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Your new heart is as holy as it ever will be.
Your new nature is fully-completed.
Your heart is not growing in holiness because it doesn't have to; it is already as holy as it ever will be. A bucket overflowing can't get any more full. Even among Christians who believe God has made them new creations, giving them his righteousness, there's a great deal of confusion over this issue.
Most Christians think their heart is somewhat holier now with a moderate level of improved goodness, but probably isn't thoroughly, 100%, good. So they mistakenly believe their nature will continue to improve with time.
This view short-changes the biblical view of our new nature. As a Christian, your nature is no longer fallen or in need of improvement: It is as steadfast towards God as Jesus' heart is. Your heart no longer possesses false convictions about God, nor harbors any deceit. Nor is your heart easily mislead or self-centered.
The old heart that did possess false convictions, deceit and mistaken conclusions about life was replaced. Not tweaked, not altered or improved. REPLACED. It's gone.
After surgery, Jesus didn't leave the removed heart just lying around your interior world like a rotting organ left in a trash bin after surgery: That old nature is gone. Flash-obliterated: Burned up by his righteousness.
Your completely-new heart only possesses the noble DNA of Jesus and his convictions.
The real question is,
"Then why do Christians still sin?"
The answer is because the life in our new heart has yet to reach the creases of our mind, our choices and convictions. The process of sanctification has nothing to do with our hearts growing in goodness: Our hearts couldn't be more true and noble than they are now. Rather, sanctification has everything to do with our actions, convictions and relational patterns coming into alignment with that new heart and its goodness.
[There is also our flesh, but that too is no longer your identity. And the Spirit wages war against the flesh, not you.]
Jesus does not give approximations or half-solutions:
Our new hearts don't simply possess a purity like Jesus had: They possess the actual purity Jesus had, his DNA. Our purity is not an approximation of what Jesus possessed: It IS the purity Jesus possessed.


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Chelsea Striker and Ivorian, Salomon Kalou, discusses how the conflict in his home nation has impacted him and the concerns he has for his family in The Guardian.
There are often bigger things going on than debating if Chelsea should have been awarded a spot kick against Manchester United at the end of their first leg in the UEFA Champions League match-up last week..."It's very hard to go on to the pitch and say I'm not thinking about people dying every day, I'm not thinking about my friends not eating, my dad not getting help," Kalou says. "To be honest, I worry every day. I am thinking more about that than anything else. Any chance I have to go on the phone or to go on the news and check I do, because that's my main priority. I need to make sure my family are safe.
"I got my mum and five sisters out four days before it started. When we played against Benin in Ghana last month with Ivory Coast [in an African Cup of Nations qualifier moved to a neutral venue because of the violence], I got them to come and watch the game and from there they went to Togo. They can stay there until the end of the situation. My dad was going to come as well but the war started on the day he was going to come."
"I don't want to take any sides and I don't want to get involved in the politics of the Ivory Coast because politics is for politicians, but it hurts me to see my friends, my brothers, killing each other," he says. "Some of my best friends are from the north, I'm from the west, I have friends from the south – I have a lot of Ivorian friends. Ivorians don't have problems with Ivorians. Politics are dividing people. But is that a reason for people to kill? Why not stop that now and talk.
People from outside should help to bring peace. Bring food and water to people. That's what I call worrying about the civilians. Then I can have respect for that and say those people really care. If your priority is to say one side loses and one side wins, then you are not stopping anything. They will keep fighting and, in the end, when everyone is gone, what is left for those people? Those kids who have seen the war and people dying, how many years is it going to take for them to get over it?"

subset: commoncrawl


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Services planned for Fred White
Services for former Royals broadcaster Fred White, who died on May 15, will take place on May 28 at the Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village.
White, 76, died from complications of melanoma one day after he officially retired from the Royals following a 40-year association. He worked with Denny Matthews as the Royals' broadcast team from 1973 to 1998, and more recently was the team's Director of Broadcast Services and Royals Alumni.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Kansas Wildscape Foundation (Fred White Memorial Project), Rainbows United, Footprints-Royals' Charities, Kansas City Hospice House or a children's charity. Memorials may be sent to the Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th St., Lawrence 66044.


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If you attend the Jaipur Literature Festival – in whatever capacity, as author, journalist or star-struck reader – you expect to pick up lots of quotable quotes: erudite, highbrow ones, certainly, but a few ear-popping ones too. I didn't have to venture far this year. During a session I was moderating, the words came at me from just two feet away. The other people on the panel were saying them, and most of the audience was cheering in response.
The session was titled "The Craft of the Bestseller" and here are two quotes – both by suave, hugely popular fiction writers – that I thought particularly intriguing:
"Solitude distracts me."
This was from Ravi Subramanian, author of a successful trilogy of thrillers about bankers and banking. It was a part-response to a question I had asked: does the new generation of "mass-market" authors follow the accepted wisdom that writing is essentially a solitary profession? Or do they see it as more of a communal endeavour?
"I have never been a reader. I hadn't read any book before I wrote my first novel."
This from Ravinder Singh, whose bestsellers include I Too Had a Love Story and Can Love Happen Twice? and who was one of the festival's rock-star-like celebrities; groupies threw themselves at him, demanded selfies, and cooed away during the question-and-answer sessions.
Before returning to these two proclamations, I should mention that I was the odd man out on this session – being not just that dreaded animal, a "critic", but also the author of books about old cinema, which don't have a hope of selling anywhere near the numbers that Singh and Subramanian are accustomed to. For me, "bestseller" means 4,000 or 5,000 sold copies of a book; for these writers, 50,000 copies might be perceived as a letdown. So, when I was asked to anchor the conversation, I realized it would involve playing Devil's Advocate. I'm not a literary snob: my favourite authors include many genre writers like Stephen King, Agatha Christie and Thomas Harris, all of whom have reached very large readerships; as a film critic too, I constantly defend the value of good mainstream films, and my latest book is dedicated to viewers "who are smart enough to take popular cinema seriously". But at the same time I'm also uncomfortable about some of the narratives that have grown around mass-market writing in India – such as the inverse snobbery on view when bestselling writers scoff at "pretentious" literary types and wonder why anyone would waste six or seven years writing a "heavy" book full of "complicated" words.
And so, during the conversation, while I was genuinely interested in the thoughts and approaches of the panelists (especially Anuja Chauhan – author of The Zoya Factor and Those Pricey Thakur Girls – whose work I rate higher than Singh's or Subramanian's), there was some wariness too. A few days before the festival began, I had received a publisher's press release about the session. "The creators of the hottest pop fiction and romance in recent times," it said, "will discuss the making of best-selling authors and the transition of an author from being the 'khadi-clad, jhola-walla' introverts to the current stylish (sic), and socially connected with their fans." The phrasing, with its patronising attitude to "jhola-wallah introverts", threw me back to my childhood days and the bullying one experienced from gregarious uncles who would say things like "Arre, what is this introvert-shintrovert rubbish? A child should be outgoing and friendly."
Which brings me to Ravi Subramianan's quote about solitude being counter-productive for him. A lot of his best work, he says, is done while sitting at the table with his family – wife, kids – around him, talking or laughing, and maybe with the TV on in the background. Put him in a room, alone, and his creative juices would probably dry up.
Some people might scoff at this sort of admission, especially if they don't have much regard for the work of the "mass-market" writer who is saying it. But one would also do well to remember that writing has not always been about temperamental artists residing in ivory towers and shutting the world out. The modern novelistic form, from the 19th century onwards, may lend itself to that approach, but there has been a long literary tradition – from the bards of old to the addas of more recent ages – that has involved communal interaction, creating stories through discussion, moving gradually from oral to written storytelling.
In this context, one should note that some of the "mass-market" writers of today are co-writing books (see Durjoy Datta and Nikita Singh, for instance) or otherwise mentoring younger writers – and if done with integrity, this can mean a welcome new egalitarianism in Indian publishing. Ravinder Singh has recently worn multiple hats. He has edited an anthology titled Tell me a Story, made up of stories submitted by previously unpublished writers, about a defining event in their lives. He has also started his own imprint called Black Ink, and books published by it routinely have "Ravinder Singh Presents" on the cover, above even the name of their actual authors!
This is a notable strategy – and shows business acumen – but it also raises a question that brings me back to Singh's Jaipur quote, mentioned earlier in this piece. Shouldn't an author, who is also now doubling up as an editor and "producer" of books, have something of a reading history?
Singh has been upfront about the fact that he had never read a book before he wrote one (his first novel was written as an outlet for his grief over his girlfriend's death in an accident). But perhaps "upfront" is the wrong word, since it implies being confessional; the fact is that Singh, like many others of his generation, is almost boastful about becoming a "writer" without ever having been a "reader".
And this is discomfiting, because it is inseparable from the question of a writer's abilities. When you start reading from an early age, not only do you develop certain standards, you also realise how much good work has already been done. And it makes you humble – it might even make you diffident about your own work, which can be a problem. But at least it prevents you from being cocky and overconfident and thinking "I think I have a great story to tell, and the world is just waiting for my book; literature begins with me."
During our session, I asked Singh the obvious question: if you don't read yourself, on what basis do you expect others to read your books? I didn't get a coherent response.
[Two related posts: the end of pretension in publishing? and Chetan Bhagat and the other mass-market writers]


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US Soccer's Rebranding Gets an Assist From Virtual Reality
Zach Schonbrun,
New York Times
When the time came to reveal its new crest, the US Soccer Federation chose a different medium to announce the new design. The Federation sent kits to all of its members with a Google Cardboard headset, 360-degree video and an updated scarf. In a move that looks to draw interest using the latest tech, it'll be interesting to see if the excitement around the rebrand and the national teams remains high. VR isn't just for medicine and gaming, it's becoming a valuable marketing tool, too.


