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Psalm 107:1, 2 NKJV OH, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.
We have a little poodle named Abby and Gerald has her very well trained so that she will not step over the threshold of the door to go outside. Sunday afternoon I was taking her out for a potty break and she waited very patiently at the garage door for me to hook her leash onto her collar and lift her over the threshold and down the steps to go outside. When I picked her up it was at an angle and I felt a painful feeling in my lower back, one that I had felt before back in 2005 when I lifted my keyboard and injured my lower back. I immediately thought back to that experience, never wanting to go there again, as it took months of prayer and medical treatment for my back to fully recover. I remembered the difficulty I had in just maneuvering through my daily activities of home, church and work. All the thoughts of helplessness and trying to function with enough pain medication to get me through the days came flooding into my mind. I dreaded going through that experience again!
After taking Abby out I brought her back in the house and immediately told my husband, Gerald, what had happened and he went to prayer for me, laying his hands on my back and declaring the healing power of God to flow through it. We agreed that it was done and I began my stand of faith for healing! It wasn't long until bedtime so we decided I should take a couple of Tylenol and a sleep aid to assure a good night's rest so my body could have the best opportunity to relax and cooperate with God's healing power. I got up yesterday morning still in pain but determined that I was healed by the stripes of Jesus just as His Word declares. I began reading God's Word for healing and thanking Him for doing as He had promised in His word. I determined that this injury would not defeat me or cause me to experience what I had experienced in 2005, so I began to go about my daily routine as usual. When it came time to go out for my morning walk Gerald thought I should stay in and rest my back, but I knew I had to do as the scripture says and �let the redeemed of the Lord� say so! I determined to walk and proclaim Jesus as My Healer just as His word says!
Well, my walk took a little longer but as I walked I praised the Lord for healing me, even though it hurt and even though I didn't see a manifestation of answered prayer, I knew that I had asked in faith believing and His word is true that says that �whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive�. (Matthew 21:22) I knew that this would be a challenge of my faith! All through the day I had opportunities to either proclaim that I was the healed of the Lord or that I was injured and in pain. I had to choose to believe and then align my mouth with that belief. As I walked I began to see a difference in my stature. I was able to stand up a little taller as I walked; my stride began to increase and I noticed it wasn't as painful as when I started. I completed my walk and went on to go about my daily activities. Yes, I still had pain and it was uncomfortable to sit, stand or lie down. But God deserved my praise regardless of how I felt and I praised Him for His healing power in spite of the pain. As the day progressed I noticed that I was not in as much pain and it was easier for me to do my normal daily activities. I finished the day still proclaiming God's faithfulness.
This morning as I got up I felt a little bit of pain but nothing like yesterday and as I started my day I noticed the pain was lessening to the point that it is almost completely gone now! Praise the Lord! He has done it again! He has met my need with His provision and I am healed by the power of God!
One of the things that kept coming to my mind as I was standing in faith for my healing was the fact that Sunday morning we had partaken of the Lord's Supper, or Communion, at church and when we take the bread that represents His body that was broken for us we were asked to remember what Jesus suffered as His body was broken and His blood was shed for us. I repeatedly expressed to the Lord Jesus yesterday that I remembered the stripes that He took upon His back that I might have healing in my back. I remember, Lord Jesus, how You suffered under that scourging on Your back that my back might be healed. I also laid my hands on my back numerous times and thanked the Lord for effecting His healing power through my touch as His word says that believers shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. (Mark 16:18)
You see, friends, I believe that God has provided through the crucifixion of Jesus all that I need for salvation of my spirit, soul and body. I believe that His body that was broken for me was for my healing and His blood that was shed for me purchased my redemption from every sin that I have committed in the past, the present and will commit in the future. His salvation covers and protects me from every evil plan that the devil has arrayed against me. I believe and I desire to receive the full benefit of what Jesus died to give me. I don't know why some are not healed when they pray; if I did I would be God and I'm not. But this I know, in this instance, He has healed me and I give Him all the glory!
Today I thank God for healing my back! I thank Him for giving me His word that I can stand on to fight the good fight of faith. Jeremiah 1:12 says that God watches over His word to perform it. (Amplified Bible)
Psalm 107:20 NKJV He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.
God sent His Word, Jesus, the living Word, to die on an old rugged cross that I might be healed, both spiritually and physically and He gave me His written Word, the Holy Bible, as food to be used as medicine when I am sick.
Proverbs 4:20-22 NKJV My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my saying. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
That word �health� in the Hebrew is marpe and it means restoration of health, remedy, cure, medicine, tranquility, deliverance, and refreshing. God's word, when taken like a prescription, provides healing power to work with His healing touch.
Isaiah prophesied of the coming Messiah and His crucifixion that would pay for mankind's redemption in Isaiah 53:4, 5:
NKJV Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
When you look at some of the key words in the actual Hebrew translation you find that the word for �griefs� is defined as sicknesses and �sorrows� is defined as pains. So in looking at the crucifixion of Jesus we see that the payment for sickness and pain was a part of Jesus' redemption for mankind. He was wounded or �pierced through� for our transgressions, or sin, and was bruised or �crushed� for our iniquities, our sinful nature. The stripes or �blows that cut in� purchased our healing! These two verses of God's Word describes the crucifixion as the payment for sin, sickness, our natural bent to live a sinful lifestyle, and the separation from God that we experienced through sin.
Some faith challenges are more difficult than others and sickness is probably the greatest one of all because you have the symptoms of illness and pain in your body that keeps you from being able to focus fully on God's word to receive His healing. Sometimes God instructs people to receive His healing through medical treatment. That's great! He gave us doctors to help us, but the healing comes from God regardless of how it comes, because He is the Healer. Exodus 15:26 says that He is the LORD who heals you. I have had times of illness where God has instructed me to go to a doctor and receive medical treatment for healing. The time I injured my back in 2005 I was standing in faith believing for healing while receiving medical treatment. There's nothing wrong with going to a doctor for help. God works through physicians also. I've also had times when I've prayed for people to be healed and they weren't. I prayed for my former husband to be healed and he died. I don't understand the �whys and why nots�, but I trust my God, and when it doesn't turn out the way I've prayed I trust that He, who knows all, has chosen to handle the situation in a different way.
Father, I thank You for touching and healing my back. I thank You for reaching down and sparing me from further injury and pain. Thank You for the stripes that You took on your back, Lord Jesus, that secured my healing. I remember and I thank You for willingly going through that crucifixion that I might be saved and healed. Thank You for giving Your life for me! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Numbers 21:8, 9 NKJV Then the LORD said to Moses, �Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.� So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Jesus, through His crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection, has provided all that we need for whatever faces us in this life. Isaiah said in Isaiah 53 that �He has borne our griefs� (sicknesses) and �carried our sorrows�; (pains); �He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed�. (Isaiah 53:4, 5) Jesus bore it all, for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of mankind. It is through His vicarious death that we can be saved, healed, delivered and set free from all that came through the Fall of mankind that took place in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve gave up their place of authority that God had given them and through sin transferred that authority to Satan. It is because of that one sin that everything for man changed from the way it was in the Garden before sin entered and the way it was after sin came into their lives. Romans 5:12 says that it was �through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned--�. But as further recorded in Romans we see that the antidote to sin and all it's nasty by-products is the blood of Jesus. His blood, when shed for mankind reversed all that happened in the Garden of Eden. He purchased our redemption and through His blood we, who receive His gift of righteousness, �will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.� (Romans 5:17) We receive His righteousness through accepting the free gift that He provided for us on the cross of Calvary!
But what happens when we don't know that Jesus purchased all that we needed to live life to the fullest? Just as the Israelites when bitten by snakes in the wilderness were healed when looking at the bronze serpent that was lifted up on that pole so we are saved when we look at Jesus, who was lifted up on that Cross of Calvary. It is in looking away from the situation at hand and looking to the Solution, Jesus, that we are healed, whether it be spiritual, emotional, physical, financial, mental, or relational. It is only as we look unto Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith, that we will find salvation.
Acts 4:12 NKJV �Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.�
When we look into the Greek for the meaning for the word �salvation� we find that the word for salvation in that verse is �soteria� and it means �deliverance, preservation, soundness, prosperity, happiness, rescue, general well-being�. According to Strong's concordance the word is used both in a material, temporal sense and in a spiritual, eternal sense. In other words, salvation as described in this New Testament verse is described as being for not just the spirit of man, but for the whole man, in whatever sense it is needed to bring deliverance, preservation, soundness, prosperity, happiness, rescue and well-being. Folks, that is �GOOD NEWS�!
So, how do we access this great �salvation� that Jesus has provided for us? I think we must go back to the Old Testament verse that is referenced above and focus on what it says we must �look� at. We must �look at Jesus� who is the Source and Solution to every problem in life that we will ever encounter. We must �turn away� from gazing on our problems and start �gazing� upon the Solution to our problems. God has made available to us His great salvation through the only One who could have provided sinless blood to wash sinful blood from our lives. Sin is the origin of sickness, disease, poverty, lack, dysfunctional relationships, marital problems, mental illness and all other plans to steal, kill and destroy mankind. There were none of these problems in Adam and Eve's lives until sin entered the Garden. From that time on man has had to deal with results from that one original sin.
