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Contact Us
Investment Strategy
News & Press Releases
Wednesday November 26, 2014
Press Releases
York Insurance Services Group, Inc. and Odyssey Investment Partners, LLC Announce Completion of Transaction
New York and Parsippany, NJ, May 2, 2006 - York Insurance Services Group, Inc. ("York" or the "Company") and Odyssey Investment Partners, LLC ("Odyssey") today announced completion of the previously announced acquisition of York by Odyssey in partnership with York Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thomas C. MacArthur, other members of York's senior management and Cincinnatus Partners, LLC, a Cincinnati-based advisory firm founded by John L. Ward. York's senior management team, headed by Mr. MacArthur, will continue to lead the business and John Ward will become Vice Chairman.
Headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, York is a leading outsourcer of specialty claims management to niche market segments of the property and casualty industry throughout the United States. The Company provides comprehensive claims, data, and risk related services to specialty programs, residual markets, self-insured entities, insurance companies and related intermediaries.
Tom MacArthur, said, "This transaction and new capital structure provides York with greater flexibility at this time of continued expansion. We share a common vision and are pleased to partner with Odyssey to build upon the long standing and highly-regarded York franchise. We believe that our expertise and team focus, Odyssey's strategic insight and acquisition experience, and John Ward's deep knowledge of the insurance industry will be a dynamic combination and will enable York to improve upon our market leading positions and become a broader based provider of outsourced insurance services."
Douglas Rotatori, a Managing Principal of Odyssey, said, "Odyssey identified outsourced insurance services as a compelling sector for investment and we are excited to begin our partnership with Tom MacArthur and the York management team. York is an ideal platform in this highly fragmented industry and we will seek to augment the Company's strong organic growth with acquisitions."
John Ward, said, "York's differentiated service offering, proprietary systems and experienced personnel provide the foundation that clients have come to rely upon to strengthen their customer relationships, enhance their reputations and improve profitability."
The acquisition is Odyssey's first in partnership with Odyssey Insurance Services, which the firm formed with Cincinnatus Partners to pursue investments in insurance services companies.
York is an insurance services business process outsourcing company. Since the 1930's, York (through predecessor companies) has served both as an independent adjustment company and third party administrator providing claims data and risk related services to insurance companies, reinsurers, self insureds, and intermediaries throughout the United States. More recently, York has established business units in the program management, licensed private investigation, recovery, environmental consulting, retail logistics and large/complex loss adjusting markets. For further information about York, please visit www.yorkisg.com
Odyssey Investment Partners, LLC, based in New York, is a leading middle-market private equity fund with more than $1.2 billion under management. Odyssey makes majority, control investments primarily in established middle-market companies in a variety of industries, including industrial manufacturing, business, financial and healthcare services, aerospace products and services, and route-based services. For further information about Odyssey, please visit www.odysseyinvestment.com.
Cincinnatus Partners, LLC is a Cincinnati-based advisory firm specializing in the insurance services industry. Through its proprietary
Think Like an InvestorSM
program, the firm works with a select group of insurance services companies to help them build enterprise value. The firm's experienced team works closely with senior management at these companies to improve their current product offering, expand their scope of services and more effectively serve their insurance industry clientele. For further information about Cincinnatus Partners, please visit www.cincinnatuspartners.com.
For more information, please contact
York Insurance Services
Thomas C. MacArthur
Chairman and CEO
(973) 404-1228
Odyssey Investment Partners
Mark Semer
Kekst and Company
(212) 521-4800
Cincinnatus Partners
John L. Ward
Chief Executive Officer
(513) 381-2500
# # #
New York
Odyssey Investment Partners, LLC.
Los Angeles
Copyright ©2005-2014 Odyssey Investment Partners, LLC
All Rights Reserved
Not a Public Solicitation