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GreaseMonkey statistics detector
A while ago I started developing a Greasemonkey script to detect if people where using Mint on their site. This shortly after evolved in to a package which detected any javascript-based statistics packages I came across, and even gave links to the statistics of those websites using them if they were openly available.
It's now time to give this script it's own place within my site, because it keeps evolving and has shown it's use to me several times in the last weeks already.
Installing this script
Installing this script is quite easy:
- Make sure you have Greasemonkey installed.
- Click on the install link.
- When the Greasemonkey popup appears, wait untill you can click the install button and then click it.
- You're all done.
- (Don't forget to subscribe to my blog feed to know of updates though!).
These versions of the script have been released:
- Version 1.4.2: added detection of GoStats.
- Version 1.4.1: added detection of the new Google Analytics tracker and the MS Gatineau tracker.
- Version 1.4: added
class="snap_nopreview"to prevent Snap previews on pages with Snap installed.
- Version 1.3.10: yet another fix of ClickTale detection.
- Version 1.3.9: added Google Adwords Conversion Scripts detection.
- Version 1.3.8: added Clicky.
- Version 1.3.7: fixed detection of ClickTale.
- Version 1.3.6: fixed a bug in RealTracker detection.
- Version 1.3.5: added ClickTale and StatCounter.
- Version 1.3.4: added ClickDensity and Bobum.
- Version 1.3.3: added Prophet and fixed erroneous Onestat/Sitestat warning.
- Version 1.3.2: added 103bees and CrazyEgg.
- Version 1.3: added Enquisite and IndexTools.
- Version 1.2: fixed issues where scripts weren't detected and/or the message couldn't be seen because the script was in an iframe.
- Version 1.1: added ClickTracks, Performancing, QuantCast and WebTrends.
- Version 1.0.
Supported statistics packages
Currently, the script detects the following packages:
- 103bees
- AWStats
- Belstat
- Bobum
- CheckIt SE tracking
- ClickDensity
- ClickTale
- ClickTracks
- Clicky
- CrazyEgg
- Enquisite
- eXTReMe Tracking
- Google Analytics
- GoStats
- HeadLight
- HitTail
- Mint
- IndexTools
- myStats
- MoniForce
- MS Gatineau
- NedStat
- Omniture SiteCatalyst
- OneStat
- Prophet
- phpMyVisites
- QuantCast
- Realtracker
- SiteStat
- StatCounter
- StatLynx
- Stats4u
- WebSideStory
- WebStats4U
- WebTrends
Known issues
Known issues about this script to be solved some day. If you encounter an error which is not listed here, please contact me!
- When a script is loaded in an iframe a message can't be displayed. (solved 06-nov-2006)
- When a script is loaded in a frameset a message can't always be displayed.


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Is the master of the rolls Lord Neuberger the busiest judge in England? He has given another fascinating speech entitled Who are the masters now?
The question posed is paraphrased from one asked in parliament in 1946, itself paraphrasing Humpty Dumpty. Neuberger used the Lord Alexander of Weedon lecture to tackle the slippery issue of parliamentary sovereignty. So, who is the master: the unelected judge or the elected politician?
Neuberger is of the view that the buck stops at parliament, pure and simple. It is almost impossible for courts to overrule parliament:
"Even the strongest advocate of limiting parliamentary authority must accept that the courts could only overrule parliament in wholly exceptional cases. Given the absence of a written constitution, it seems very hard to identify with clarity and consistency the circumstances in which the courts could take such a course. It is therefore difficult to see how there would be perceived legitimacy in the courts overruling parliament; and perceived legitimacy is of the essence where there is no written constitution."
What of the rise of human rights and European Community law? Some have argued in recent years that unelected judges have too much power. Neuberger is unconvinced:
"While our constitutional settlement has been in one of its periodic reform phases over the last two decades, the idea that parliament is no longer legally sovereign and that the judiciary, whether at home or in Strasbourg, are the masters now is quite simply wrong."
He goes on to discuss the infamous hunting ban case, where it's been argued that the courts were considering the basic legality of an act of parliament, which does sound like a challenge to parliamentary sovereignty. However, while the "issue in the case was very unusual", it was "ultimately one which required the court to perform its familiar function of interpreting a statute, not invalidating a statute."
And the House of Lords was only exercising powers of review which parliament had granted it in the first place.
Other acts, such as the European Communities Act 1972 and the Human Rights Act 1998 provide similar powers of "constitutional review". Those powers were granted by parliament, so can hardly be said to run contrary to its intentions.
What about the famous but also slippery rule of law? Is it possible that if parliament went too far, the courts could use that overriding principle to overrule their former masters? Not yet, says Neuberger:
"Before they could accept such an argument, the courts would have to overcome the acceptance by Lord Hoffmann in the House of Lords in 2000 of the proposition that parliament can 'if it chooses, legislate contrary to fundamental principles of human rights' It can, if it chooses, and clearly and expressly states that it is so doing, enact legislation which is contrary to the rule of law."
Neuberger moves on to the Human Rights Act, including a discussion of the origins of the European Convention on Human Rights, summarising Dr Ed Bates's historical analysis . These are powerful legal instruments, says Neuberger, but go nowhere near imposing a limit on parliamentary legal sovereignty.
And, for those who say that this government is legally and fundamentally obliged to implement decisions of the European court of human rights, such as that over prisoner votes, this isn't the case, at least on a fundamental level:
"It is true that membership of the convention imposes obligations on the state to ensure that judgments of the Strasbourg court are implemented, but those obligations are in international law, not domestic law. And, ultimately, the implementation of a Strasbourg, or indeed a domestic court judgment is a matter for parliament. If it chose not to implement a Strasbourg judgment, it might place the United Kingdom in breach of its treaty obligations, but as a matter of domestic law there would be nothing objectionable in such a course. It would be a political decision, with which the courts could not interfere."
The Human Rights Act only permits courts to interpret legislation, not strike it down. That is not to say that the act hasn't empowered judges in reality and perception. It has done so in three ways:
"First, as just discussed, it has enabled judges to do what they previously could not – to review legislation in order to assess whether it infringes fundamental rights. Secondly, it has required the judges to develop the common law so as to ensure that our courts dispense justice which accords with human rights… Thirdly, the courts, which had already expanded their judicial review role enormously over the past forty years, have been required to examine the decisions and actions of public authorities more critically than before; such an examination is however an examination of executive act and not parliamentary will."
There is, Neuberger concludes, "nothing wrong or surprising about this." For
"If the laws which parliament has enacted are transgressed, it is for the courts to uphold those laws, not least when it is the executive itself which has transgressed them."
The fact remains that when Strasbourg speaks, it is for parliament to consider what needs to be done:
Because implementation lies in the hands of parliament, the debate about fundamental rights, a debate on which vehement and legitimate disagreement can ensue, is conducted in parliament. It's there that the ultimate decision lies – not with the judges.
It is ironic, he says, that in the United States; "the beacon of democracy", the people are "prepared to leave entire fundamental political issues such as gun control, abortion, and capital punishment, to unelected judges rather than to democratically elected representatives." It is inevitable, therefore, that "their judiciary has become politicised".
Neuberger takes a traditional English constitutional line on this. His argument is that while judges may sometimes appear to have power over parliament, this is only insofar as it has been granted by parliament. So parliament can choose to take that power away; a good thing because a basic principle of democracy is that the directly elected representatives of the electorate hold the ultimate power.
This view does leave open the very difficult question of what would happen if parliament did something which clearly ran foul of the rule of law and fundamental rights. Other senior judges have argued that this would lead to a genuine clash, and courts may be forced to lose their traditional deference. This would only happen in the most extreme scenario. But in time of terrorism and war, is by no means unimaginable.
And while it may technically be within parliament's powers to ignore its international legal obligations, having the power to do something does not mean it is right. The benefits of such treaties would disappear along with the costs, which may – depending on your view of the benefits of international cooperation – be a bad thing for UK citizens.
So Humpty Dumpty may be right that the important question is who is the master, but this does not make the answer any easier.