Jesus said in John 10:9, 10 �I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. �The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.�
Jesus is the door to salvation. He is the only way we can enter in and find what we need in the abundant life that He died to give us. Satan is the thief, the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy. That's the plan that he has for our lives, but Jesus said that His plan for us is that we might experience life, and that more abundantly.
Abundantly � Greek word perissos � according to Strong's Concordance, means �superabundance, escessive, overflowing, surplus, over and above, more than enough, profuse, extraordinary, above the ordinary, more than sufficient�.
Wow! That's living life to the fullest! Jesus died that we might have abundant life; spirit, soul and body. It is in �looking� at Jesus, not just with our natural eyes, nor with our mental abilities, but with our spiritual eyes, our hearts, in giving to Him everything that we are to all that we know of Him, that we can experience salvation.
I remember a time years ago when I was a part of a Lay Renewal Weekend Team that went to minister to a church group in a city several hours from my home. In the Saturday night session we broke up into small groups and asked each member of the group to make a �time line� of where they began their walk with Christ and where they were in that �time line� at the present time. I had a young lady tell me that she didn't have a �time line� because she was not worthy to have Jesus in her life. She was very forlorn, wouldn't look me in the eye, had her hair drawn back in a tight pony tail and looked very sad, as if she had no hope. Saturday night I prayed with her and she gave her heart, her life, to the Lord Jesus to begin her �time line� of her walk with Him. When she came to church on Sunday morning she was a totally different person. Her whole countenance had changed; her hair was a beautiful, flowing golden color that looked like the sun had just christened it with a glow beyond understanding. She had a spring in her step and you could tell that �new life� had entered her being. She radiated life and proclaimed what the Lord had done for her just the previous night! She was a living example of what it means to surrender your life to Jesus! She was living the abundant life as she knew it, in her limited understanding, as she was beginning her life with the Lord. She couldn't live it completely because she did not understand it completely, but what she knew of life with Jesus was being lived out in abundance in her.
You see, we don't begin knowing everything about the Lord or what He has provided for us. We grow in our knowledge and understanding of Him. We grow in developing a relationship with Him and as we grow the Holy Spirit who lives within us, the Spirit of Christ Jesus, gives us revelation knowledge, or a better understanding of all that Jesus died to give us. Peter said in 2 Peter 1:2-4 that God has given us �all things that pertain to life and godliness� through the knowledge of Him. We grow in that knowledge by spending time in His word and in praying and listening as He shares His heart with us. That's what prayer is; us speaking to Him and Him speaking to us. We grow through interaction with Jesus as His Spirit leads us in prayer and Bible study. We grow as other believers share their experiences and men and women of God proclaim God's Word to us. Even life's experiences teach us things about the Lord and the good that He has planned for us. Jeremiah records in Jeremiah 29:11 that God has a good plan for our lives that includes hope for a good future. God has good things in store for His children. But if we continue to look at the problems instead of Jesus, our Solution, we will continue to experience the downward spiral that comes with overwhelming obstacles.
Do you seem to have the same problems over and over again? Does life seem overwhelming to you? Look unto Jesus! Proclaim His promises in the face of life's problems. Each of us has times when we feel overwhelmed at what life throws at us. Jesus said we would have difficult times, but then He told us to not be discouraged about them because He had already overcome them for us. (John 16:33) When we constantly live �under our circumstances� it's usually because we have bought into the lie of the devil that we are victims instead of victors. But Jesus said we are �more than conquerors through Him who loved us�. (Romans 8:37) We are �more than conquerors�! That phrase as defined in Strong's Concordance means �one who is super victorious, who wins more than an ordinary victory, but who is overpowering in achieving abundant victory�. We may not always feel like we are more than conquerors, and it may not look like we are victorious, but God sees us as that way as we live through His love. Does that mean that everything will be perfect in our lives or that we won't have problems? No, but it means that the problems of life do not get the best of us. We live above them through making a decision that we will live life from an eternal perspective instead of an earthly perspective. And as we look at Jesus we can live the abundant life that He paid the price to give us. It is living according to the Spirit more than having to an earthly, fleshly world view.
Where are you in your �time line� of your walk with Jesus today? Have you begun yet? Or do you feel it's time to move forward, leave the past behind and walk towards all that Jesus died to give you? That might mean you have to get into God's Word to clarify your belief system or it could mean that you have to press in to receive more of God's Spirit moving in your life. It might mean leaving behind some baggage that has been holding you back from living the abundant life that Jesus made available to you. What decision do you need to make for Him today?
Father, I thank You for the abundant life that You have given me through the death of Your Son, Jesus Christ. I thank You, Lord Jesus, for choosing to lay down your life for me and for giving me all things that pertain to life and godliness through my relationship with You. And I thank You, Holy Spirit, for revealing to me the goodness of God's plan for my life. Thank You, God, for all that You have given me.
I pray today for those who may have not started a relationship with You. I ask You to pull down the blinders that the devil has hung over their minds that has blinded them to the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ that would bring them to salvation. I pray that today they will pray and invite Jesus into their hearts, their lives, to live with them and give them eternal life through Him.
I pray for those who are struggling through life's circumstances that they will look at Jesus, meaning that they will see Him as the Source or Solution to their problems and begin to proclaim Him as Savior and Lord over each situation that they are experiencing. I declare Him Lord over sin; sickness, poverty, lack, emotional issues, mental illness, and relationship obstacles. I declare Him LORD over every problem that they would encounter! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
As I was out walking this morning I came upon a little ant carrying a twig much larger than the ant. I stopped in amazement as I watched the little ant carry a load that seemed to be an impossibility.
Sometimes in life we come upon obstacles in our path that need moving, but seem to be impossibilities! We become discouraged at what we see before us as we view it through our limited human perspective. We fail to see that the God that we serve is the God of impossibilities and that what he expects us to do is to bring it to Him so that through His strength and power we, too, can do the impossible.
Matthew 19:26 NKJV But Jesus looked at them and said to them, �With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.�
So, what is it that makes the impossible possible with us? What can we do to cooperate with God in seeing these humanly impossible situations change?
In Mark 9:23 Jesus told His disciples that �....all things are possible to him who believes�.
Our part is to believe and God's part is to act on our request. At other times He tells us to �hear and do�; to �ask and it will be given�; �seek and you will find�; to �speak and you will have what you say�. (James 1:22; 2:22; Matthew 6:7; Mark 11:23,24) In all these instances we have a part to play in asking, seeking, saying and believing and God has His part in hearing, answering, and doing what we've requested of Him.
2 Corinthians 6:1 NKJV We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
We are workers together with Christ Jesus. He has provided all that we need for success in His grace, but it is our faith that accesses the grace of God. In praying we make our requests known to Him with thanksgiving, believing that He hears and answers our prayers and then He is is the One who answers. (Philippians 4:6) In ministry we work together with Him in presenting the gospel to the lost and hurting and He works with us confirming His word with the accompanying signs. (Mark 16:20)
Hebrews 11:6 NKJV But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Are you facing an impossible situation today? Take it to God and ask Him what He would have you do to cooperate with His work in you and through you to change this situation. Then listen for His instructions and do what He says. He rewards those who diligently seek Him in faith!
Father, I thank You for the impossible things that I see you doing in my life. I thank You for empowering me to succeed and for working with me as I share God's word with the lost and hurting. Thank You for allowing me to work with You in changing impossible situations into victories! To You be the glory, honor and praise! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Life is a journey that often leads to forks in the road and we have to make choices about which way to go and what route would be the best for each one of us. Many times we find that we need to seek others to advise us about what has worked for them, how they have reached their destinations with the greatest success. It is at those times that we need a mentor, a discipler; a person who has already walked the road and has learned from their mistakes and how to help others avoid the pitfalls that they may have experienced in their life's journey.
Mentor � defintion from dictionary.com is �a wise and trusted counselor or teacher�. Dr. Mark Virkler, founder and CEO of Christian Leadership University, gives this working definition of being in a discipling or mentoring relationship: �This is the core of a discipling relationship: receiving the spirit and anointing of another.� He goes on to say: �For example, the disciples saw in Jesus a Spirit and an anointing which they desired. After spending a year and a half with Him, watching Him in action and experimenting alongside Him, they received the same anointing and the same Spirit. They were then able to go out on their own and minister in the same way that Jesus did. He had passed on to them the Spirit and the anointing which He had. That is what I hope to receive from others when I am discipled by them.� (quotes used by permission)
Do you sense a need for someone to come alongside you to impart into you a greater anointing for success? Or are you successful in a certain area of life and feel that you would be beneficial in helping others reach their destination in that life goal?
I recently attended a mentoring conference through Judy Jacobs' International Institute of Mentoring ( iiom.info/ ) and where I received an impartation and commissioning from her for a mentoring relationship for ministry. I expect to receive from her and that group the mentoring that I need to move forward in the ministry that I feel God has given me. There are others that I look to as mentors: my college instructor, who has been very helpful in mentoring me through the courses that I have been taking to obtain my bachelor's degree; a former pastor that was very instrumental in God's hand in molding me into the person that I am today, and others too numerous to count. I have found that I need mentors in my life in many areas, not just spiritual or ministry, but also in health and fitness and finances. Dave Ramsey has been very instrumental in my financial health and there are those that I am seeking out right now for more help in the health and fitness area of my life.