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Seeking academic advice
When managing your program it's important to consider the rules and requirements of your program such as:
- compulsory course requirements
- time limits for your program
- maximum number of first year courses allowed
- procedural deadlines and restrictions
- major, minor and specialisation requirements
- the order in which you can – or should – take your courses
- whether you want to study at another university
- whether you want to undertake Honours as part of your program.
Important information, rules and requirements for programs, courses, majors etc. can be found on the Programs and Courses website. Study at ANU is the online student handbook and contains up-to-date information.
If you have a general academic enquiry that isn't answered by Programs and Courses, you can contact the Student Office in the ANU College that delivers your program, Student Administration, or visit the Student Central.
If you require help to understand the ins and outs of your program, plus all the options you have available to you, you should seek academic advice.
Academic advice is available throughout the year via the Student Office of the ANU College that delivers your program. These are usually one-on-one meetings where your progress will be reviewed and you will be provided with available options. Appointments are normally required.
The University has established and Academic Advising Charter (DOCX, 96KB) which sets out the responsibilities of both staff and students in relation to academic advising.
Drop-in academic advisory sessions are also available to new and continuing students at the start of each semester. Information on these sessions is sent to students via their student email as well as posted on ISIS.

subset: commoncrawl


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Category:History of South America
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The main article for this category is History of South America.
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to History of South America.
This category has the following 31 subcategories, out of 31 total.
Pages in category "History of South America"
The following 105 pages are in this category, out of 105 total. This list may not reflect recent changes (learn more).


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So I've just started this whole kegging jazz and, after pulling my very first beer off my brand new keg - a great Saison, my best beer so far - I wondered how to get the beer out of the line between the quick disconnect and the picnic tap.
Saw here someone mentioned just unscrewing the back of the disconnect and draining and rinsing that way, which I did.
So I go to tap the keg again today and beer starts pouring out of the top of the disconnect. I'm pretty sure I've not lost any parts from the inside of the disconnect (a spring, a glass piece with a rubber ring around it to seal, which fits into the screw on part of the disconnect).
I was getting beer foaming out the top and out the bottom.
Anyone have any idea what I've done wrong? Any help HUGELY appreciated.
My one thought was that I could have screwed the top of the disconnect back on too tight an ruined the seal?
The piece of plastic that you unscrew has an o-ring to make a seal.
Easy to lose.
Where do you get replacements, I am missing about 6 of them. Down the drain before I realized it. Local LHBS does not stock them.
Balls, I figured that must have been the case. Must have gone down the sink as the beer flushed out of that end once I opened it up. Cheers guys, glad to hear I'm not going crazy.