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As the new school year begins, the staff of the Portland Public Schools is focusing on how we can best meet our students' needs. We are launching many exciting initiatives this year that will serve that purpose.
Lyseth Elementary School will begin Maine's first full-immersion Spanish program in a public school. The program will provide instruction in Spanish almost the entire day. It will begin in one kindergarten class and expand to include more students and more grades. Those who master a world language have a huge advantage when they enter the workforce. Experts say immersion is the best way to learn and that early elementary school is the ideal time to begin.
Students at all grade levels will have more opportunities to get involved in science, technology, engineering and math activities. Those in grades seven through 12 will be able to create, explore and make STEM projects in class and after school through the Portland Makers program. The district's STEM activities will be showcased at a symposium in November.
The Portland Public Schools will launch a virtual instruction program in September. We expect the program to attract primarily home-schooled students. They will have access to courses offered by Pearson's Connections Learning, the same company that provides courses for Maine's virtual charter school. By offering this program within the Portland School Department, we hope to keep local tax dollars in the city.
Portland High School ninth-graders will participate in the Freshman Success Academy, to help them make a successful transition from middle school to high school. Portland High upperclassmen will choose from career-themed pathways in the arts, health and natural sciences, law and public service and engineering, architecture and trades. Each pathway will cover core academic subjects while giving students the opportunity to explore careers that interest them.
Deering High School students will spend the entire year learning about poverty and hunger and how they can make a difference addressing those issues. That topic, selected with student input, will be woven throughout the curriculum. Deering has adopted a global focus and it is the first school in New England to join the International Studies Schools Network.
Casco Bay High School is expanding this fall to about 370 students, as it takes over space previously used by Central Office. The school's Expeditionary Learning model will involve students in interdisciplinary projects that address timely social justice issues from climate change to conflicts in the Middle East.
Reiche Community School's kindergarten classes will continue to partner with the Portland Symphony Orchestra on programs that help students develop social and academic skills as they learn about music.
You can find out more about all of these initiatives on our district's website, portlandschools.org.
Our website also features profiles of two graduates who followed their own pathways to success by pursuing strong interests:
• Kimara Nzamubona, a Congolese immigrant, enrolled in Portland High School in the fall of his junior year speaking almost no English. Six years later, he has a chemistry degree from Colby College and he is pursuing a career in environmental engineering. See a video of him on YouTube.
• Julie Anderson heard the viola for the first time as a student at Longfellow Elementary School, and she fell in love with the instrument. The district's music teachers guided and encouraged her. A Deering graduate, Anderson now works as a musician and music teacher, appearing with groups ranging from the Bangor Symphony Orchestra to Ray LaMontagne. See her profile on YouTube, too.
Sidebar Elements
Portland Public Schools Superintendent Emmanuel Caulk writes this column monthly. He can be reached at [email protected]. Read his blog at blogs.portlandschools.org/superintendent/.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
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Highest Vatican official to face justice over abuse appealing his guilty verdict


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The network for trade,
training and development
Established at the beginning of 2016, Cranachan is a small
independent publisher and a fresh-face in Scottish publishing
landscape. They are committed to finding new voices and writing
talent for their adult fiction list and their children's historical
fiction series, Yesteryear, published under the Pokey Hat imprint.
Their Cranachan Education imprint focuses on professional
development titles for teachers, as well as classroom resources to
support the Yesteryear series.
Cranachan pride themselves on only publishing books which excite
and inspire them, and firmly believe that 'the proof of the pudding
is in the reading.'
Established: 2016
Publications (yearly average): 6
Types of books published: fiction; children's
historical fiction; education (professional development and
classroom resources) location, Isle of Lewis
Submission details: Please email a covering
letter with details of your writing CV. Also send a separate MS
Word document attachment that contains a synopsis and the opening
chapter(s) of up to 5000 words of your completed, clean manuscript.
Submissions should be emailed to email@example.com (We do
not accept submissions by post.)
People: Anne Glennie
Address: 52 North Galson, Isle of Lewis, HS2
Tel: 01851 850700
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: www.cranachanpublishing.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cranachan
Twitter: @cranachanbooks
Distributor: BookSource


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The question has been asked of us more than once. I'm not sure it's my place to answer, but I will say this: "If blood sucking, murdering Vampires are the 'good guys', then who are the 'bad guys'!?? And if main characters are having premarital or adulteress sex – it certainly doesn't make our list!" It's not just a bad influence in our kids lives, it's potentially deadly to their Souls & Spirits…
Friends listen, there are so many things out there that fill our hearts & minds with good & wholesome feelings & ideas that we simply don't have time to worry about things that are questionable. It's not about the violence, we watch LOTR frequently. It's more about the negative spiritual content. Frankly, we just avoid entertainment that doesn't have a clear line between good/evil. Even Star Wars has a pretty clear line, sure, it gets crossed by more than one character, but the line is still there… Some shows on tv are just blatantly teaching horrible life choices & habits to our families & it's no wonder that we have so many 14-17 year old mothers in our American high schools, with shows like "16 & Pregnant"! But others try to hide the depravity behind a storyline, like "Desperate Housewives" & "Jersey Shore" – it's not surprising that divorce rates keep going up… Sit-coms these days often portray the Dad as an idiot & the Mom as the bossy/witch. What a skewed version of how God intended our families to be. Even actual KID shows teach that it's cool & accepted to disobey parents & ignore all authority, have you ever sat down & thought about it while your kids watch "Zack & Cody"?? – This is nothing new, my generation had their own issues, although not quite as sleazy, there was the original "90210" & others. Do we really need to wonder why kids find it normal to act like adults when the adults in their lives allow them to watch such things? I could say the same about a lot of mainstream music & rap, it can be very degrading towards women & speak poorly about our differences in race & creed… Surely you get the point though. – These characters become our kids role models – when what they really need is a real life role model to model what NOT to allow into their Spirit!
How do we 'avoid' it all? What do we say to our kids? Where do we start? – Well, for starters, we follow a "Family Media Covenant" that all of us have signed & renew it every year. (You can read about it here.) We hold each other accountable with family check-ins. Meaning we discuss a certain CD, movie or concert choice, etc. as a family. Pro's & Cons. Then in the end, Dad has the final say if we are not in 100% agreement. But usually when it's talked through, the kids decide exactly how we would… In your search for the good/bad in any given choice, there are many parental guidance websites that can help with excellent reviews of books, movies, tv & music choices. We use "PluggedIn".
Try to realize it's not a one-time "cleaning house", but an ongoing process for your whole lives. The goal is to ask God what HE would have you see, read, hear & then follow His will for your life. He always wants the best for you & will always protect you if you let Him! For us, the family talks help to keep everyone balanced. We don't want to become legalistic & cause ourselves to much stress over it, but we DO want to remain under God's protection! Our kids often surprise us by asking tough questions about what WE read or watch, by helping them understand how we got to our decision, they learn how to get to one for themselves.
One year, Harry Potter was a long discussion that we all learned from. It will likely be revisited soon, as our younger boys are older & may become interested. We want them to think it through & know that they are all different. One might need to be older for a certain level of violent content, one might not. One might not be able to handle discerning good/bad behavior in a character & not need to see that show, while another might not have the same problem. It's crucial for kids to learn their OWN habits, strengths & weaknesses. One day, we parents will not be there & they need to have the tools to make wise choices on their own! We teach our kids to choose what they allow IN their eyes/ears by the guidelines in the bible. While they are still learning, it is our job to protect them… Evil IS real & it can be harmful to our Soul/Spirit when we allow it to enter our mind/heart through our eyes/ears. We also show our kids how they can see these effects in each others lives… We use this verse as our measuring stick:
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." -Philippians 4:8
Important Note: Scientists have proven that people, males esp. are very visual & that images can last in their mind for their entire lives, these images can pop up into their consciousness at any time w/o desire or warning. This is why God teaches us to guard our hearts & allow the Holy Spirit to transform our minds to be like the mind of Christ which is Holy & Pure = protected from evil.
"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." -Proverbs 4:23
No matter what country you live in or what age you are, there will always be people in this world that want to have you join in their folly. Often that leads to dangerous situations & leaves lasting scars on your heart & in your life. We know it can be a challenge to be different & say "NO" when everyone else seems to think it's all so great… But we've always found something better in choosing to protect our heart/mind while following God instead of the crowd. That something is peace of mind. Literally, no fear, no bondage, no nightmares, no anxiety… just peace. It's our prayer that all of you would have that peace today!
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." -Romans 12:2
Oh, be careful little eyes, what you see.
Oh, be careful little eyes, what you see.
There's a Father up above, looking down in tender love,
So be careful little eyes, what you see.
Be careful little ears what you hear
Be careful little mouth what you say…
Be careful little hands, what you touch…
Be careful little feet, where you go…
Other helpful verses:
James 4:7, Corinthians 10:13, Psalm 119: 9-16


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NOTE: When registering, your username should be your first name followed by your surname without a space - ie joebloggs or johnsmith
An incorrect format will lead to a delay in your application being processed
When joining this site you will soon receive an email, which may go through to your spam / junk email box. Please adjust your email settings so that you can receive emails from this website.
Join or Login To The Secure Members Area


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Latest update: Battle Arenas!
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- 18 custom Battles tracks
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5:00 PM, Free
Illinois Centennial Monument in the Logan Square
3200 W Logan Boulevard
Summer Sessions on Logan Square is a free concert series that takes place at the Illinois Centennial Monument in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago.
The series was started in 2009 by Logan Square residents as a way to bring the neighborhood together around a diverse array of accessible music provided by local groups.
Homeroom is excited to partner with the Whistler to present two concerts on July 27th and August 24th.
The lineup on July 27 includes Deep Sleep, the UnGnomes and Angela James.
Deep Sleep is an electro, dream pop outfit with intricate beats and washed-out melodies perfect for lounging at a picnic.
The UnGnomes combine humor and political/social commentary with punk angst and energy.
Angela James' songs recall the Nashville country of Patsy Cline with the wistful melodies of her voice soaked in reverb against a melancholy slide guitar.