There are several things that a person needs to consider in choosing a prospective mentor: he/she appears to be ahead of me in the area in which I am seeking mentoring; I am comfortable with him/her; it appears that he/she would be willing to invest time in me; he/she appears to be humble and transparent; it appears that he/she can be trusted to be confidential; and I can sense that this is a person that I need to enter into a mentoring relationship with. In spiritual mentoring you would add to that list that he/she is a person who is under the spiritual covering of others; he/she appears to be able to sense the direction of God's Spirit; he/she appears to have a good Biblical understanding and has allowed the Lord to heal his/her insecurities; he/she appears to have reflected on his/her life's experiences and has seen God's purposes in it and is a person that you can sense God saying this is the right mentor for me.
It's important when choosing a mentor that you can see success in that person's life. A good financial mentor would not be a person who's finances are in disarray, but one who has shown success in managing their finances. A good health or fitness mentor would be one who shows good heath and fitness in their life. One who has succeeded in whatever area of mentoring that you need would be the one that you would want to lead you to success because it is through that relationship that you will receive of their spirit and anointing. Elisha asked Elijah to give him a double portion of the anointing that was on his life for ministry:
II Kings 2:9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, �Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?� Elisha said, �Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.�
Joshua served Moses and received an impartation of his spirit and anointing:
Numbers 27:18-23 And the LORD said to Moses: �Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; �set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. �And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. �He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the LORD for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him�all the congregation.� So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. And he laid his hands on him and inaugurated him, just as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.
We see in the New Testament that Paul mentored Timothy. He called him �a beloved son� and �a true son in the faith�.
II Timothy 1:2 To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I Timothy 1:2 To Timothy, a true son in the faith:....�
He told Timothy in II Timothy 1:13, 14: Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
Paul later told Timothy in II Timothy 2:1 to pass on those things that he had heard from Paul to men who were faithful and would be able to teach others.
Paul also mentored Titus and called him a �true son in our common faith�. (Titus 1:4) He instructed Titus, as well, to teach others by appointing elders in every city and setting in order the things that were lacking in those places. It is evident that God intended for us to mentor those coming up behind us.
We see in Paul's letter to Titus that the older women were to teach the younger women. (Titus 2:3-5) And the older men were to set an example for the younger men to follow: one of being sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, and in patience.
So what does mentoring entail? It is a duplicating or replicating process of depositing into another person that which you have learned along the way through spiritual understanding, life's experiences and knowledge that you might have acquired through personal study and revelation. To duplicate yourself is to leave a life legacy to those behind you, as it is transferred to another person and they, in turn, transfer it to someone else. For a Christian I believe it is a legacy of faith that is the greatest inheritance we can pass on to the younger generations!
One of the definitions of �replicate� is �to fold over or bend back�. That's a really interesting definition, but just think about it for a minute. If you fold a paper over itself you have the exact same paper but now it has become two instead of one. It is the same paper, but simply multiplied exactly as it is. When you are mentored by a person for any length of time you become like that person. It reminds me of the old commercial that used to be on television of the dogs that resemble their owners.
And it is for that reason that you would want to choose a mentor that you know is highly respected in their field and is a person of integrity, honesty and upright character!
The ultimate mentor we see in the Bible, of course, is Jesus to His disciples. They lived with Him for less than three years and through His examples and teaching the world has been impacted and continues to spread the good news of the Gospel that Jesus died to give us. Generations later we are still receiving of the Spirit and anointing of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. He told His disciples in Matthew 10:8 �Freely you have received, freely give.� And again when He sent the seventy out he instructed them to �heal the sick� and �say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you'. Then when He ascended into heaven He left a mandate for all of us who would follow after Him that we should �go therefore and make disciples of all the nations....� (Matthew 28:19) It is evident that Jesus intended for us to be in mentoring relationships!
So, how do you know if you would make a good �mentee�? There are some �right attitudes� that need to be evident in your life to enable you to receive all that you would want from a mentoring relationship. Some questions you might ask yourself would be: do I have a humble and teachable attitude?; do I have a passionate desire to learn?; am I willing to be open and transparent?; and am I willing to follow an agreed-upon course of action?. Based on your answers to these questions you might see yourself as a willing or unwilling candidate for mentorship. Of course, the best answers would be �yes� which would indicate that you are, indeed, ready to receive the spirit and anointing of a mentor in the area of your need.
Sometimes in life we simply do not know which road to take. But the Bible tells us in Proverbs 28:18 that if we don't have revelation or vision that we will cast off restraint, simply going with the flow of life with no particular direction or goals to guide us to success. To fail to plan is to plan to fail. When we �cast off restraint� we simply do whatever feels good at the moment which very seldom includes a plan of action that will bring the desired results that we wish to see. Another Proverb says that we are to be �diligent to know the state� of our flocks, and �attend to your herds�. (Proverbs 27:23) When we do that the Word says that we'll have enough to provide for our families and the needs that we have. I have found throughout my life that if I seek God for His plan for success and I do my part in working towards it that He will bless my efforts and bring the desired achievements for success. I have a part to play in the life that He has given me and a responsibility to follow His directions. He often gives that to me through mentors.
Our ultimate Teacher and Helper is the Holy Spirit who comes alongside us to give us the directions and empowerment that we need for success. And God does work through His people. He says in His word in Ephesians 4:11-16 that He has placed certain people in our lives to instruct us and help us to attain the maturity of Christ Jesus. He describes each individual in the Body of Christ as being �a joint� that has a �supply� to give to help others in this journey to maturity. God uses His people to encourage, support, correct and instruct in the way to �growing up� in Him. Mentorship is one avenue to growth that we all should be taking advantage of!
Who do you respect and admire for their success in an area of your life that needs a new perspective? Will you seek out that person and see if he/she would be willing to mentor you? We all need a helping hand. What can or will you do to fulfill the mandate of Jesus to �make disciples�?
Father, I thank You for those that You have placed in my life as mentors. I thank You for working through them to help me be the person that You have designed and created me to be. Father, I pray that I will be able to pass on to others that which You have deposited in me, to leave a living legacy and inheritance of faith to the upcoming generations. May You be glorified in every mentoring relationship that I have and may I be one to whom You would entrust the care of those that would come to me for that �helping hand�. I ask You to bless those who have been so instrumental in my life and who have taken the time to deposit of themselves into me! May You receive the glory and honor for those mentoring relationships. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Free.....there's not a person that I know that doesn't like to receive something for free. I looked up the definition of the word �free� on dictionary.com and found 49 definitions for this one little four letter word! I think the one that we identify with the most is �without cost, payment, or charge�. But is it really free? To the recipient yes, but to the giver there is a cost.
The Scriptures record salvation as God's gift to man. It is free for the taking; the receiver of that gift is given eternal life with no strings, no cost, no payment or charge. But what about God, the Giver? It cost Him all of Heaven as He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the cost of that free gift.
Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
The �free� gift that you and I have been offered for eternal life cost Jesus His life.....He gave that we might receive!
Free....another definition �enjoying personal rights or liberty, as a person who is not in slavery�. This gift of salvation that Jesus gave His life for has released us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of God. (Colossians 1:13) The price He paid for our free gift gave us �personal rights or liberty, as a person who is not in slavery�. Wow! Satan no longer has a hold on us! He has no legal right to exercise his authority or power over us! What a price Jesus paid for us to walk in freedom! Again, free to the recipient!
How about this definition of free: exempt from external authority, interference, restriction, etc., as a person or one's will, thought, choice, action, etc.; independent; unrestricted. The recipient of God's free gift of salvation is free from external authority, interference or restriction. Jesus said it this way: �Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.� (John 8:36) There is no external authority that can take the place of the freedom that we have in Christ Jesus! There are those around the world that would like to impose their will's over ours, but He has made us free from the force of another's will! That's freedom in it's fullest; to be free to follow Him and not another person, ideology or culture. We are free to be God's children, to hear His voice and to walk in His ways, rather than to be servants of those who would try to control us and force us to serve them or a dead god that they have idolized!
Free....given readily or in profusion; unstinted. God's provision, His gift of salvation was given readily or in profusion! It is like an all-expense paid trip! Nothing was left out. God gave His best that you and I might receive the fullness of all that He is and has! It's not just a ticket to heaven, it's an all expense paid trip through life including eternity. Life goes on and on and on! The benefit package that we have in Christ Jesus is referred to as His �covenant� of promises. Hebrews 8:6 describes Jesus as the �Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises�. Colossians 1:20 says that �the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.� These promises include freedom from demonic oppression, sickness, financial dis-ease! Jesus said that the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but that He came to give us life and that more abundantly! (John 10:10) You can look at the life of Jesus and see the provision that God has made available to His children. Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus is the �express image of His person�, or of God. When we see Him going about healing and delivering people we see the will of God in action. When He preaches that the kingdom of God is at hand and that we need to repent or �turn around� it is God speaking through Him for us to turn our lives over to Him, to be saved. This world is just a chapter of life and God has provided for all our needs here on earth, but there is a life after the death that we experience here on earth that goes on throughout eternity. Provision has been made for all of life, in the here and now and in the hereafter!