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Our regular Day Tours are a great way to see the animals , but you never know if you will be on a tour with no other people or with a dozen other people. In some cases you may just not be able to make it at a regularly scheduled tour time.
You can also make your Private Tour a "Photo Tour"! Just mention your interest in the message you can include with your booking!
Because we try harder to make sure your donations go to the animals, rather than staff, we rely on volunteers to give the tours. To make it worthwhile to pull our volunteers from the very necessary work of caring for the animals to give you a private tour we charge for the first person and per additional person. Please select a date above and click "Buy Tickets" for current pricing information.
These tours are one hour long and you see the same things you would see on a regular tour. The difference is that you have the tour guide all to yourself and you can see the cats that most interest you as well as have the opportunity to linger to take photographs. You can take photos and videos on all of our tours, but must keep up with the group. On Private Tours, you choose the route and pace.
For our Private Tours, you must buy tickets in advance.
Private tour with the Founder Carole Baskin are available as well! Click Buy Tickets for current pricing information. These tours are the same duration as the regular private tours (1 hour) and you see the same things you would see on a regular tour. The only difference is that you have the Founder, Carole Baskin as your guide.
You can buy gift certificates for these Founder or Private Tours as well!
Meeting Location
- Do I have to buy tickets in advance for the private tour?
- Advance purchase is required, and tours do sell out quickly. To maximize your chances of getting the day that you prefer, please book well in advance! Tickets can be purchased online or over the phone with a Visa, Mastercard, or American Express.
- Can children come on Private Tours?
- Yes, children of any age may come on Private Tours at the same adult rate above of $65 per additional child.
- Do you have strollers?
- We do not provide strollers and our paths are earthen, so they can be very difficult to push unless they are made for rough terrain.
- Can I bring food or toys for the cats?
- No, our diet is specific to their needs and we do not allow foods to be given to the cats that have not been approved by our vet and maintained under the most stringent quality controls. We do not give our cats toys that could cause harm if ingested so we do not permit toys from outside our own preselected vendors.
- Can I take pictures during my tour?
- YES! You are welcome to take photos and/or videos during your tour.
- Do I have to stay with the group, or can I wander?
- The only way to see the cats is on a guided tour, so you will not be able to wander away from the group.
- Are there restrooms?
- Yes, but we strongly suggest that you go before you get here because we have limited facilities and are on septic systems which cannot handle a lot of volume if there has been recent rain. There is a McDonald's right at the corner of Easy Street.
- What if it rains?
- The tour will still go out in a light rain as long as there is no lightning. If it is thundering or pouring rain, we may try to wait it out, or will offer a refund, or rescheduling.
- Can I bring my pet?
- No.
- Is there a charge for parking?
- Parking is always free and there is plenty of it except for our busiest times in Nov, Dec and March. During these busy times it is tight, but we will help you park at no additional fee.
- Are you ADA compliant?
- If you are unable to walk for two hours, we have golf carts available for $10 extra, per person riding. Our paths are dirt, so wheel chairs are hard to push, but scooters do well. There are no seats along the tour paths.
- How do the golf carts work? Are they offered on every tour?
- On some tours (but not all), we offer seats on a golf cart for guests who have difficulty with mobility. Each cart can hold 3 guests plus the driver. The cart will follow the tour guide closely so that guests can hear the narration. Depending on different circumstances, these seats can sometimes be booked in advance, but otherwise they are first come-first serve.
- Do my non-photographer companions have to pay?
- Everyone on the Private Tour must pay, even if they are not taking photos.
- Do you offer gift certificates?
- Yes! Gift certificates are available and they make perfect gifts for holidays, birthdays or any other occasion! To purchase a gift certificate please click on the "Gift Certificates: Purchase" link in the box above.
- What does the Big Cat Rescue Release and Hold Harmless Agreement state?
- The Big Cat Rescue Release and Hold Harmless Agreement states that all buyers understand and agree to 1.) the potential dangers associated with attending Big Cat Rescue and the rules in place to prevent such dangers from occurring and 2.) the Release and Hold Harmless Agreement, which states that Big Cat Rescue cannot be held responsible for any harm, injury or damage taking place at Big Cat Rescue. Please visit https://www.votervoice.net/BCR/campaigns/30112/respond to view the agreement in its entirety.
Refund/Rescheduling Policy
- Non-refundable, can be rescheduled with 24 hours notice.
- Once purchased, tickets cannot be refunded. You may reschedule your tickets (subject to availability) only if you do so at least 24 hours in advance.
Weather Policy
- Activity may be cancelled due to severe weather.
- The activity usually runs in light rain and other moderate weather conditions, but the seller may cancel the activity up to an hour before the start time in the event of severe or unsafe weather conditions. If the seller cancels the event, ticket-holders will be allowed to reschedule tickets (subject to availability) or receive credit for a future event.
Other Policies
- There is no smoking allowed at Big Cat Rescue.
- We do not allow smoking at Big Cat Rescue, except in the parking lot.
- All participants must agree to the Big Cat Rescue Release and Hold Harmless Agreement.
- By purchasing tickets you are agreeing to the Big Cat Rescue Release and Hold Harmless Agreement, which appears in its entirety at https://www.votervoice.net/BCR/campaigns/30112/respond. The waiver web address also appears on your e-ticket if you would like to review the waiver later.
Big Cat Rescue
Big Cat Rescue has 14 species of cats, many of whom are threatened, endangered or extinct now in the wild, including: Tigers, Lions, Leopards, Cougars, Bobcats, Lynx, Servals, Ocelots, Caracals, Jungle Cats, Leopard Cats, a Geoffroy Cat and exotic cat hybrids!
The non-profit organization is:
- Accredited by the Global Federation of Sanctuaries
- Certified by Independent Charities of America as a "Best in America Charity"
- Member of the World Society for Protection of Animals
- Rated 4 Stars by Charity Navigator (their highest rating) and has the one of the highest scores of any animal based charity