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**a) The principal components of the plasma membrane and the fluid mosaic model. Factors affecting permeability of the membrane. **All cells are surrounded by a membrane 7-8nm thick, which separates the living cell from its non-living surroundings. The membrane controls what enters and leaves the cell.
The membrane is made up from proteins combined with a phospholipid bilayer. The phospholipid has a hydrophilic head which is attracted to the water in the cell and the outside, leaving the hydrophobic tails facing each other. It appears under an electron microscope as a double line. Extrinsic proteins lie across some of the bilayer, whereas intrinsic proteins span the whole layer. Cholesterol molecules sit in between the phospholipid molecules, which increases the rigidity and stability of the membrane.
The **fluid mosaic model **was proposed in 1972 by Singer and Nicholson – the membrane is fluid because the molecules are not fixed rigidly in place, and it is made up of a number of different types of molecule – phospholipids, proteins etc.
The cell membrane is selectively permeable and so only allows certain molecules to pass through it. The glycocalyx is used in cell recognition to ensure that pathogens are not able to enter the cell. It also secretes chemicals. Lipid soluble substances move through the membrane much more easily than water soluble substances.
The permeability of the membrane is affected by a number of factors such as temperature and solute. Investigations, such as the red beetroot cores in different temperatures can be carried out to show this. **b) Transport mechanisms: diffusion and factors affecting the rate of diffusion, osmosis and water potential, pinocytosis, facilitated diffusion, phagocytosis, secretion (exocytosis), active transport and influence of cyanide ** **Diffusion **– Diffusion is the net movement of molecules or ions from a region of high concentration to a region of lower concentration down a concentration gradient (until they reach equilibrium). It is a passive process. The rate of diffusion is affected by:
The concentration gradient (the bigger the gradient, the faster the rate of diffusion).
The diffusion distance (the shorter the distance, the faster the rate of diffusion).
Surface area of the membrane (the larger the area, the faster the rate of diffusion).
Size of molecule (the smaller the molecule, the faster the rate of diffusion).
Lipid solubility (the more soluble the molecule, the faster the rate of diffusion).
Temperature (the greater the temperature, the faster the rate of diffusion, as all the particles have more kinetic energy and so move around more.) **Osmosis – **Osmosis is a particular form of diffusion which is defined as the movement of water from an area of high water potential to an area of lower water potential through a partially permeable membrane down the concentration gradient.
Water potential ψ, is the tendency of water molecules to leave a system. Pure water has a water potential of zero (the highest) and all others have a negative value.
In plant cells: ψ = ψs + ψp OR water potential = solute potential + pressure potential
The solute potential is the concentration of dissolved substances. The pressure potential is the pressure exerted by the cell wall, which is usually positive.
A **hypertonic **solution has a lower WP than the cell, so water will move out by osmosis. The vacuole shrinks and the cytoplasm will draw away from the cell wall. This process is called plasmolysis and when a cell is completely plasmolysed, it is said to be flaccid. The moment when the cell membrane begins to move away from the cell wall is the point of incipient plasmolysis.
** hypotonic **solution has a higher WP than the cell, so water will move in by osmosis. It will continue to take in water until the pressure potential is equal to the solute potential and so it cannot take in any more water. At this point the cell is said to be turgid. Turgor is very important in plants as it helps to maintain their shape. In animals, there is no cell wall so if a red blood cell is placed in pure water, it will take in water by osmosis until it bursts – this is called haemolysis.
If the WP of the cell and the surrounding solution are the same, they are said to be isotonic, and there will be no net movement. **Facilitated Diffusion **– Charged particles and large molecules cannot pass through the plasma membrane by simple diffusion, so must go through protein channels. It is a passive process.
Channel Proteins – consists of pores lined with polar groups which allow charged particles to cross the membrane. The channel is hydrophilic and so water soluble substances can pass through easily. Each channel protein is specific for one type of ion, and can open and close dependent on the needs of the cell.
Carrier Proteins – allow the diffusion of larger molecules across the membrane, such as sugars and amino =acids. A particular molecule attaches to the carrier protein at its binding site and causes the carrier protein to change shape, releasing the molecule through the membrane. **Phagocytosis and pinocytosis – **Phagocytosis is where a large molecule may enter the cell, be engulfed in a vesicle and then transported through the cytoplasm. It is a way in which a molecule that is too large to be taken in by diffusion can be taken into the cell. Pinocytosis is the same process, except that it occurs with liquids.
**Exocytosis – **The process by which a substance leaves a cell after being transported through the cytoplasm in a vesicle. The contents is released outside the cell. The cell membrane is continually having portions added and removed through exocytosis and phagocytosis. **Active Transport – **Active transport, unlike diffusion, requires energy, because it is the movement of particles across a membrane against the concentration gradient. This allows molecules to accumulate in a cell. The process occurs through carrier proteins in the membrane. Processes that involve active transport include protein synthesis, muscle contraction, nerve impulse transmission and absorption of mineral salts by plant roots.
Cyanide is a respiratory inhibitor and so prevents cells from respiring, which reduces the amount of ATP available. This means that under the influence of cyanide, active transport cannot take place.


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Germans and Jews
Eric Goldman writes and teaches about Jewish cinema. He is president of Ergo Media, a distributor of Jewish, Yiddish and Israeli film.
For many Jews, the thought of buying a German car or German products remains anathema. How could a Jew support Germany after what the Germans did to us?
The thought of ever visiting Germany was the furthest thing from my mind when I was growing up – but then, many years ago, I had to do research at the German Film Institute in Wiesbaden. I went to Germany. As I drove through the streets of Wiesbaden, every chimney or smokestack signaled a visual connection with the not-too-distant past. The director of the institute even pulled me aside and warned that many of the staff were anti-Semitic.
That was then. Could it still be the case today? The film "Germans and Jews" takes a hard look at the question.
As far as cinema goes, my understanding of Germans and Jews changed after seeing "Nowhere in Africa," the 2001 Academy-Award-winning German film about an upper-middle-class family's time in exile in Africa during the Holocaust. The film concludes at the war's end, with the family returning to Germany. How could a Jew possibly go back to Germany after losing parents and siblings in the Shoah? The next shock came when I learned that a Jewish classmate, who had received a graduate Jewish studies degree, married a non-Jewish German. Her parents were German Jews. What was she thinking? What drew her and her husband together? Then, in screening the film "The Flat," I learned that an Israeli couple who fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s returned each year after the war for a visit to Germany. They came back so they could vacation with good friends, one of whom had held a high position in the SS hierarchy. Arnon Goldfinger tells that story about his grandparents in his 2011 film, a documentary where he examines that strange relationship.
What producer Tal Recanati and non-Jewish German director Janina Quint do well in "Germans and Jews" is lay out the facts. What is understandably an awkward relationship between Germans and the Jews who live in Germany today is also quite complex. In the course of the film, we learn much about how postwar Germany initially ignored what had been done to the Jews. Their desire was to put aside the past, move on, and build a new society. Indeed, after the war some Germans, living in a bombed-out country with limited resources, saw themselves, not Jews, as the real victims.
We more fully comprehend how, in order to move forward and regain acceptance among the European nations, Chancellor Konrad Adenauer had to offer reparations in 1952 for the carnage done to the Jewish people. We also see how attitudes in Germany changed over the years, particularly in 1968. While young Americans were questioning their military's presence in Vietnam, young Germans were inquiring about their parents and grandparents' role in World War II.
The filmmakers approach their subject by introducing us to a number of Jews and their non-Jewish friends and spouses at a Berlin dinner party. Over the course of the film, we gain different perspectives from each on how Jews fare in Germany today. They also construct the film almost as a visitor's video guide to Jewish sites of interest in the country, which is fascinating for the traveler in each of us. We not only learn about the places of interest, but about the various initiatives that helped catalyze the creation of many of the memory sites. The more than 48,000 memory plaques, stolpersteine, each carrying the names of a victim of the Shoah, that are now in place across Europe, are particularly fascinating. What truly makes the film a must-see are the fine interviews with social psychologists, historians, Jewish educators and museum directors.
The filmmakers chart the history of Jews in postwar Germany. Twenty-seven thousand German Jews returned home, and they were followed by an influx of Russian Jews and more recently by lots of Israelis. The film speaks to the "ambivalence" of German Jews returning after the war to a country many still considered home. It charts the changes in attitude about the Shoah. One historian reflects on how in 1979 a nationwide broadcast of the U.S. mini-series "Shoah" impacted West German life. But in East Germany, where the program was not broadcast, many Germans saw themselves, not Jews, as the real victims, victims of communism.
Recanati and Quint conclude by showing us that today the Shoah is taught as an integral part of German history. However, polls show that there is now so-called "Holocaust fatigue"; 57 percent of the population feeling that Holocaust education is overdone.
Berlin, home to Europe's fastest growing Jewish population, is a great place to live and has become an exciting and trendy destination to visit. Today, there are roughly 250,000 Jews in Germany, .2 percent of the population. Some estimate that as many as 100,000 of those Jews are Israeli. For a young Israeli, it also is far less expensive to live there than in costly Tel Aviv. And sadly, as one Israeli artist notes, it might be safer to live as a Jew today in Germany than it is in Israel.
Tal Recanati and Janina Quint have created an exceptional documentary, and I encourage anyone interested in the subject to see it. The film opens today at the Cinema Village in New York.
Eric Goldman teaches cinema at Yeshiva University. In addition to being founder of Ergo Media, a Jewish film distributor, he writes and lectures about Jewish-related cinema.