1 John 5:11, 12 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son does not have life.
Eternal life as defined by dictionary.com is �life without beginning or end�. It is also described as �everlasting life�. Eternal life will be experienced by both those who know Jesus as Savior and Lord and those who don't. The difference is in the quality of the life that they will experience. When the Bible says that those who have the Son have life it is referring to having that great salvation that Jesus died to give us because it is rooted and continued in the relationship that we have with Him. Having the Son is described in Scripture as being �in Him� or �in Christ Jesus�. The first chapter of Ephesians gives us a lot of �in Him� examples: �just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world...� (vs. 4); �In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins...� (vs. 7); �In Him also we have obtained an inheritance...� (vs. 11). Verse 13, 14 of that chapter give us the key to being �In Him�: In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
God chose you to be His before the foundation of the world. His intention was that you might have the freedom that He sent Jesus to die to purchase for you. He desires that you might live forever in His presence, to enjoy the fullness of all that He died to give you. It is a free gift to you, but it cost Him all of Heaven! Will you receive it or will you live your life eternally separated from Him? You are free to make the choice and your choice determines how you will live in your earthly life and throughout eternity.
John 1:12, 13 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Romans 10:12, 13 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For �whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.�
God has given each one of us an opportunity to be �free�. It is in calling on the name of the Lord, in receiving Jesus as the supreme sacrifice that paid the price for our salvation. Will you choose to be free today?
Father, I pray for those who have not made that choice to be free, that have not prayed to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. I pray that today they will make that decision to pray and ask Jesus into their hearts to be their own personal Savior and Lord. Father, open their eyes to see the goodness that You have made available to them through the crucifixion of Jesus. Pull down the blinders that Satan has hung over their minds that has blinded them to the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ and bring them to salvation. May today be their day of salvation!
And for those who are not walking in the fullness of the freedom that You have provided I pray that they will search out Your word and see the promises that You have given to them for an abundant life in this earthly realm as well as in eternity. May they know the truth so that the truth can set them free! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


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Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Friday, January 28, 2011
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version | Audio | Blogs
Update at 1115 hrs (IST)
US H-1B visa reaches mandated cap of 65,000
WASHINGTON: Applications for US H-1B visas, the most sought after by Indian professionals for working in America, have reached the Congressional-mandated cap of 65,000 for the current fiscal with the USCIS receiving an unusually high number of petitions in the first four weeks of this month.
In a statement, the US Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap for fiscal year 2011.
Given that some 11,000 H-1B visas were still available at the end of 2010, the USCIS received an unusually high number of applications in the first four weeks of this month.
H-1B is a non-immigrant visa in the US which allows American companies to temporarily employ foreign workers in speciality occupations.
In 2009, the cap of 65,000 was reached on December 21. In 2008, the cap was reached on April 8 and the USCIS had to resort to computerised draw of lots to determine the successful applicants.
Till a couple of years ago, the cap in H-1B visas was reached in the first few days of USCIS starting to accept applications. – PTI
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subset: commoncrawl


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The Home Depot is expecting to hire more than 80,000 seasonal employees for what the company says is its busiest selling season.
The Home Depot announced Wednesday that it is hiring for the spring season. As both the company's busiest hiring and selling period, spring serves as The Home Depot's annual peak season, similar to the Christmas selling season for many retailers. This year, The Home Depot is hiring ten thousand more spring associates than it did last year to support anticipated sales growth in the spring.
"Spring is always a special season for us, when we can offer employment opportunities for literally tens of thousands of Americans," Tim Crow, executive vice president-Human Resources, said in a news release. "We find some of our best associates during our peak season, and many of them have built long, meaningful careers with us."
Jobs range from part-time to full-time and are available on a market-by-market basis based on individual store needs and geographical variance in climate. Job seekers can apply now at http://www.careers.homedepot.com.
The Home Depot is also catering to those returning home from the military and veterans interested in a position. The Home Depot recently started its Online Military Skill Translator, a new tool designed to help translate and match an applicant's unique military skills with positions that might offer the best fit-- learn more at www.careers.homedepot.com/military.


text:
"Is There a Booger in My Nose?" (Unabridged)
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2010-07-16, 13:49
dsnt trust ne1 < 30
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Home is where the <3 is
Posts: 8,880
Don't want to hijack this too much and feel free to delete these, but I write recipes and that looks a heck of a lot better.
Most of what I've learned on the computer has been self taught. I didn't have it in school like all of you guys. If I had listened to my dad when I was in school I might have, but computers were a whole nother thing back then.
My eldest son's bipolar website: www.bipolarmanifesto.com
-wally: Mom, you shouldn't play after me because it makes you sound even worse than you already do. -wally:*grumbles and whispers quietly* I guess it's cuz I love you or something, but you're still a TURD
Grimm:I could read your mind but its in font size .5
Amadeus:Oh, and was there a cesserole (never mind spelling) involved?
Paddy:the fact that you didn't end up on a kids show makes me question my atheism
Dyldo: You evil strumpet!
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text:
Board No. 1 Explained
Posted: April 6th, 2012
Width: 10″
Length: 30″
Wheelbase: 15″
Nose: 4 1/4″
Tail: 6 1/2″
Board #1 is the first board that I designed for Elephant Brand Skateboards. It pays homage to the very first skateboard I ever owned, a Sims Jeff Phillips. I got that board on Christmas Morning 1984…
Board #1 is NOT an old-school board, a cruiser board or a retro board… It is a 10×30 all-terrain shredder built on a modern concave. It's not some flat / stiff piece of wood… The concave on this thing responds in a way that skaters of today can relate to. This thing is built for SKATEBOARDING! Not "cruising" and not being a wallflower.
Compared to the original Jeff Philips board of yesteryear the dimensions on Board #1 have been tweaked just slightly to make the board more skateable today — Still, it is virtually the same shape that I skated in 1984. What we actually have here is the original Jeff Phillips shape fully realized and ready to rip right now:
On the board I skated in the Board #1 video I had Indy 169 Trucks, Divine 65mm wheels and 1/2 inch riser pads.
Really, I couldn't think of a more appropriate starting point to the Elephant Brand Skateboards line… Jeff Phillips was one of my all-time favorite skaters and it's a great honor to have had his board when I was starting out — To have gotten to know him as a fellow pro — And to now pay homage to his signature board from 1984 and his undeniable influence on skateboarding.
This is Elephant Brand Skateboards Board #1:


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It came across my mind that I became a bit more involved with this website as soon as I moved away from Colorado. I was wondering how many Rapids fans on here are living in Colorado, have lived in Colorado, and never lived in Colorado. If you aren't living in Colorado and wish to share where you are living go ahead and do that in the comment section.
For me I was a native Colorado resident who moved to Texas.


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Could Russell Westbrook End Up In Golden State?
Not all good things stay together, or great for that matter. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls won 6 NBA championships during their partnership (could have been 8 had he not retired twice and left basketball for a mind-boggling baseball decision), as well as Kobe and Shaq winning 3 rings together as a duo in Los Angeles. And now, sadly, those kind of conversations are now starting to include arguably the best, and youngest duo in the league: Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
They've been best friends since the beginning, they've been All-Stars together and they're both the go-to guys on the Oklahoma City Thunder (although the word "go-to" should only describe Durant in crunch-time, not Westbrook. He's a point-guard.), but there's something in the middle. Something that just isn't quite right, and that's Westbrook.
I'm not saying that Russ was a bad fit from the start, I'm saying that he's slowly grown into that category the last two seasons. He's never been a great shooter, 3-point shooter and ball handler for that matter, and that's coming back to his UCLA days. He's a shooting-guard playing a point-guard role in OKC (which doesn't end well when you have a franchise player in Durant who averages nearly 30 points a night).
Remember a guy by the name of Allen Iverson? He's a Hall of Fame player and the best that ever played the game under 6-foot, but he was forced to play the point guard role throughout his career when he couldn't. He's naturally a shooter. That's why teams gave him a bad reputation that he's a ball-hog and won't help your team win a championship because he'll always need it in his hands. It's an addiction.
During the '08-09 season, Westbrook averaged 14 shots a night (41.8 percent) for 16 points, 8 assists and 3.3 turnovers. In 2010-11, he averaged 21.9 points (17 shots, 44 percent), 8 assists and 3.9 turnovers. This season? 15.3 points (17 shots, 31 percent), 6 assists and 6 turnovers.
For a point guard, that's not a good look.
As for shots, he should be somewhere between the 9 and 11 range while shooting in the high 40s from the field. Prior to this season, his 8 assists were excellent but they could a tad higher (10?), but his turnovers are atrocious. Westbrook has been so focused on scoring the basketball for so long in his life that for the most part, his decision making is where it should be. Where it needs to be is a whole 'nother story. He needs to slow the pace down and make smarter passes, take smarter shots, ect. if he plans on manning the ship for the Thunder.
They're built to play that way.
When trade rumors arose during the lockout that a possible trade between OKC and the Boston Celtics could take place — with Boston trading Rajon Rondo to Oklahoma City while the Celtics received Westbrook in return — most said it was crazy, but the truth is, having Rondo control the Thunder' offense would take them to a championship a lot quicker than it will with Westbrook.
When the "Argument Heard Around The World" went viral Wednesday night — detailed by The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry — where Westbrook was overheard yelling at Thabo Sefolosha for passing up an open shot and when Durant tried to calm him down, Westbrook snapped at Durant (Something to make a report about, and talk about it for 24 hours on ESPN? No, not at all. It happens, teammates argue all the time. Friends, family, whatever, arguments happen).