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Florida > Tallahassee Yellow Pages > Science and Engineering > Scientific Products and Services Tallahassee
Sort by:Best Matches | A - Z | Rating | Distance | Coupons | Open Now 13 Businesses
Prism Ecological Services
(850) 562-2249
Welcome to Prism Ecological Services! Independently owned and operated, Prism Ecological has b... More>
Atomic Inspection Labs
(505) 828-2315
Atomic Inspection Labs is one of America's premier non-destructive laboratories. From our facilit... More>
ATAGO U.S.A., Inc.
(425) 637-2107
ATAGO has been manufacturing professional grade refractometers and hydrometers for laboratories, ... More>
National Weather Svc
(850) 942-8833
116 ACADEMIC WAY, Tallahassee, FL| Map
Service: Time and Weather
Tallahassee Cwo
(850) 575-8641
3320 Capital Cir SW, Tallahassee, FL| Map
(850) 561-0604
540 Beverly Ct, Ste 1, Tallahassee, FL| Map
Service: Research
(850) 325-1865
656 Capital Cir NE, Ste E, Tallahassee, FL| Map
Buying Options: Wholesale, Wholesale
Tallahassee Therapeutic Healing Center
(850) 878-0223
227 E 6th Ave, Tallahassee, FL| Map
Welcome to Tallahassee Therapeutic Heating Center, located in Tallahassee, Florida. Tallahas... More>
1-World Globes & Maps
(206) 781-1400
Deciding to buy a globe as a gift for yourself or someone else is an excellent decision. There is... More>
Halco Products
(847) 956-1600
Welcome to Halco Products! Halco Products is a clean room manufacturer located in Elk Grove Vi... More>
Farmers & Merchants Bank
(850) 997-5011
Farmers & Merchants Bank
(850) 997-5013
Farmers & Merchants Bank
(850) 997-5015
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Preschooler Related Articles & Blog Posts
Confusional Arousal
A confusional arousal begins with the child moaning and moving about. It progresses quickly to the child crying out and thrashing wildly. The eyes may be open or closed, and perspiration is common. The child will look confused, upset, or even "possessed" (a description volunteered by many parents). Even if the child does call out […]Read full story
Child Blood Pressure
At her kindergarten physical my daughter had her blood pressure checked. I think it was the first time. Wherever I look on the Internet, I find adult blood pressure readings. What is a normal blood pressure in a 5-year-…Read full story
Confusional Arousal and Potty Training
My youngest son was having a confusional arousal, and his mother observed that these events are most common at the same ages that children are becoming aware of the bladder feeling full during sleep. Perhaps these kids just need to go to the bathroom.Read full story
Balloons Cause More Childhood Deaths Than Any Other Toy!
That's right. Balloons! This shocking fact was established by a study conducted by Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh in conjunction with DuPont Institute and Inchcape Testing Services Risk Analysis and Management.Read full story
Children with Asthma Miss Out
We know what to do, but we are not doing it! Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lungs. Inflammation can cause ongoing damage. Albuterol helps children breath better for the moment, but does nothing to treat the inflammation.Read full story
Does Your Child Really Have ADHD?
Rates of diagnosing ADHD in some school and medical settings are still 300% higher than in others, according to an article in the March 2001 electronic issue of Pediatrics. Some children are labeled as having ADHD when they don't really have it. Other children who do have ADHD, and who would really benefit from treatment, […]Read full story
Thumb Sucking
Dr. Greene, I have a 3 year old that has never sucked her thumb until about 6 months ago. Now she does it mostly when she is tired. I have seen 6 & 7 year olds sucking their thumb…Read full story
Chicken Pox Vaccine
No matter how much is known about a vaccine before it is licensed for routine use, after it has been used in millions of people it is possible to discover side effects that are too subtle or too rare to show up in pre-license testing. The November 2000 issue of Infectious Diseases in Children reviewed […]Read full story
Diet Influences Asthma Risk
Kids' changing diets may be, in part, responsible for the worldwide increase in asthma. A study published in the September 2000 issue of Thorax looked at the demographics and skin test results of children with and without asthma. They found that the more vegetables, fiber, and other nutrients (including vitamin E, calcium, and magnesium) consumed […]Read full story
Dangers of Parental Smoking
A study in the August 2000 issue of the Archives of Disease in Childhood found that parents who smoke increase the risk of meningococcal meningitis for their children by about 200% for every 20 cigarettes smoked at home on an average day (220% if the mother smokes, 170% if only the father smokes).Read full story