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4575 Mission Gorge Pl
San Diego, CA 92120
United States
(619) 287 - 1270
Areas Served
San Diego County
Imperial County
Who We Are
Catholic Charities, Diocese of San Diego (CCDSD) provides immigration services to eligible persons that foster family reunification, empowerment, and social integration.
Nominal fee is charged.
Organization Type
Immigration Law Services


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CMR Northwestern (Cardiovascular MRI Course)
The Department of Radiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is pleased to announce a magnetic resonance training curriculum for physicians and technologists.
CMR Northwestern is intended for physicians and technologists who currently have a basic proficiency in MR and/or knowledge of Cardiac MR, who wish to leverage the capabilities of their MR systems. A prerequisite for the course is knowledge of basic MR physics. It is optimal if both physician and technologist attend the course together, however, this is not mandatory.
Program Description
The program incorporates didactic instruction with practical, hands-on scanning both in a simulation environment and at the scanner console. Cardiovascular imaging basics will be presented, including CMR imaging physics and protocols. Clinical applications will be emphasized through lectures reviewing cardiovascular pathology. Thirty mentored clinical cases will be presented. Participants will spend time at the imaging console with volunteers at 1.5T and 3.0T cardiovascular magnets. In addition, participants will study structural and functional cardiac MR evaluations utilizing current MR case specific applications, exploring cardiac morphology and function. Download CMR Northwestern 2019 flyer.
Program Objectives
- Review the indications of, contraindications to, and potential side effects of CMR.
- Demonstrate practical knowledge in technical aspects of the CMR examination.
- Describe the basic principles of MR angiography and their application.
- Recognize and minimize important image artifacts.
- Apply image post-processing techniques.
- Correlate CMR with other imaging modalities (echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, CCT, and interventional angiography) as well as with medical history, physical examination, laboratory, and hemodynamic data.
- Recognize cardiac and vascular pathology (ischemia, infarction, valve disease, infiltrative disorders, congenital anomalies) on an MRI examination.
Admission Requirements
Although there are no formal prerequisites for attending Northwestern CMR, a basic understanding of MR and MR physics are required. At Northwestern we also offer TECH SMaRT, a course that admits technologist applicants who have demonstrated a strong background in MRI physics and data acquisition as well as significant experience with the Siemens Syngo software platform. Tech Smart focuses more on the practical and technical challenges of CMR and provides didactic instruction, combined with hands on and observational experiences in a small group on only 2-3 attendees. TECH SMarT is approved for 31.75 category A credit hours. More about TECH SMaRT
Registration Information
To register for the course and pay by check, please print, complete, and fax or mail the registration form to the address indicated on the form. Make checks payable to Northwestern University. If payment is not received within three weeks of receiving the registration form, your registration may be cancelled.
If you prefer to register for the course and pay by check, please print, complete, and fax or mail the registration form to the address indicated on the form. Make checks payable to Northwestern University. If payment is not received within three weeks of receiving the registration form, your registration may be cancelled.
The registration fee includes:
- Course materials
- Didactic lectures
- Hands-on MR scanning sessions
- Breakfast, lunch, and assortment of drinks, including coffee during the course
- A dinner with course participants and faculty at a restaurant near the Northwestern University campus in downtown Chicago.
- Participants are responsible for their own travel, lodging, and meal expenses outside of those listed above.
Dates, Times, and Locations
This course will take place in the October 16-18, 2019 at the:
Northwestern University Chicago Campus
737 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1600
Chicago IL, 60611
The following hotels offer special rates for Northwestern guests. Please call the hotel's for reservationsdirectly and ask for the "Northwestern University" rate:
The Allerton Hotel, 701 North Michigan Avenue (312-440-1500)
• $179 Standard Room (1 Queen bed)
• $199 Standard Double (2 Queen beds)
• $199 Executive King Suite (1 King bed + Love seat)
Doubletree Hotel, 300 East Ohio Street (312-224-2127)
•$179 Single or Double
•Lake View Deluxe Room: +$10 additional per room
•PURAir Allergy Free Room: +$10 additional per room
Cambria Chicago Magnificent Mile (formerly MileNorth Hotel), 166 East Superior Street (312-787-6000)
• $189 Studio - Standard
• $229 Suite
Omni Hotel, 676 North Michigan Avenue (312-944-6664)
•$235 Deluxe Room (King or Queen)
•$260 King Corner Suites/Doubles
Peninsula Hotel, 108 East Superior Street (Reservations: 866-288-8889)
• $350 Superior King
• $350 Deluxe King
• $375 Grand Deluxe King
Hyatt Chicago Magnificent Mile, 633 North St. Clair Street (312-274-4438)
• $225 Standard King or Double
• $275 Corner King
• $325 Executive Suite
Cancellation Policy
The registration fee, less a $50 administrative fee, is refundable if a written (via email, fax or mail) cancellation request is received thirty days prior to the course date. Please include your tax ID or social security number if requesting a refund. No refunds will be issued if notice is given less than 30 days prior to the course date; however, you may transfer your registration to a colleague.
For more information contact Julie Blaisdell via email: firstname.lastname@example.com or by phone: (312)695-2956.
Download CMR Northwestern 2019 flyer
Contract Information
Julie Blaisdell
CMR Northwestern
Department of Radiology
737 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1600
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Phone: 312-695-2956
Fax: 312-926-5991


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10 Interesting Facts About England by:Sue Marchant
Do you think you know all there is to know about England? Here are a few interesting facts about England that you might not have heard previously.
Robin Hood existed. The true facts about his life are largely unknown and probably much less glamorous than TV and Hollywood have made them out to be. However there does seem to be little doubt that his criminal activity was largely taking from those with plenty and giving it to those with little.
In the mid 17th century Christmas was banned in England by order of Oliver Cromwell. As Protectorate for England for his Puritan followers, he considered Christmas traditions of the day, such as wassailing where the people would go from house to house and drink a toast to the householder and their families, to be against their religious beliefs. Christmas was reinstated once Cromwell was removed from power.
In 1826 the world's first zoo opened in London. Still open, London Zoo's most famous exhibit was an African bull elephant named Jumbo, who would later be sold to Barnum & Bailey's Circus and shipped to America. Charles Darwin was thought to be a frequent visitor to the zoo, which had among its other species, an orangutan.
England has two flags; the red cross of St George on a white background, and the Union Jack which is made up of the flags of England, Scotland and Ireland. Most commonly used is the Union Jack, but you will see the other flag in use when the three countries are all represented individually, such as competing in sporting events.
From the Battle of Hastings in 1066 until 1362 the official language of England was French! To this day the Sovereign's motto which appears on the Royal Coat of Arms is "Dieu et mon droit", French for "God and my right".
England, home to the 2012 Olympic Games, is rumored to be the birthplace of the modern Olympics! Contrary to popular opinion that they were started in Greece, there was a small town in England that began holding the Much Wenlock Olympic games in 1850 (it would be another 46 years before Athens caught on). Much Wenlock near Shrewsbury in Shropshire still holds its Olympic games every July.
3.5 million people paid to see London from a bird's eye view in the London Eye during 2007, but by far the most visited attraction in England's capital that year was the British Museum with just over 4.5 million visitors.
Keep hold of your umbrella if traveling on the London Underground. Approximately 80,000 people lose their umbrella's there every year!
Big Ben is more than an oversized clock tower! Within the ornate walls of the clock tower are cells. They haven't been used since 1880, but they are still there waiting to imprison any Members of Parliament who dare to break parliamentary privilege.
Wherever you visit in England, you're never far from the sea! It doesn't matter where you stand in England, you're never more than 80 miles from the sea.
About the author
For more interesting facts about England visit http://www.essentially-england.com/facts-about-england.html.To know about the history of England,its culture, food and travel, visit Sue Marchant's website http://www.essentially-england.com
Article Source:


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Good morning. On Saturday I thought I would draw some pictures about wrestling. I was thinking mainly about flesh and violence; lots of gouging and blood and tears and viscera. Hilariously this has not come across AT ALL. As with all doodles the salient thought when I look back on them is 'Wow… Porn-tastic.' I mean, really. But then, who cares? I figure they can be like the Rorschach test. Maybe some people will see a happy land of… um… Coral?
Coral porn?


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Once again, I got called upon to host you fine folk in an evening of trivia because, once again, Adam sucks and cannot be counted on to do anything properly. :-) The unfortunate thing is...well, the unfortunate thing is my voice. I have a yearly fight with cedar fever and resulting bronchitis. And, this past Wednesday it was at its peak, so please let me apologize for any difficulty you may have had in understanding me. Luckily, Adam did get there to save the day and hosted the entirety of game number two saving you lot from another hour of my voice. :-) But, game number one was a lot of fun with some very high scoring rounds. In the end, it was brand new team Peanuts coming in second place with the Mouseaholics storming out of the gate and maintaining a strong lead all the way through to the bitter end. Well done. I will now pass the rest of the write-up off to Adam because, like I did on Wednesday, I'm going to go gargle whiskey, honey, and lemon. Adam, take it away!
Hey, it's Adam. Yeah, pretty much what he said. Except he sucks. I don't. Everyone knows Adam rules; Kyle drools. Congrats to our game 2 winners, Porter Pie and Team Name Here.
Now, for that ever-important scavenger hunt bonus point. Since it's the day after Election day, and we've all performed our civic duty. I'd like you to very simply tell me the number of electoral votes earned by the youngest man ever to serve as President. A very simple hunt for such a late write-up.
You're back in the loving hands of Kyle this week as I'll be staggering around Las Vegas, but I'll be back next week. Don't forget to keep checking Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and right here at pgtrivia.com for bonus point opportunities, #didyouknow spectacularness and more.
All the while, never forget...it's all in your mind...
PGAdam & the other guy :)