24 hours later, ESPN beat writer J.A. Adande wrote an interesting piece on why Westbrook won't work in OKC for not only the long-run, but financially as well:
The Rose Rule already bumped Durant's paycheck by an extra $2.5 million a year, and Westbrook could be living in that same $18 million-a-season neighborhood. Depending on what other moves the Thunder make, a huge boost to Westbrook's salary could put Oklahoma City in luxury tax territory next season and beyond. Starting in 2013-14 the tax will be progressively more punitive than the simple dollar-for-dollar surcharge in place now, and there are additional penalties for repeat tax "offenders." In addition tax teams have restrictions on their abilities to make trades and sign players to the full mid-level exception.
To sum it up, Adande is stating that by the Thunder locking up Westbrook to a huge deal will ultimately hurt them in the long run when it comes to re-signing other key attributes and going after other appealing talent in free agency. One thing, though, that was really brought to my attention (it's actually the reason why I'm writing this in the first place) is when J.A. threw out a trade idea that would send Westbrook to Golden State in exchange for Steph Curry (very interesting):
Curry is still on his rookie contract through 2012-13 (when he'll make $4 million) so he would almost guarantee the Thunder stay below the tax threshold for another year, and he probably won't be eligible for the Rose Rule pay boost, which would keep his maximum salary 5 percent lower than what Westbrook's might be when it's time to re-sign him.
Curry would also give the Thunder more scoring punch from the starting 2-guard spot than they currently have from Sefolosha. From Golden State's perspective, Westbrook is a better defender than Curry, and that should count a lot for the new-look Warriors. (Believe it or not, Mark Jackson's squad is among the top 10 defenses for fewest opponent points allowed so far.) And Westbrook is more likely to cause sprained ankles than suffer as many as Curry has.
Interesting enough, Curry was a fan favorite in OKC during the '09 NBA Draft when the volume shooter was coming out of Davidson (many wanted him over James Harden). Although it's an intriguing idea, Adande failed to mention one thing: Monta Ellis.
Trading Ellis for Westbrook makes a lot more sense for Golden State than it does by shipping Curry out the door, but it's almost an identical swap. On paper it seems that Westbrook would help the Warriors out more than Ellis already does, but it's somewhat misleading.
Golden State would still have the same problems defensively that they do now, and they'd still have the same turnover issues that Ellis provides and the out-of-control shooting outbursts throughout the night.
This what happens when you put a shooter at a facilitators position.
Lets say for a minute that Westbrook does end up in Golden State at some point between this season and the next (this isn't a rumor, this is just a discussion), what's the guarantee that he would automatically turn into a facilitator on a team built for running? As for Curry, yes, he's had issues with his ankle, but at the end of the day he has the higher basketball IQ, and that includes his shooting, passing skills, and the ability to spread the floor substantially better than Russ.
If the Warriors are in a "win now" situation — which I don't believe they are since they just hired a brand new coach in Mark Jackson — and if the front office believes Curry is going to be an injury-prone player from here on out, I could see them offering this kind of trade. Other than that, no. It doesn't make enough sense because at this point I'd rather pay Curry $3 million less to run my offense like a point guard should, than pay Westbrook $3 million more to run it like a shooter.


text:
The Atlanta City Council has approved rezoning of the Clermont Hotel on Ponce de Leon Avenue. A group of Nashville and New York developers purchased the vacant property earlier this year to turn it into a boutique hotel. The hotel first opened in the 1920s. While health inspectors closed it four years ago, the infamous Clermont Lounge downstairs has remained open.There has been no word if the lounge will be part of the renovated property.
WJBK-TV | Fox 2 16550 West Nine Mile Rd.Southfield, MI 48075Main Station: (248) 557-2000Newsroom: (248) 552-5103


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Perils of providing visual health information overviews for consumers with low health literacy or high stress
- 1Information Systems and Technology, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, California, USA
- 2Computing & New Media Technologies, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA
- Correspondence to Dr Gondy Leroy, School of Information Systems and Technology, Claremont Graduate University, 130 E Ninth Street, Claremont, CA 91711, USA; gondy.leroy{at}cgu.edu
- Received 26 February 2009
- Accepted 23 December 2009
This pilot study explores the impact of a health topics overview (HTO) on reading comprehension. The HTO is generated automatically based on the presence of Unified Medical Language System terms. In a controlled setting, we presented health texts and posed 15 questions for each. We compared performance with and without the HTO. The answers were available in the text, but not always in the HTO. Our study (n=48) showed that consumers with low health literacy or high stress performed poorly when the HTO was available without linking directly to the answer. They performed better with direct links in the HTO or when the HTO was not available at all. Consumers with high health literacy or low stress performed better regardless of the availability of the HTO. Our data suggests that vulnerable consumers relied solely on the HTO when it was available and were misled when it did not provide the answer.
- Human-computer interaction
- text visualization
- reading comprehension
- natural language processing
- health literacy
- stress
Competing interests None.
Ethics approval The Claremont Graduate University Institutional Review Board approved the study.
Funding This work has been funded by a grant from the National Library of Medicine / National Institutes of Health, R21- LM008860.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.


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Over 22,000 firms suspend activity in 2013
The total number of the Romanian firms having suspended activity last year dropped by 8.30 per cent from 2012, i.e. from 24,078 firms to 22,079 firms, according to figures centralized by the National Trade Register Office. The most firms having suspended activity were recorded in Bucharest – 2,334 and in the counties of Constanta – 1,243, Brasov – 1,123 and Prahova – 1,038. As compared to the prior year, the highest rises in the number of firms that suspended their activity were recorded in the counties of Giurgiu (a 45.95 pc rise), Gorj (37.34 pc rise) and Tulcea (37.82 pc rise).


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News: Soulja Boy Tags Lil Wayne & Snoop Dogg For New LP, Hopes For Jay-Z Collabo
Tuesday, Jun 9, 2009 12:55PM
Soulja Boy recently gave fans an update on his forthcoming The DeAndre Way album and confirmed studio time with Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg and Kanye West.
Speaking with radio personality Miss Info, the rapper detailed his aim to gather rap stars for the new solo project.
"I done worked with everybody that I wanna work with so far," Soulja Boy said in an interview. "But going into my third album, I already got Lil Wayne on deck. I just hollered at Kanye when I was in Cali[fornia]. Working with Snoop Dogg. Me and Kanye, it's just an honor to work with him. He done been in the game so many years even for him to be under Jay-Z. And if I get a chance to work with Jay-Z and Kanye that'd be crazy, way out on another level." (MIss Info)
Jay-Z recently weighed in with his thoughts on Soulja Boy's music.
"He makes records that are fun, he's 17 or 18 years-old," Jay said about Soulja Boy in an interview earlier this week. "What are you gonna talk about, selling drugs? He can't talk about that, that's not his experience. So anything he says about that will be not authentic and people who really live that type of lifestyle would see through it...I can see why people like it, no, I can't listen to the Soulja Boy album. I can listen to that 'Swag On' record...I think he's honest. People shouldn't be mad at people being honest." (The Angie Martinez Show)
While Jay has not connected for the rapper's upcoming album, Soulja Boy previously said he would likely produce a record alongside Ye.
"I know a million producers that are no-names, but they got hot beats," he said in an interview. "I will be going back in the lab to produce beats on this album, I really haven't produced since my second album, but I'm looking forward to doing a 50/50 split beat with Kanye West. I think that'll be hot because he's a great lyricist, but an awesome producer as well. I feel like I'm an awesome producer too, and both of us in the studio together at the same time can come out with a smash." (Radio Planet TV)
He also said the LP would be considered a "classic" and reach platinum status.
"Right now I'm in the studio making The DeAndre Way," Soulja Boy explained in an interview. "And mark my words, this album will be a classic. A lot of people been sleeping on Soulja Boy for a long time, when I first came out with 'Crank Dat' it was so big, gimmicky and catchy it went five times platinum and a lot of people were stuck on it for a long time. They said I was garbage, they said I was a one-hit wonder. Now I came out with 'Kiss Me Through The Phone,' my second No. 1 single and I released 'Turn My Swag On,' my third No. 1 single and now I'm going into my third album. I got everybody's ears open right now...Mark my words, this album will go platinum...I'm reaching out to hip-hop's greatest...I wanna reach out to that top status. Your Jay-Z's, your Kanye's and your Lil Wayne's." (MTV)
Check out Soulja Boy's interview below:
[SOHH celebrates summer music with music, release date and more. Click here]


text:
|Westminster June 17. 1785
At three 0 Clock according to Appointment I went to the Secretary of States Office, in Cleavland Row St. James's, and was immediately received by the Marquis of Carmarthen.