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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45218652723296735252014-11-21T14:23:21.655ZLuke's blogLuke email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-46375346954900764172014-11-21T14:23:00.000Z2014-11-21T14:23:21.682ZWeek 47: overshare, free speech, incarnation, blogging, family

Last week were in Wiltshire, where there is a lot of past. This is a shot of The Ridgeway, a road that's been used for over 5,000 years.

Preachers who are easily tempted to overshare would do well to listen to Katelyn Beaty's concerns.

The fate of free speech in the west is considered by John O'Sullivan, who notes that "a public culture that used to be liberal is now 'progressive' - which is something like liberalism minus its commitment to freedom."

If you're wanting to get yourself in the mood for Christmas, and the John Lewis advert hasn't helped much, Peter Mead's book, Pleased to Dwell looks good.

Is the new Facebook going to be like old Facebook? Dieter Bohn reports on changes to Groups.

Gina Trapani heralds a return to blogging, with some liberating rules.

Finally, here's a video from the Vatican's colloquium on the family...

Luke Davydaitishttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-17793569673884708092014-11-17T22:33:00.001Z2014-11-17T22:34:41.526Z(Don't) Be Yourself

 One of the smartest things you can do is learn how the culture you live in thinks, because you probably think in a very similar way. Charles Taylor has identified our time as "the age of authenticity", which sounds fine but in practice is self-destructive in its idolisation of the self. Here's a chunky quote from Taylor:

"I mean the understanding of life which emerges with the Romantic expressivism of the late-eighteenth century, that each one of us has his/her own way of realizing our humanity, and that it is important to find and live out one's own, as against surrendering to conformity with a model imposed on us from outside, by society, or the previous generation, or religious or political authority."

Trevin Wax explains what this means from a Christian perspective here. I come across this mindset all the time: reading the news and social media, dealing with young Christians, in my own advice when I'm not thinking carefully, and when we're choosing paint. It's everywhere, so be wise to it.
Luke Davydaitishttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-27054687894375934342014-10-31T13:22:00.003Z2014-10-31T13:22:54.624ZA Halloween TreatGlen Scrivener poetically puts Halloween in its place...

Luke Davydaitishttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-32661134075186991242014-10-23T19:18:00.003+01:002014-10-23T19:18:32.007+01:00Week 43: art, growing up, Christmas, conviction, slavery

We had a little visitor.

The late works of one of my favourite artists, Rembrandt, are celebrated by Simon Schama. (Available on BBC iPlayer until 15th November 2014).

Does anyone know how to be a grown-up any more? A.O. Scott thinks not.

The race for the first article to be written about this Christmas has been won by Peter Mead. He looks at what the arrival of God on earth means.

"The Holy Spirit doesn't condemn us, He convicts us," is a common phrase in my kind of Christian circles. Joshua Rogers disputes our choice of the word "convict".