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H.Res.625 - Honoring the members of the United States Armed Forces who served in Vietnam.112th Congress (2011-2012)
ResolutionHide Overview
|Rep. Fattah, Chaka [D-PA-2] (Introduced 04/19/2012)
|House - Veterans' Affairs; Armed Services
|Latest Action:
|House - 07/10/2012 Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel. (All Actions)
This bill has the status Introduced
Here are the steps for Status of Legislation:
- Introduced
Subject — Policy Area:
- Armed Forces and National Security
- View subjects
Summary: H.Res.625 — 112th Congress (2011-2012)All Information (Except Text)
There is one summary for H.Res.625. Bill summaries are authored by CRS.
Shown Here:
Introduced in House (04/19/2012)
Recognizes and remembers the valiant sacrifices of members of the U.S. Armed Forces killed in action, missing in action, or prisoners of war.
Encourages the Philadelphia Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center to establish an advisory committee to consider whether the name of the hospital should be changed to recognize the efforts of an individual or group of veterans in the service of the United States.
Supports the inclusion in the advisory committee of diverse stakeholders, including veteran service organizations, community organizations, patients served by the hospital, and other stakeholders.
Believes the actions and commendations of specific individuals, including Corporal Michael Joseph Crescenz, should be appropriately considered by the advisory committee.
Seeks any recommendations that the advisory committee may develop in order to inform congressional deliberations about changing the name of the Philadelphia Medical Center or otherwise recognizing the service of Philadelphia area veterans.


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To Speak Or Not To Speak, That Is The Question
Cab drivers wear many hats throughout the day. Much like bartenders, we hear and see it all. When I first started driving I thought my gift to gab would be one of my best assets. I could talk to anyone. I had enough knowledge about most topics that I could bullshit my way through any ride. It didn't take long for me to fit right in as a seasoned hack in Vegas. I could tell you almost anything you wanted. If I didn't know the right answer I made it up, sold it hard and looked up the info later. Oh wait, did I just give away a hack secret?
Time went on and I found myself becoming a different person with different backgrounds depending on who sat in the seat. I did well with this and made a good amount of side money because of my out going and all-knowing personality. I would have a fare sit in the cab and would bombard them with a series of questions to feel out who I needed to be to relate best with them. I would then get into that character and life went on like that for five to ten minutes at a time.
All was going well until I came I to work one day, I'm assuming sleep deprived, and just not in the mood to deal with anyone. I got my first fare and I don't even think I said good morning. I simply asked "where to" and drove off not speaking a syllable until I got to the drop off point and told them the fare amount. I put my hand out and waited for some remark about my lack of personality and them to give me $13 on a $12.90 fare and ask for their dime back. But to my amazement, it was the exact opposite. I was handed a 20 and told to have a good day.
I sat there for a second trying to figure out what just happened and chalked it up to the fact that they must have just been nice. I got back into the cab and went to pick up my next fare. Still not being in the mood to deal with people, I treated the them the same and yet I got the same response. Ok this is just a fluke. No way am I making more money by not saying a word to these people. As the day went on, about 25 of the 30 fares that day gave me at least an $8 tip.
Being very confused as to what had happened that day, I got on the phone and called the wife. After braking the day down for her I hear a
slight giggle roar of laughter coming through the phone. Not understanding what's so funny about this, I asked why she was laughing? She replies simply,
Wife: I've been telling you this forever. Just shut your big damn mouth.
Me: What are you talking about?
Wife: The more you talk, the less we listen. You talk too much and your fares obviously think so too. So do us all a favor and shut your trap and make us some damn money.
Taken back from this news that the wife thinks I talk too much, (I swear I've never heard her say that before) I hang up the phone and start thinking. Is this true? Can I make more money by shutting up? I need to test this. Over the following weeks I tried talking to my fares and not talking to my fares to get a good average. And what do you know? I made more money by not trying to become who I thought they wanted me to be and by not making crap up as I go. Nope! I made more money just sitting in the driver's seat and driving.
Now of course this didn't stop me from talking, but when I complained about have a slow tip day to the wife I would get the same response every time. SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH! I love her. Over the years I've found a good happy medium on talking. The made up stories are out the window for the most part and only used when a fare wants a good story that I just don't have. I now read people to see if they are wanting to talk or not. But over the years I've found myself hiding in the residential dealing with locals.
8 Responses to "To Speak Or Not To Speak, That Is The Question"
I have to agree with Jill – mainly because I don't want to hear someone yapping, or be given the third degree during my trek from point A to point B! But I still ❤ you :-p


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WeePallet, the leading manufacturer and supplier of plastic pallets, today introduced three more sets of blow molding machines. The company now owns a total 8 modern blow molding machines for plastic pallets used in cold chain supply.
The new sets of machines aim to boost the production capacity of WeePallet, which is more than 10,000 plastic pallets a day. WeePallet blow molding machines feature modern technology with the capability to process 100% virgin HDPE material.
"With 8 blow molding machines, our company can handle bulk orders of HDPE plastic pallets that are durable and have impressive resistance to cracking," said Mr. Blue Chen, the WeePallet Export Manager. "These blow molding machines for plastic pallets ensure a uniform thickness with high dynamic and static load capacities. We can assure all our customers of high quality plastic pallets for any supply chain management process."
Features of WeePallet Blow Molding Machines for Plastic Pallets
The three new machines have the following key features:
A fully automated system: The blow molding machine is a fully automated machine with PLC software.
This ensures precise dimensional control and repeatability. The system eliminates human intervention that is prone to errors and inconsistencies.
A standardized machine: WeePallet new blow molding machines for plastic pallets are made in accordance with the American and European standards. Hence, they produce pallets to international standards that fit on most forklifts.
Highly sensitive machines: Blow molding is a pressure and temperature sensitive process. The blow molding machines for plastic pallets have advanced temperature and pressure control systems.
All pneumatic and hydraulic valves are made to international standards. Energy efficient: The electrical systems are CE compliant, with energy efficient electric motors.
So far, blow molding plastic pallets technology has made WeePallet a recognized force in the plastic pallet industry. WeePallet partners will thus benefit from:
Durable and reliable plastic pallets: WeePallet uses 100% virgin HDPE plastic pallets. Adopting blow molding technique produces plastic pallets that are strong, durable and reliable due to the unique manufacturing process.
High load capacity pallets: WeePallet team ensures a controlled thickness of the plastic pallets. This produces high load capacity plastic pallets that can handle enormous amounts of shock during storage and shipping.
Pallets are optimized for low temperature applications: Plastic pallets produced through blow molding are resistant to low temperatures – as low as - 40°C. They are suitable for cold chain supply.
By introducing three more blow molding machines for plastic pallets, WeePallet intends to meet the high demand for these shipping and storage accessories.
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I remember taking a bus between towns one summer. It was early in the season, so we were still in school, my cousin and I. This was in the late 1980s when the insides of long distance buses were still upholstered in brown instead of grey, and you could smoke on them as long as you sat in the back half of the vehicle. I remember that, because my cousin and I were sharing a pack of cigarettes made of red and white cardboard, and I can see her fingers stuffing a rectangle of tinfoil into one of those aluminum ashtrays that were mounted into the back of the seats. There were half-circles pressed into a strip of metal across the middle of the ashtray that you could squeeze your cigarette into if you needed both of your hands and didn't want the cigarette to roll onto the floor.
A girl near the back of the bus smiled when we boarded. My cousin and I sat in the rearmost seat, and the girl popped up over the back of hers and asked if she could hang out with us. We said yes, because she seemed lonely. Her smile was too broad for someone who was actually happy to be sitting by herself. I began to wonder, though, if maybe she had that condition that some people get when their mothers drink during pregnancy, because she lacked social inhibition. She was far too happy that we were talking to her. As soon as the three of us got into a conversation, she told us everything she could about herself. It all bubbled out of her with her eyes overly bright and laughter in between her sentences. She made me think of a wide-open, empty box.
She told us that she came from a town called Love, which really does exist, because I looked it up later to see if she was telling the truth. She spelled it out in red ballpoint pen on some school notebook paper with a fancy heart to stand in for the O in the middle of the word. "I want to be loved," she said, "and I come from Love, so maybe it'll happen." The only time that she didn't smile was when she said that. Part of me wanted to touch her arm then to let her know that things might be okay, but a bigger part of me wanted the trip to be over so that I could get away from her and become a stranger again.
I have not been able to shake her from my mind in all this time. If she is still alive, she is no longer that teenager from nearly two decades ago, but I find myself thinking back to that musty bus with seats upholstered in mashed-flat terrycloth, and I still fear for where she could take herself. I still loathe her, that nameless girl from L♥ve. I still wonder if someone has ever loved her. Nineteen years later, I still can't let her go.
I am a participant in NaBloPoMo 2008, a challenge to write 30 posts in 30 days during the month of November. "National Blog Posting Month is the epicenter of daily blogging!"