His Lordship began the Conversation by Saying that he could answer for himself and he believed for the rest of the Kings Servants, that they were Sincerely desirous of cultivating the most cordial Friendship with America, and for doing every Thing in their Power for dissipating every little Annimosity that might remain among Individuals. In return, I told his Lordship, that I was glad to hear Such Assurances, from him and the other Ministers and that I was very confident that the People of the United States, had correspondent Dispositions, and that I had Sanguine hopes that in a Short time, all remaining Difficulties would be amically Settled. that to this End I was charged by Congress, with Several Particulars, which had hitherto given Some uneasiness, but which, upon a candid Discussion might be easily accommodated, as I hoped to mutual Satisfaction. That there were Six Principal Points to be discussed with his Lordship The first and perhaps the most pressing was the Posts and Territories within the Limits of the United States, which were Still held by British Garrisons. The Exportation of Negroes and other American Property, which by the Seventh Article of the Treaty of Peace was not to be exported. The Tendency of the Restrictions on our Trade, to incapacitate our Merchants to make Remittances to theirs The Losses of our Merchants as well as theirs, if We were unseasonably pressed for the Payment of Debts contracted before the War. The Construction of the Armistice of 20 January 1783, and the Decision of Questions of Prizes made after the Expiration of the Month. and the Liquidation of the Charges of Prisoners of War.—These were the general Heads. The great Question of the Commerce between the two Countries, involving So many Interests and those of So important and so permanent a nature, might be attended with the most difficulties and require the longest Time to be adjusted: but all the others appeared to be so clear and easy that I hoped they might soon be finished. that however, having barely opened to his Lordship, the principal Matters of the Negotiation, I should enlarge upon all of them at present. That the Debts Seemed to be a leading Point, because they were intimately connected with all the others. The withholding the Posts, the Exportation of so many Negroes, the Restrictions on our Trade, the Misconstruction of the Armistice, and the delay of liquidating the Charges of Prisoners, had all contributed very much to obstruct our Merchants in their honest Exertions to discharge their Debts to the Merchants of Great Britain. That it could not be unknown to his Lordship, that the withholding the Posts had withheld from our Merchants a very profitable Furr Trade, which We justly considered as our right. That the Furrs which would have been obtained if the Posts had been in our hands would have come to England in Payment of Debts to the Amount probably of Several hundred Thousand Pounds, and his Lordship must be Sensible that one hundred Thousand Pounds, would have gone a great Way towards contenting the Creditors of this Country. That it was impossible to Say what a difference had been made by Carrying away the Negroes, which belonged chiefly to the southern States, and if the Treaty had been observed would have been at Work upon their Masters Plantations So that not only their original Value, but their Labour and the Profit upon their Labour had been lost, all of which might and ought to have been applied to the Payment of Debts. That it was well known, that a number of valuable Vessells had been taken upon the Coast of America after the Expiration of the Month, and as yet withheld from their owners who were all probably Debtors, which had incapacitated them so far to pay. That there was supposed to be a large Ballance in our favour, in the Account of the Charges of Prisoners, which being withheld, operated Still to disable Us, to that Amount to do as We desired to do.
That from all that I might be Supposed to know of the Character of the People of the United States and from all the Intelligence I could gather from all Parts of them, I was perswaded that nothing lay with greater Weight upon their Minds, than the Payment of their Debts, that they thought their Moral Characters and their Reputations as Men as well as their Credit as Merchants, concerned in it. That their Zeal to make Remittances had been Such, as to raise the Interest of Money to double its usual Standard, to advance the Price of Bills of Exchange to Eight or Ten Per Cent above par and to raise even the Prices of the Produce of the Country to almost double its usual Standard. That his Lordship well know We had no other Mines of Gold and Silver than our Lands and Seas: That large Sums of the Circulating Cash We had, have been remitted to England in Specie, and as much produce as could be purchased at almost any Rate: But that this Produce lay in Magazines in London, because, it would not fetch the Price that was given for it in America. That the People of America were Nineteen twentieths of them Farmers, that these had Sold their Produce dearer, and purchased the Manufactures of Europe cheaper Since the Peace, than ever: but that the Situation of the Merchants both in America And England had been and continued to be very distressing. No Political Arrangements having been made, they had all expected that the Trade would return to its old Channells, and nearly under the Same regulations, but they had been dissappointed. British Merchants had made large Advances and American Merchants contracted large Debts, both depending upon Remittances in the Usual Articles and upon the old Terms, but both had found them Selves disappointed, and it was much to be feared that the Consequence would be numerous failures. That the Cash and Bills had been chiefly remitted to the great Loss and Damage to the Country. That Remittances could not be made as heretofore, by Reason of Obstructions, Restrictions and Imposts laid by great Britain on our Exports to Great Britain. That neither Rice, Tobacco, Pitch Tar and Turpentine, Ships, Oil, and other Articles the great Sources of Remittance formerly could now be Sent as heretofore, and the Trade of the West Indies formerly a vast source of Remittance was now obstructed. That Under all these Circumstances, if the Debtor Should be immoderately pressed by his British Creditor, it would be a certain Loss to both. That it was apprehended, among a Number of Creditors there might be some, perhaps many influenced by Strong Passions, by keen avidity or by personal Resentment, who might rashly make up of the Law to the Ruin of his Debtor, without being able however to recover much of his Debt. (Here his Lordship interrupted me and Said, I have Seen one remarkable Instance of the Violence and unreasonableness of private Resentment, When Mr Chase was here from Maryland in one of the Trustees of the Maryland Stock. Mr Chase produced from the Legislature of Maryland Authority to make full Compensation to a Relation of that Trustee for an Estate that had been confiscated, but he would not accept it tho I told him, he would not be able to prevent the Claim of Maryland, but would probably hurt his own Interest or that of his Relation. I told his Lordship I had Yesterday recd a Letter from Mr Paca the Governor of Maryland relative to the Claim of that State, and should be glad to do them any Service with his Lordship or elsewhere, respecting that Affair.) that if his Lordship gave their full Weight to all these Considerations, he must See the Motives and the Necessity, of restraining the Impetuosity of Creditors. His Lordship then read me, from a late Petition to him from the Merchants an Account of a Bill lately brought into the Assembly of Virginia for paying the debts by Installments, which he understood had been lost by a Sudden Storm or Frost. The Merchants complained of the cutting off the Interest during the War, of the long term of Seven Years and of the Restraint from preventing the Alienation of Property or Removal of Debtors into the Wilderness.—
His Lordship heard me, very attentively, and Said that he hoped We should be able with Patience and time to adjust all these Things: that We should probably meet with many Rubs in our way, that Passions and private Interests would sometimes be in our way, on both Sides, but while the Ministers on both sides could keep right, he Should think We might Succeed. for his part he was for attending to every Consideration and giving it its just Weight, and he desired me to give him in Writing, something to begin upon. He thought the Affair of the Posts the most pressing and wished I would begin with that. I told his Lordship that I would let him know between him and me, that I had Instructions to require the Evacuations of the Posts and surrender of all our Territory, but I wished to conduct the Business with all the Delicacy, that was possible, and therefore I wished rather to enquire of his Lordship, what were the Intentions of his Majestys Ministers and whether they had already expedited orders, for the Evacuation of the Posts &c. His Lordship Said I must give him my Enquiries in Writing that he might have a Ground for making those Enquiries himself, as it was an Affair in another Department. I agreed accordingly to make an Office of it.
I shall at first, confine myself to decent Inquiries concerning the orders given, or to be given, and if I receive possitive Assurances that explicit orders are gone to the Governor & Commander in Chief in Canada to evacuate all the Posts and Territories, I Shall content myself to wait: But if I dont Obtain such explicit Assurances I shall think it my Duty to present a Memorial, with a decent but firm Requisition. I shall transmit to you Sir, every Step of my Progress. but I find it very tedious and fear you will find it more so to transmit particular Conversations in detail. When one looks over again a Letter in which he has attempted it, he finds a Multitude of Things omitted or but half represented.
With great Esteem and Respect I have the / Honour to be Sir, your most obedient And / most humble servant
John Adams
Aug 26. 1785
NB The injunction of Secry. taken off from the paragraph marked on the margin & thus ( ) so far that a copy may be transmitted to the governor of Maryland confidentially turn over.
P.S. I forgot a Circumstance of Some Consequence. His Lordship Said He had Seen in the Gazettes Some Proceedings at Boston, which he was very Sorry to See. I answered that I had Seen them in the same Gazette as I Supposed, and had no more authentic Account of them, that I had no Authority to Say any Thing officially about them, but as an Individual I might Say that the Observations I had just had the Honour to make to his Lordship concerning the State of the Commerce between the two Countries would be Sufficient to explain to his Lordship the Motives to those Proceedings, and to convince his Lordship of the Probability of Such Sentiments and Proceedings becoming General throughout the United States, and alleviating the Commerce of that Country with [from] this, either by increasing Manufactures in America, or opening new Channells of Commerce with other Countries, which might easily be done, unless Some Arrangements were made which might facilitate Remittances. It was So obviously the true Policy of this Country to facilitate Remittances from America, and to encourage every Thing We could send, as the Americans think, that when they find Remittances, discouraged, impeded and even prohibited it was natural to expect they would be allarmed, and begin to look out for other Resources. That my fellow Citizens were very confident they had the Power in their own Hands to do themselves Justice, as soon as they Should find it denied them here. But I hoped the Difficulties would all be removed here. The whole Conference was conducted with perfect good Humour and on the part of his Lordship with perfect Politeness.


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Airbus has first ACJ ops confab
Six operators were represented at the first operators conference for the Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) held at the manufacturer's Toulouse, France headquarters on September 14. In total, 15 pilots and managers made the trip, representing Aero Services Executive, DaimlerChrysler Aviation, Twinjet, the Italian and French government flight departments, as well as one other undisclosed operator.
