture seems to be doing everything within its grasp to help us shy away from rest and pursue its own form of evangelical activism. The defining feature of evangelical churches in the West is not rest. Do I even need to tell you that? It is not even merely well-considered activism. It is ill-considered activism. And it's burning out church leaders and their flock at a rate of knots. (click here to read more)
Finally, words of wisdom from challies.com:


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A couple of tax-related measures recently introduced by the Jordanian government have triggered criticism and even riots in one city on the border with Syria. Residents of Ramtha, 56 miles north of Amman, took to the streets Aug. 23-24 to protest an unexpected government decision issued Aug. 22 that limits the quantity of certain items — for example, only one carton of cigarettes per person — that an individual can bring into the kingdom. Anyone caught entering with more than the allowable limits could be charged with smuggling.
Ramtha's economy heavily depends on cross-border trade with Syria, and hundreds of taxi drivers from the city transport passengers and goods on a daily basis between the two countries. The city's economy suffered when the border was closed between 2015 and 2018 after the Syrian government lost control of the crossing point to rebel forces.
Rioters in Ramtha burned tires and police cars and clashed with anti-riot police for two days, until late on Aug. 24, when the government reached an agreement with city notables to cease all forms of escalation. The Jordan Times reported the government justifying its decision as part of an anti-smuggling effort aimed at protecting citizens and residents from narcotics, weapons and smoking. The government claimed on Aug. 24 that cross-border smuggling had cost the treasury $183 million (130 million Jordanian dinars) in the first seven months of this year.
On Aug. 15, the government announced the imposition of customs fees on products for personal use bought online outside the kingdom. It gave the Customs Department one week to create an "electronic platform" for residents to register online to track progress toward the annual cap on online shopping of around $700 (500 dinars), which replaced the previous cap of $3,380 (2,400 dinars). Those who fail to register will have to pay higher customs and fees when clearing the goods through customs.
The decision has forced one local company, CashBasha, which facilitates online shopping through Amazon, to suspend operations in the kingdom. Its business model had allowed customers to order products through CashBasha's online interface and pay in local currency to have goods delivered directly to them without having to go through the customs authority.
Interviewed by Al-Mamlaka TV on Aug. 22, Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Minister Muthana Gharaibeh said that only 5% of Jordanians shop online and that the decision to impose customs fees is aimed at achieving "tax justice," leveling the playing field as it were, given that local retailers must charge sales tax, which increases the prices of their goods, and must also pay income tax. Gharaibeh announced that the government will soon impose a sales tax on local advertising posted on Google and Facebook. He claimed that Google and Facebook had cut into the revenue of local ad agencies, forcing many to close.
The latest measures, described by some as desperate, were triggered by what is now expected to be a drop in government revenues for 2019. In January of this year, the government raised custom fees on hybrid cars, resulting in a drop in related customs and sales tax revenues by $318 million (225 million dinars) in the first six months of this year compared to last year's figures.
The government had anticipated an increase in sales tax revenue to $5 billion in 2019 compared with $4.5 billion in 2018. During the first quarter of this year, however, total tax revenue dropped by 1.4%, or $33 million, compared to the same period of last year. Economists attributed the decline to higher sales taxes increasing the cost of goods and the low purchasing power of consumers.
Last year, the government raised the sales tax on many consumer items, some from 0% percent, with a maximum of 16%. The move was part of a three-year economic reform program agreed to with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2016. Most economic sectors in the kingdom have seen a decline in revenues over the past three years due to higher taxes, higher energy costs and lower purchasing power.
On Aug. 5, Deputy Prime Minister Rajai Muasher told lawmakers that the decision made last year to end the subsidizing of bread had backfired. He said that the government had disbursed 170 million dinars ($239 million) annually for the subsidy, but after lifting it, was shelling out 270 million dinars ($380 million) in compensating low income families directly and bearing the total cost of keeping bread prices stable.
Jordanians mocked Finance Minister Izziddin Kanakrieh after he remarked on Aug. 5 that government revenues from taxing cigarettes and petroleum products amount to 2 billion dinars ($2.8 billion), but that this revenue stream will decline as citizens switch to electronic cigarettes and electric cars. Critics were quick to portray the minister as appearing to encourage cigarette smoking and fossil fuel use when the world is heading in the opposite direction.
The IMF has conducted two reviews of the Jordanian economy this year and will undertake a third assessment before the end of the year. Jordan's annual economic growth remains modest, at around 2%, far from the all-time high of 10.58% in the first quarter of 2007.
Labib Kamhawi, an economic expert, told Al-Monitor that what is happening is a result of failed economic strategies and arbitrary decisions aimed only at raising and levying taxes. "Instead of focusing on growth and development, successive governments have only cared about managing the bulging national debt and the growing budget deficit," Kamhawi said.
The unsettled economic environment, Kamhawi said, has driven away local and foreign investors. "The situation now is critical, and we are witnessing an economic stagnation that is a prelude to total collapse," he asserted.
Khaled Zubaidi, head of the economic section at the daily Addustour, told Al-Monitor, "This government has no economic team, and its sole function is to levy taxes as our national debt reaches $42 billion." He added that the government has failed to encourage development projects that create jobs and attract investors.
"The government should start with itself, first by streamlining its more than $1 billion annually in salaries and other running expenses, instead of provoking citizens with arbitrary decisions," Zubaidi said.


text: Check out my latest review posted on The Hite Aegis Review . The artists who exhibit work in Her/Hair an exhibition of female printmakers at the Huff Gallery, part of Spalding University,in Louisville, KY, each use either physical hair within their work, or explore its cultural and social standing thematically. For some this involves personal and intimate expression, for others a way of remembering the past and the importance of family.