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Cinta Di Ujung JalanBilang SajaDon'tKarena Ku SanggupJeraParalyzedTeruskanlahRapuhShake It OffKu T'lah Jatuh CintaTak Ada LogikaTak Kan Sampai DisiniSalah Jatuh CintaTak BisaKu DisiniWhat They Called SoulmateGet UpHanya MenungguGodai Aku LagiMataharikuSeputih HatiTanpa KekasihkuBukan Milikmu LagiCinta MatiHanya Cinta Yang BisaIni Gila Ini CintaJanji-janjiI'll Light A Candle Feat Keith MartinDan Tak MungkinCoz I Love YouIndahBerlebihanA.g.n.e.zKamu Dan Kamu
Related Information for Agnes Monica Agnes Monica (born Agnes Monica Muljoto; 1 July 1986) is an Indonesian recording artist and actress. Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, she started her career in the entertainment industry in 1992 at the age of six as a child singer. She has recorded three children's albums. She also became a presenter of several children's television programs. As a teenager, Agnes expanded her career to include acting. Her role in the soap opera Pernikahan Dini rocketed her name into the indust.. read more


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August, oh August. I frankly don't know how I would describe this month. It contained an equal amount of highs and lows. I found my moods swinging from being happy and feeling great one week and then rapidly sinking down the next week. It was an inevitable cycle.
But I'm positive September will be better. For now let's go back and take a look at what happened in August:
(Also I noticed I haven't done a Monthly Recap in ages! I need to do more of these.)


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Ever since I was a child, I've wanted to travel the Amazon River. On September 1, 2016, I was able to scratch that off my bucket list. My wife, Jennifer, and I spent a week exploring the Amazon and some of its tributaries on an Amazon River Boat called the Delfin I. It was and will be one of the most memorable experiences of my life.
First a little background history. The mouth of the Amazon River was discovered in 1500, when a Spanish expedition led by Vincente Pinzon sailed up it to a point 50 miles (80km) from the sea. Forty years later, another Spanish expedition, of 50 men under the command of Francisco de Orellana, achieved an epic journey from the distant Andes by way of the Napo River and the Amazon mainstream to the Atlantic. By the 19th century, naturalists finally began to learn the secrets of the rivers and the surrounding rain forest. Between 1848 and 1859, the British naturalist Henry Bates collected thousands of insect species entirely new to entomology. Now, the Amazon is thought to have 2.5 million species of insects, 1,300 bird species, 3,000 types of fish, 430 mammals and a whopping 2.5 million different insects. The botanist Richard Spruce gathered some 7000 new plant specimens. Now, the Amazon is estimated to have 40,000 plant species, 16,000 tree species and 390 billion individual trees. The Amazon River is by far the world's largest river by volume. It has over 1,100 tributaries, 17 of which are longer than 1000 miles. We were only able to explore a few of these.
We flew into Lima, Peru then onto Iquitos, a bustling city completely surrounded by jungle. There are no roads leading in or out of Iquitos. You can only enter or leave on foot or by boat or plane. The primary mode of transportation is a motor carriages or "Tuk Tuk".
After a brief tour of the city, it was onto Nauta, the riverboat port. Once we embarked, we met our guide and our fellow passengers, two couples from Lima, Peru. We didn't waste any time and immediately boarded a skiff (motorboat) to search for pink dolphins. Even though our guide made no promise we would be able to see any pink dolphins that day, we spotted dozens just during that 2 hour excursion.
The next day consisted of a jungle hike where we observed several forms of wildlife. We got close to a sloth that really seemed to be posing for our cameras. Our jungle guide discovered a Tarantula and brought it close for us to view (I hate spiders). We also got close and personal to a boa constrictor, a small poisonous frog, and a monkey (see photos below). Even though it was 90+ degrees with high humidity, we all had to wear long pants and sleeves due to the huge population of mosquitoes. Thank goodness I brought along my Para'Kito mosquito repellent wrist band.
The scariest and most unforgettable excursion of our journey was the jungle canopy walk. It is a series of several tree platforms around 35 meters (115 feet) high connected by swing bridges giving you a unique perception of the wildlife and vegetation seldom observed from the ground. For someone who is afraid of heights (me), this was quite a frightening but awesome feat. Had it not been for Jennifer encouraging me from behind, I would have never conquered that fear.
I can now actually tell my grandchildren (not) that I swam in the Amazon, I fed a Manatee, I kayaked in the Amazon, and fished for Piranha in the Amazon. Fishing for Piranha is an art that I will never master. Normally, a fish will hook itself while going for bait. A Piranha is smarter that. As they bite into the bait (not hook) you have to pull them quickly into the boat. Well, we fed a lot of Piranha that day but didn't catch any. What we did hook was Amazonian Catfish. I was so proud that I caught one. Jennifer caught five!
On our final day we visited a local village and spent time with some of its 150 inhabitants. I will never forget that day. We all brought the children some toys and school supplies which they desperately needed. Jen and I purchased some beautiful straw items they handcraft which provide their village with income. I tried to converse with one of the village leaders with the little Spanish I know. He just smiled. Many of the jungle people are very happy and live to be over 100 years old. When asked the reason for their longevity . . . "no stress".
The Amazon is more than just the World's largest river, it is the life force of the surrounding rainforest which is one of the one of the world's greatest natural resources. Because its vegetation continuously recycles carbon dioxide into oxygen, it has been described as the "Lungs of our Planet". About 20% of earth's oxygen is produced by the Amazon rainforest. If you ever have the opportunity to visit this area, it will be one of the most extraordinary experiences of your life.


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Chandra, AK and Sebastian, KL (1976) A study of interaction between two He+ ions in terms of the electronic forces. In: Chemical Physics Letters, 41 (3). pp. 593-597.
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The potential energy curve of the He2+2 system dissociating into two He+ ions is examined in terms of the electronic force exerted on each nucleus as a function of the internuclear separation. The results are compared with the process of bond-formation in H2 from the separated atoms.
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|Division of Chemical Sciences > Inorganic & Physical Chemistry
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|Mahesh Y
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|09 Dec 2009 11:13
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|19 Sep 2010 05:49
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Month by month, our weibold! academy series dwells deeper into the world of tire recycling, its products and applications. In case you have missed our previous w! academy articles, you can find the links at the end of this article.
This month we will elaborate on applications for fibers from end-of-life tires.
The average passenger tire contains approximately 1.1 kg (2.5 lbs) of fiber, while truck tires may have much less. The fibers are a combination of polyester, rayon and nylon. Fiber is liberated from rubber and wire using different methods during processing. Mechanical vibrating screens and pneumatic systems can liberate fiber from other tire material when shreds are about 20 mm (¾") in size; however, some material will re-pass through the system, as it is not yet liberated. The more the material is passed through, the shorter the fibers become. This can make the material less marketable for certain applications. Vibrating air fluidized beds are also used to separate fiber from rubber. The resulting fiber is "fluffy" in nature, resembling cotton, and is often referred to as "fluff." Because the material is low in bulk density, it may need to be baled in order to transport to market it successfully. Vacuum systems often collect the fiber material or convey it to its final destination due to its light nature.
Tire derived fiber is largely an underutilized commodity. If markets were better developed and offered a sufficient price, processors would be more prone to recycle tires in the way where they remove and prepare fibers for reuse.
From the whole range of applications identified for separated tire-derived fiber, only its use as a fuel appears to be commercially significant. Landfill engineering and cement kilns are also relatively large sinks for tire fiber as this material is part of (and not separated from) the shredded or whole tires used in these applications. Research has identified a broad range of applications for tire-derived fiber, but many of these are still at the research and development stage.
Some of the asphalt producers who use rubber granulate include the fiber as well in some products, as it helps form a matrix that adds strength to the material.
It can also be used as reinforcing component in manufacturing masticated rubber products such as mud flaps, rubber sheets and rolls.
Tests showed that adding tire fibers in concrete can improve the shrinkage performance of reinforced concrete and although there might be a noticeable decline in the compressive strength of the concrete there is an increase in the toughness of the concrete.
Carpet backing is another application where we monitored efforts to incorporate it into the production process. However, tire fiber usually has significant amounts of contamination in the fiber—including both rubber and wire—which makes the material unsuitable for this purpose without proper cleaning. Also longer fibers are preferred over short ones.
Given the fact that the fiber has a relatively high btu value (similar to tire derived fuel) one market expansion opportunity for any recycler is to approach cement kilns to explore whether and how they could begin to use it to complement existing fuel sources. The btu value usually is between 30,000 and 35,000 btu per kg (14,000 to 16,000 btu per pound), dry weight.
- Summarizing the specific properties of tire fibers the material is reinforcing, sound deadening, insulating, and with a high btu value.
- Beyond use as fuel, tire-derived fiber is highly absorbent and lightweight and has low or no cost, potentially making it a possible replacement for materials in some other markets.
- Industrial applications for the fiber are limited, but market appetite is growing.
- Most of the scrap tire recyclers are primarily interested in producing good-quality rubber rather than producing clean fiber.
- For tire-derived fiber to be used in many of the newer applications, auxiliary equipment to clean the materials to an acceptable quality would normally be required. This would lead inevitably to additional processing costs which are often difficult to pay off based on the average low volume a single tire recycler produces.
Please contact us to request more information on this topic. We will be happy to help you!
Links to our previous newsletters:
- Welcome to weibold! Academy
- weibold! Academy: Recycled Rubber Output Spectrum and Rubber Granulates
- weibold! Academy: Rubber Granulates, Rubber Powder, Tire Derived Steel and Tire Derived Fiber
- weibold! Academy: Tyre Recycling Value Chain
- weibold! Academy: Applications for Tyre Recycling Plant Output
- weibold! Academy: Rubber Granulate Applications
- weibold! Academy: Rubber Powder Applications – Rubber Industry
- weibold! Academy: Rubber Powder Applications – Surface Coatings
- weibold! Academy: Success Factors in the Tire Recycling Industry
- weibold! Academy: Understanding Tire Recycling Technology
- weibold! Academy: Total Quality Management in Tire Recycling