The meeting considered a proposal to provide greater flexibility between fuel volume and baggage space, taking advantage of the quick change capability of the ACJ's auxiliary fuel tanks, which can be fitted and removed through the aircraft's outward-opening cargo doors. Other topics included extended twin-engine operations (ETOPS) and the "one call handles all" support services provided for Airbus by the United Services subsidiary of United Airlines.
To date, 10 ACJs have been delivered. Eight of these are in service with operators in the Middle East and Europe and are routinely flown worldwide. The ACJ is derived from the Airbus A320 airliner family and so is also backed by the airframer's 120 field service teams, five spares centers and three training establishments.
Charter firm Aero Services Executive is the newest ACJ operator and is based at Paris Le Bourget. DaimlerChrysler has bases on both sides of the Atlantic at Stuttgart, Germany, and Detroit. The UK's Twinjet is headquartered at London Luton Airport and operates the ACJ on behalf of the Kuwait-based Al Kharafi group.
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The Premise:
The NBA released the all-star ballots yesterday. For those of you unfamiliar with what I'm talking about, every year the NBA releases a list of players that they consider good enough (or popular enough, but let's not go there) to deserve consideration for the All-Star Game. The fans fill out the ballots, and the players with the most votes for each position are named starters. Last year no Blazer was even close to making it.
The Proposal:
This year, I am challenging BlazersEdge to get Brandon Roy one of the starting guard spots. Bill Simmons has said repeatedly that he believes Blazers fans are the most rabid on the Internet. Ball Don't Lie's 2v2 tourney last year provided more evidence that Blazers fans are passionate and truly can swing popularity contests. Let's band together and prove once and for all that we are the best fans on the planet.
The Plan:
To get Roy on the team we are going to need a plan. Simply pledging to vote without a concrete directive in mind won't get it done. Let's examine the numbers to figure out exactly how much voting each person will need to do to make this happen. Last year Chris Paul was named the number 2 starting guard in the west with about 2.1 million votes. Let's assume this year that due to overseas expansion, better marketing, etc. it will take approximately 2.5 million votes to get a starting guard spot in the west. There are about 80 days (82, really, but we'll see 80 to be safe) until the NBA closes voting in January. That means Brandon will need 30,125 votes a day to get to 2.5 million by the final date.
Next number to consider: how many times per day could each person vote? I think 50 is a reasonable number. It should take less than 10 minutes at most and one could easily split it up into two or three separate sessions. I have started voting when I arrive to work in the morning and when I get back from lunch. Maybe you will choose to vote every time you log on to BlazersEdge (didn't Dave say he gets something like 1 million hits a month? So if everyone voted every time they logged on we'd reach our goal). Regardless of when you choose to vote, I STRONGLY recommend creating some kind of personal voting schedule and sticking to it until it's routine for the next two months.
Assuming 30,125 votes per day and 50 votes per person, how many people will we need to commit? 603. Based on the amount of dedication and sheer volume of visitors to this site I think that is a reasonable goal. Who's with me? Leave a comment committing to vote if you think you can do it. Also, if you support my plan, please rec this post. And if voting 50 times a day isn't reasonable for you, but you can do 20 a day, then by all means do it! Every little bit helps.
Finally, tell other people about this. Post on other sites. Vote 100 times instead of 50. Do everything you can to spread word of mouth and try to get other Blazers/Brandon fans to commit to 50 votes a day. Maybe some UW alumni can spread word in those circles?
To Vote:
Visit this Joe Freeman article for details on voting:
To vote multiple times on the Internet you'll need to delete cookies after every vote. Anyone know of a faster way to do it?
If you're in an arena please grab a bunch of ballots and fill them out during the timeouts. I'm going to see the Celtics at the TD Garden tonight and I plan to grab about 100. You can do it too.
Some final incentive:
Consider this a way to say thank you to Brandon for all his hard work in the offseason and on the court. Also, think of it as a way to lure quality players to Portland in the future. Who knows, maybe if we pull this off KP will even use it as part of his sales pitch. "I know we can't offer as much money, but if you come here you'll have unconditional support from the fans. Look how they banded together to get Brandon on the AS team a couple years ago…" Unlikely, but certainly not impossible.
In closing, about 6 years ago Portland fans showed Paul Allen whatwe care about by walking away from a team made up of convicts and jerks. Let's show the NBA how much we appreciate our guys and care about our team now by voting Brandon to the all-star team. I know it sounds difficult and a little crazy, but if we all work together, like our guys on the court, I truly believe it can be done. Who's with me?


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The formal complaints against the American Legislative Exchange Council are mounting. A group of clergy in Columbus, OH have filed a complaint with the IRS alleging that ALEC violated its tax-exempt status by "significantly misrepresenting its activities to the IRS, the states, and the public in order to advance a legislative agenda — an agenda largely crafted by the organization's corporate members — that elevates commercial gain for a few over the well-being of society's less fortunate."
ALEC is an ultra-conservative organization that works to shepherd pro-corporate, lobbyist-drafted bills into model legislation to be introduced in statehouses around the nation. Their extreme agenda seeks to bolster corporate profits by privatizing public resources, defunding public education, damaging the environment and attacking working families.
As such, Clergy Voice, composed of 18 pastors from mainstream Christian churches, believes that such an organization has no right to the same tax status reserved for charitable organizations:
"It has angered a lot of us that there is this group of the big and powerful in terms of industries and the extremely wealthy that is courting legislators to pass cookie-cutter legislation that really favors their particular interests," said the Rev. Eric Williams, spokesman for the group and pastor of North Congregational United Church of Christ on the Northwest Side.
Earlier this year, Common Cause submitted a similar whistleblower complaint against ALEC to the IRS.
Last week, People For the American Way Foundation hosted a gala at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to celebrate founder Norman Lear's 90th birthday and the Young Elected Officials Network.
The event highlighted Lear's legendary career as a television producer, and how in 1981, he turned to that medium to express his concern about the growing right-wing movement in America – and People For the American Way Foundation was born. 30 years later, PFAW Foundation's Young Elected Officials Network – consisting of nearly 700 progressive officeholders between 18 and 35 years of age – are at the forefront of change in their communities.
Members of Congress, celebrities, members of the board and community leaders were in attendance to celebrate Norman Lear, the YEO Network and the mission of People For the American Way Foundation.
From left: PFAW Foundation Founder Norman Lear, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, PFAW Foundation President Michael Keegan and board member Jane Lynch
From left: Board member Kathleen Turner and U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison
From left: YEOs Kesha Ram, Melvin Carter and Angie Buhl
Young People For (YP4), a program of People For the American Way Foundation, is a year-long leadership development program that helps a diverse set of student leaders turn their idealism into actions that advance social change on their campuses and in their communities. YP4 Fellows design and implement a capstone project called the Blueprint for Social Justice and work on social justice projects of their choosing. We'll be highlighting the work of some of our outstanding Fellows here.
This week, we're pleased to introduce Elena Swartz, representing Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania.
Recognizing the importance strong voter turnout in order to foster positive change in her community, Elena chose to organize a Civic Empowerment Summit at Bryn Mawr as her Blueprint for Social Justice. The summit provided information on how students can be a voice for change through vote work on campus and in their community, and was strategically planned in the spring to help students plan their voter engagement work ahead of the upcoming fall elections. During the training, Elena shared strategies for effective campus and community outreach, volunteer recruitment, data management, voter registration and more. Elena's project is so important because the right to vote is constantly under attack by those who want to disenfranchise certain groups of voters for political gain, such as students.
Across the country, states are implementing Voter ID laws that exclude student ID's from the list of acceptable forms of identification, imposing strict residency requirements to register to vote and some are even requiring college students to travel to their home precincts to vote instead of casting a ballot near their campuses. By organizing and educating her fellow students, Elena is helping to empower young people to take a stand against these measures and strengthen our fundamental rights.
By Erik Lampmann
Norman Lear, more so than almost any other, understands the inspiration, joy, and revitalization to be had by bringing together a diverse and wide movement to share in moments of success -- large and small. This week, I was honored to attend Norman Lear's 90th Birthday celebration and the kick-off to the Young Elected Officials Network's national convening. An alum of the Young People For (YP4) millennial fellowship program, I was invited to the event to share my experience and represent young people active in the progressive movement. While being in the presence of celebrities, major donors, and political leaders would give any college student simultaneous sensations of absolute fear and overwhelming excitement, I think the most poignant emotion I felt during the night was a profound sense of purpose, of drive, of calling.
Of the activists and organizers I met Thursday, I was continually impressed not by their successes -- be they electoral, issue-based, or local -- but by their resounding human spirit. From Norman Lear's keen ability to enrapture a crowd -- whisking them from applause line to somber reflection -- to the YEO members who not only envisioned change but came to embody it within themselves, I was humbled. From talking to students from different campuses about the wins and losses of their organizations this Spring semester to discussing the Presidential Medal Freedom with Dolores Huerta, to hearing Jane Lynch give an interview on the consequences of the Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court case, I was astounded by the grace with which my peers in the movement campaigned for justice with compassion.