Anne Jolis credits Christians past and present with doing the most to end slavery.

Luke Davydaitishttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-346864877253897712014-10-15T22:32:00.000+01:002014-10-15T22:32:18.128+01:00Week 42: Barca, boxer, politics real and imagined, teen tech

We went to Barcelona, it was brilliant.

Kevin Mitchell hears boxing great Manny Pacquiao describe how Jesus changed his life.

The difference between Hong Kong and mainland China - and why it should matter to Christians - is explained by Dorcas Cheng-Tozun.

If you love The West Wing (and if you don't, what's wrong with you?), then enjoy some nostalgia with James Dyer's definitive guide to the show.

Politics as we know it has to change, contends Chris Deerin.

I know at least one of every character in Richard Barrett's article, "19 Guys You Always See At Five-A-Side". (I'm kind of Number 18 but without the sense of a crushed dream)

I still don't really understand SnapChat, but Casey Neisat does a good job of explaining why millions of people love it...

Luke Davydaitishttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-10751268346477451262014-10-03T18:27:00.002+01:002014-10-03T18:27:33.789+01:00Week 40: discipline, stupidity, violence, craziness

Autumn suddenly arrived.

David Brooks notes the importance of discipline in creativity.

James Fraser's life is worth studying if you're a Christian wanting to make a difference. Phil Moore draws out some lessons from it (parts 2, 3, 4, 5).

Kevin DeYoung thinks that reading the news makes us stupid.

If you're tired of Tyldsley and Townsend, and maddened by Motty and Mowbray, you'll agree with David Stubbs.

Is religion to blame for war? John Gray reviews Karen Armstrong's answer.

After last week's video of Scotland's beauty. Here's nutcase riding over some of it with a bike. Incredible...

Luke Davydaitishttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-3440197126473090562014-09-26T11:51:00.000+01:002014-09-26T11:51:01.246+01:00Week 39: spit roast, solitary joy, hi-tech prayer, low-tech parenting

It's been a spectacularly busy time, including a wedding in Cornwall (check out the row of chickens on the spit roast).

How could twelve years of solitary confinement be joyful? If Jesus turned up. Simon Guillebaud relates how this happened to a former Prime Minister of Kenya.

Tim Challies credits the app PrayerMate with revitalising his prayer life.

And/Or for £1.12, you could read Michael Reeves' short and helpful book, Enjoying Your Prayer Life.

But beware too much technology: Nick Bilton reports on how Steve Jobs was a low-tech parent, as are many other in the industry.

Has the Scottish Referendum changed politics? Armando Iannucci hopes so.

Either way, it's still a rather beautiful place to live...

Luke Davydaitishttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-17853392330089932952014-09-08T17:03:00.002+01:002014-09-17T17:56:04.949+01:00Yes or No, and More or Less

Firstly, the articles I think you should read instead of this one:

The Economist's editorial in support of the union.

AA Gill's cry for independence. (Behind a paywall, sorry.)

Mikey Macintosh's assessment of the campaigns and alternative vision for the future - the best thing I have read from a Christian perspective and deserving of any thoughtful Christian's time.

Phil Moore gives us a bit of history and three things to remember when praying for Scotland.

For my own thoughts – well, where to start with something as large as a nation's destiny and as small as nationalism?

Much of what I've observed in this debate has frustrated me, as both sides have made poor arguments (Of course Scotland can exist by itself as a country - there are many much smaller and poorer which do. Of course Scotland cannot default on a shared burden of debt if it is ever to be taken seriously by the rest of the world and its bankers.) I think that the Yes campaign has often been deceitful, and Better Together has often missed the point by failing to explain what the union has been and can be in terms other than economics (Tom Holland does a good job of that).