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A runner is one who runs
"A runner is one who runs."
-Christine Engelen, marathoner, pilgrim of the Camino
The most I have ever run in my life prior to last Saturday was six miles.
I was only able to do that because I was visiting my best friend in Chicago, and after living in Colorado at 4,982 feet above sea level for the last year and a half, the low altitude granted me the lungs of an Olympic swimmer. Plus, I was running alongside Lake Michigan, and I didn't want to leave the sight of waves and sand.
And oh, the sheer joy of being alone in a new city, feeling the strength of my body in an unknown place, in an unknown way; making the most out of a precious few days to just be me, to relish my aliveness in the world apart from any role I play.
I was anonymous. A runner. A body moving down a dirt path to music no one else could hear.
I was also going to my best friend's art opening at Northwestern University later that evening, followed by a night downtown visiting galleries and clubs, and I needed to be able to wear my skinny black "on the town" pants and still breathe. The thought of those pants kept me running.
Last Saturday, all I had for motivation was my imminent participation in a half marathon in two weeks, and the fear that at the magic six mile marker, my legs would stop working.
My good friend Christine comes with me.
She's run several halfs, and the St. Jude's Marathon in Memphis. She's done a thirteen week training program. She's read books on running. She qualifies, obviously, as a runner.
She asks me if I want a heart monitor. Um. I avoided one while birthing, so I will stick with that plan and say no? I don't know. Is it good to have one? What does it do? Ohh, it monitors your heart. Right. Hence the name.
She asks if I have water. Is it good to have water? I don't know. I don't own a water fanny pack. Or a Camelbak. Or gelpacks. Or goo. All new concepts. Well, except for the water. She packs some water for me on her bike.
Do I have a GPS system? Is it good to have a GPS? I don't know. I don't have one in my car. I don't use one on my phone. I use RunKeeper for running, but only the free tracking system. I am not a runner so it makes no sense to pay for extra information that I won't use, right?
She asks me what my training plan is. Um. Run? Run a lot?
We park at the beginning of the bridge that crosses over Horsetooth Reservoir and then heads up. And up. And up. She rides her bike. I wear my old trail running shoes. And my fear. And my determination.
I push play on my Pandora Bethel Music station, complete with commercials because I also don't want to pay for commercial-free listening since I am not a runner, and I don't need uninterrupted motivating music. I will be interrupted enough by my labored breathing, bad knees, cramps in the side....
Turns out I don't like running to the Pandora "Running (Radio Mix) Station;" I love starting out to Kayti Perry's "Roar," but by the time Havana Brown's "We Run the Night" hits, I'm heaving my ass up a hill feeling like the farthest thing from a girrrl in the club. I tried running to NPR one time when they were playing clips from different comedians stand up routines; then the comedy got political and way over my head, and I was concentrating so hard on trying to get the jokes that I lost all my motivation to run.
Worship music it is.
I push my RunKeeper "Go Running" button. And we begin.
I make it halfway up the first hill before I have to walk. Then a stranger runs past me and says, You can do it, and I think, Ok. you're probably right. So I start running again. Christine's gears on her newly tuned bike won't shift; I find that out when I look back and see her walking her bike up the hill.
At the top, the road evens out to follow the crest of the reservoir. I can see the whole city spread out below me to the east; Horsetooth Reservoir sparkles to the west; and to the north, the buttes, then the plains, then the haze of the horizon; it looks like how I imagine the drop off at the end of the world would look. I can't look south, because that's where I just came from.
Christine catches up, and then passes me. She shouts that she will go forward, then circle back. I nod, concentrating on my breathing.
I only have music in one ear so I can hear my breath and my feet in the other. I remember Christine asking me what my self-talk was for running. I had a ready Um, and then my standard, "I don't know," and then a tentative, "I can do this?" She had nodded; "Look what my body can do," she offered. "Look how strong I am."
I run, and I think, "Look what my body can do. My lungs. These feet. These legs." I think about birthing, and how, in the throes of contractions, I'd yelled over and over, "I can't do this, I can't do this." And how my midwife and my husband responded, "You ARE doing this. You are DOING this. Look at what your body can do. You are birthing your baby. You have what it takes."
I begin to settle into a rhythm, giving myself little markers to keep me moving: Run to this sign 30 ft ahead. Ok, now run to that tree. Ok, now it's downhill, slow down and take it in the gut. Take it in your butt.
Take it in the gut, take it in your butt becomes my unlikely mantra.
I realize I can't take the jarring journey in my calves and my thighs; I can't keep it in my extremities or they will give out; I have to let the jolts reverberate through my whole body. I have to send the shock of the road into the thickest part of me- right into my core. I have to let the road happen to me, everywhere.
I crave air. I've never been more aware of how I breathe; I can see my lungs filling up and out. I can feel the whole expanse of my chest and my back, the limitations of my frame.
I am six miles in. My legs are still working.
I head uphill again; I start letting out my breath with audible sighs; I am making the same low, shuddering exhalations I did when I birthed my babies. "Like lowing," the midwife had said. "Drop your jaw and low like a cow. It releases your pelvic floor."
I am at seven miles, lowing like a cow, smelling like a cow...no, that's the smell of horse manure. I am past the reservoir now, heading down into farmland.
I love the smell of manure. It reminds me of my childhood, visiting my grandma's Flying V Ranch where she raised steer on six hundred acres in Orange, Virginia. I run over a cattle guard and smile as I remember being little, and walking barefoot across the grates, wrapping the arches of my feet around the thick cold metal of each bar, so careful not to twist an ankle in the gaps.
I pass other runners, and so many bicyclists in their imprinted Spandex. I give a two thumbs up to anyone whose skin is open to the wind. There is an instant comradeship for being on this road together.
We are all doing the same thing, in different ways, for different reasons, but still, the same. This hill, this particular way the sun is shining, the sound of these birds, the view of the reservoir, the smell of manure; it belongs to all of us.
I feel it less so with the motorcyclists, and nothing for the cars. They are protected by metal and glass. We are the exposed.
Christine is my comrade. She bikes out, and back, out and back, checking on me. I give her my two thumbs up, grinning like a goofball. She passes off a water bottle. I swish, then spit, and hand it off like a baton when she comes back around. I have only enough breath to say, "I'm not going back," but I know she gets it. She's done this before.
We are in this together even though she is on a bike and I am running, and she keeps besting me, and then circling back. She knows I mean I can't run halfway and then turn around and run back to the car. I have to move on. I have to end up somewhere different than where I started.
I've never claimed to be a runner. But I am running. It's the verb that makes it real. It's the action, not the title. It's putting one foot in front of the other.
The perspective of the journey shifts.
At first, it's just getting used to the feeling of running, and knowing I have a hill coming up. Then I crest the hill and it's the view, this breathtaking expanse of world, mine for the taking. It's the idea of the long run, and the thought of the end, and the possibility of how far I might go, and the feel of my body slapping against the road, and my rhythmic breath, and remembering to flop my arms and let my cheeks shake; it's the reservoir below me, and the buttes off in the distance.
Something shifts around mile eight. My body starts to protest. The top of my left foot aches. The outside of my right knee suddenly swells, and protests bending. My gait changes; I am a tin soldier without joints. My movement heaves left to right; my feet fall heavy; I've lost the long strides of a cat, lilting up and over, bending forward from the waist. I am favoring my knee, and I realize I am going to have to walk.
This feels like defeat. But I do it anyway. I have to listen to myself; it's good to learn my limits.
My walk is stilted, and long, like I'm stretching my legs way out in front of me. It's an odd movement I've never experienced before. Now for the next three miles it's run, walk, favor the knee, favor the left foot, try to breathe into the hurt; and all I can think about is the next step, the next step. Just keep moving. I'm looking for dirt so I can get off the pavement, and holding my hand over my eyes and mouth as I move through clouds of gnats.
I am determined to see what my body is capable of. I never knew I could do this. I guess, like they say, you never know until you try.
I am at 10.95 miles when my phone rings. It's Christine. "Where the hell are you?" she says. I tell her I'm down on the road now, heading home. "Jesus," she says. "You're a beast."
That feels really good to hear.
She finds me in her car, says she was driving for half an hour looking for me, had no idea I could have gone this far, this fast.
"What did you say to me?" I ask. "A runner is one who runs?"
She grins, and hands me her water bottle. I drink it down in one gulp.
And we head for home.


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Thursday, 28 February, 2002, 14:36 GMT
In pictures: Hare coursing
With the Waterloo Cup continuing at Great Altcar in Lancashire BBC News Online presents pictures from a typical hare coursing event.
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text: Who doesn't love festival? We just can't get enough of them. From the Vancouver Folk Festival to the Vancouver International Dance Festival, we have been regular participants in many of the major festivals that take place in the Lower Mainland. Since 2006, we have also been active participants in both the Vancouver & Surrey Children's Festivals.


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In Summer 2014, New York City Gay Men's Chorus traveled to Dublin and donated a Big Gay Sing concert in support of Marriage Equality Ireland. Performed to a sold out crowd at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, NYCGMC shared the stage with Gloria, Dublin's Lesbian and Gay Choir and The Line-Up, and raised over €35,000 for the cause.
New York City Gay Men's Chorus congratulates the great people of Ireland in becoming the first country to legalize same-sex marriage through a popular vote. We are thrilled and proud to have been part of history.