I will confess that I am, at times, disillusioned with the progressive movement, in general. As a campus organizer working on progressive public policy and LGBTQ justice in Richmond, VA, I am often disheartened at the gap between what we've currently achieved and the ideal that we continue to pursue. While everyday I see the stifling states' rights conservatism of the former Capital of the Confederacy, local progressive wins seem much slower coming. For these reasons, the reinvigoration of the PFAW Foundation celebration of this past week could not have come at a better time. As I complete a summer research fellowship on political theory and strategize for next year's mobilizations on-campus, I am reminded of the inclusive, accomplished, and intentional family of YP4 and the dedication of People For the American Way Foundation in the pursuit of justice, equality, and the American Way even despite the challenges ahead.
Indeed, our fight as a movement has never been more necessary or the challenges we face more dire. Most recently, conservative ad hominem attacks on Attorney General Eric Holder continue to distract Congress from meaningful action. Out-of-touch elected officials continue to hold hostage major pieces of policy legislation from confronting the student debt crisis to tackling the federal deficit. Voter suppression bills are -- this very minute -- actively disenfranchising the elderly, youth, and communities of color across the country. Reproductive justice continues to be vilified and erased from popular discourse by those who censure speeches in the Michigan State House, for example, or close all of the abortion clinics in Mississippi simply in order to devalue the personal autonomy of women. Racial profiling continues to make life for undocumented people in Arizona and Alabama that much more difficult. Queer folks continue to challenge a heterosexist culture that seeks to tokenize their experience while the elderly, young people, and the differently-abled are shunned to the margins of political discourse.
Reflecting on the significance of Thursday's event as well as the struggles to come reminds me of a refrain within this piece, the need for solidarity and union within our movement family. I think my sentiment is expressed best by a quote I first heard at a YP4 training: "It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win.We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains." -- Assata Shakur.
Erik Lampmann is a junior studying political theory and French at the University of Richmond (VA) and a 2011-2012 YP4 Fellow.
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has created damage-control web site, "I Stand With ALEC," asking people to submit a letter to members of ALEC's Private Enterprise Board and member legislators in support of the ultra-conservative, secretive organization. The form letter is here:
Stand With ALEC
Dear [Decision Maker],
As our economy continues to struggle, the need for strong leadership that promotes free markets and free enterprise is more crucial than ever. It's through limited government and a stronger private sector that we can create jobs and grow our economy. As a member of ALEC, I expect you to work on these types of solutions.
But I've seen in the news that these values, and groups that support them, are under attack by extremists. Groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) are important defenders of these free market ideals. You should know that this is exactly the kind of organization I expect you to work with. Don't let extremists sway you any other way.
It is through free-market, limited government and pro-growth principles that we can get the states and whole nation back on the right track. As a customer, I'll be watching closely to ensure that you represent those views in your decisions.
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]
After the massive outrage sparked by revelations that ALEC's Public Safety and Elections Task Force was responsible for the proliferation of "Stand Your Ground" laws in the wake of the death of Trayvon Martin, ALEC tried to disavow that committee and claimed that it was "refocusing [its] commitment to free-market, limited government and pro-growth principles."
ALEC's portfolio of harmful policies goes much farther than that, including model bills that disenfranchise voters, destroy public education, block access to healthcare, damage the environment, weaken public safety and harm working families. So far, 19 corporations, 4 non profit organizations and 54 state legislators have left the organization for these reasons.
If ALEC thinks it can repair its reputation by asking the American people to send reassuring letters to its members, it should think again. A petition drive and phone campaign led by People For the American Way Fundation, Color of Change and other organizations has already directed over 500,000 signatures and calls to ALEC's corporate members demanding that those companies end their ALEC memberships immediately. The American people have already spoken on this one, and they don't stand with ALEC.
This afternoon, Johnson & Johnson announced that it would discontinue its membership in ALEC, making it the 19th corporation to do so.
The running tally of organizations and legislators leaving the American Legislative Exchange Council, as of today:
• Corporations: 19
• Non-profits: 4
• State Legislators: 54
ALEC's agenda is as secretive as it is extreme, but the American people are sending a loud and clear message that legislation drafted by corporate lobbyists has no place in our statehouses.
PFAW President Michael Keegan said the following after Johnson & Johnson's announcement:
"The extreme ALEC agenda harms all of us on a daily basis. It's disturbing that so many American companies still have a hand in advancing legislation that suppresses the right to vote, impedes access to health care, weakens public education and jeopardizes public safety. I commend the persistence of the hundreds of thousands of activists who have demanded accountability from corporations supporting the ALEC agenda. Johnson & Johnson's departure from ALEC is a big victory, and the other corporate funders who have yet to leave ALEC should take note."


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Today's weather forecast: A Brief Respite
If you like it when your mouth is on fire, you'll no doubt be attending this Sunday's inaugural L.A. Sriracha Festival put on by Food GPS and our own Randy Clemens, author of The Veggie-Lover's Sriracha Cookbook. It's so hard-core with the heat that even the refreshments are spiked with the 2.5K Scoville unit sauce! Mixmasters Josh Goldman (Circa, Acabar) and Matthew Biancaniello (formerly of Cliff's Edge) will be providing the fire water on Sunday. But here are their Sriracha cocktail recipes so you can try them out at home first...where no one can see you cry. Oh, how it burns!
By the way, Biancaniello's cocktail here isn't the same as the one he'll be doing at the fest as THAT one is a bit too complicated for home bartenders (read: me). At the fest, attendees will enjoy his cocktail made with Nattō-infused Tru gin, passionfruit, fresh Long Island cheese pumpkin juice with a homemade Sriracha and Chareau aloe liqueur foam.
Biancaniello said for the Sriracha Cocktail #2, he was inspired by the season. "It is all the flavors of fall that are available right now that I love, and pairing the sweet aromatic flavor with the bitterness of pomegranate and the spice of this smoked heirloom tomato Sriracha is awesome," he said.
Sriracha Cocktail #2 by Matthew Biancaniello
2 oz guava-infused tequila (2 pints of chopped guavas per one bottle of 123 Tequila for one week)¾ oz lime juice3/4 oz agave (1:1 ratio of water to agave )1 barspoon homemade heirloom tomato Sriracha from Windrose Farm1 oz pomegranate juice
Place everything in a shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a rocks glass over ice.
For his cocktail, Josh Goldman was inspired by street cuisine. "I designed this one for the Sriracha festival but it's basically a play on chile y limon. Like the watermelon and other fruits you can get hot sauce on from the street carts."
Riding the Iron Rooster by Josh Goldman of Acabar
1 1/2 oz rum1 oz watermelon3/4 oz lime juice3/4 oz Sriracha syrup*
Combine ingredients in an ice-filled shaker. Shake, strain over ice, garnish with lime twist.
* Sriracha Syrup100g demerara sugar50ml Sriracha tisane**Mix cold until all sugar is dissolved.
** Sriracha Tisane100ml hot water15g Sriracha Mix and fine strain, cool before use.
L.A.'s First Ever Sriracha Festival [LAMAG.com]
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Till yesterday it seemed like another rumor that Apple is launching a 128GB iPad but the rumor has turned into reality as Apple has officially confirmed that they are releasing the iPad 128GB.
There is no difference between the shape of 128GB Apple iPad and the one currently in the market. The only difference is the storage capacity of the new device. The fourth-generation Apple iPad currently available in the market contains 16GB, 32GB and at maximum 64GB of storage capacity.
Philip Schiller who is the Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing said that "With twice the storage capacity and an unparalleled selection of over 300,000 native iPad apps, enterprises, educators and artists have even more reasons to use iPad for all their business and personal needs,"
It is easy to judge that Apple is planning to make a lot of money with this popular product of theirs as the prices for the device are substantially high. Wi-Fi only model will cost you 799 dollars apiece. On the other hand Wi-Fi and LTE model will cost you 929 dollars each. These prices will make this tablet one of the most expensive tablet devices in the market. The availability date of the device as announced by Apple is February the 5th.


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A Tattnall County grocery store and restaurant is destroyed by an overnight fire.
The fire broke out shortly before midnight Thursday at Westside Foods on Highway 121 in Cobbtown, which is a small community in north Tattnall County. Fire crews say that when they first arrived, flames were already coming through the roof. The business burned to the ground and is a complete loss.
Crews are still cleaning up debris and keeping an eye on hotspots that may be smoldering and get them put out.
Fire crews from Cobbtown,
Metter and other departments could not save it, but they contained it from spreading
to businesses on either side. Westside Foods has been one of those places that folks will drive from
one end of Tattnall County to the other just to come to the restaurant
to eat lunch.
"That building
was built in the late 1940s or early 1950s. I remember it being built that long
ago and it was built to be a store back then," said Hugh Williamson, a
neighboring business owner.
Westside owners are waiting to meet with insurance agents before they plan
their next move. Fire crews said that despite a close call when the roof
collapsed - no one was hurt.
Investigators are looking into the cause of the fire.
Copyright 2012 WTOC. All rights reserved.
PO Box 8086
Savannah, GA 31412
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Mike Danenberg shared these photos from the Buffalo Grove Days entertainment stage with us, John Kleeman added pictures from the parade, and Hal Norman posted pictures from across the festival.
Do you have photos or videos from the weekend festivities? Share them with the community by logging into Patch and uploading them to this story.