What has troubled me most is the divisiveness that the independence campaign has been built upon. The referendum gives Scots the opportunity to define themselves by division (however anachronistic they might want to declare the union to be). It's ironic, from this perspective, that Yes campaigners present Scotland as diminished and limited by the union when in fact the opposite has been true. It is to Better Together's discredit that they haven't told this story more effectively: that so much of what is great about Scotland has been revealed in and by the union, what Scotland has given and what it has received. I fear for anyone - and any nation - who cannot see that they need others. Humility and interdependence are marks of wisdom and greatness, and they are usually rejected by nationalism.

On a personal level, independence for Scotland will force me to define myself incorrectly, should I need to describe my nationality. "British" will no longer be an answer. But like so many in these islands, I am a happy mongrel, my mixed blood hailing from Ireland, England, Scotland, Cornwall, and Lithuania. No single one of those terms is sufficient, whereas "British" contains a breadth of possibilities wider even than my needs. Not only does it have space for me, but there is room for many others whose stories are different to mine. This, again, is the price of division: Scotland's citizens will be able to reduce how they and those who live among them can be understood, they can cut themselves off from the peoples they have mixed so well with.

Among all this, and the much more that has been written and shouted, how does a Christian vote?

Prayerfully.

I don't think there's an argument that can be made one way or the other that is decisive for a Christian. I've heard someone suggest that the unity/diversity/equality of the Trinity is echoed by the union. A less persuasive case is that the scattering of the nations at Babel (Genesis 11:9) is best obeyed by the United Kingdom fracturing. Some Christians up here are suggesting that they could have more influence on Holyrood than Christians presently do at Westminster but I'm not convinced that this is would be the case, especially with the currently-unique growth of church size and influence in London.

Most importantly, as a Christian I am a foreigner wherever I live on the earth as it presently is. I may be about to feel that more acutely, but the Bible describes me as a "stranger and exile" (1 Peter 2:11) until Jesus returns, and instructs me that my "citizenship is in heaven" (Philippians 3:20). My loyalty is not to any land or lord, but to the Jesus Christ the Lord of all, and He is where all my hope is too. Furthermore, He has instructed His follows to share the news of this great hope with everyone, so a passage from the Bible which closely links this command with day-to-day politics has been shaping my thinking and praying:

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:1-5)

So that's what I hope for: whatever brings about this peace that benefits the advance of the gospel. I cannot know which option will, so I pray and vote with faith that God will work whatever happens to His advantage.

Luke Davydaitishttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-61641014681309306852014-09-04T12:57:00.000+01:002014-09-04T12:57:43.168+01:00Week 36: fit footballers, racing children, bad news, good books, thinking advice

Students are returning to Edinburgh this week, so our fridge looks like this in anticipation of hosting a load of them for lunch on Sunday. Our cupboards are in a similar condition.

Are you fitter than a Premier League footballer? Probably not, but Mark Bailey has the tests you can do to find out for yourself.

Jen Pollock Michel issues a rallying cry to parents to stop their children from thinking that life is a race.

I know I posted a response to Richard Dawkins' asinine comments about Downs' Syndrome last week, but Simon Barnes is a wonderful writer, and his payoff line deserves a mention: "It's a shame that Dawkins wasted his title The God Delusion for his fundamentalist tract. He should have saved it for his autobiography."

Is reading the news bad for you? Rolf Dobelli explains why it could be. Better to stick to blogs, eh?

But seriously, read more books. Justin Taylor is compiling a list of "novels every Christian should consider reading."

It's careful titles like the one above which give pedantry a bad name, but we really do need to think more carefully and react even more slowly, as Andrew Wilson argues.

On similar lines, David Brooks lists the virtues needed to be a good thinker.

And here are the things Christians say, according to Tripp and Tyler. I like to think I'm in the lower 25% of these, praise be...

Luke Davydaitishttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-1078139738247271782014-08-28T17:01:00.001+01:002014-08-28T17:01:09.036+01:00Week 35: failed footballers, phone battery myths, prayer tips, changed perspectives

The BBC website chose a great photo for its headline article about the best places to live: the smaller of the two churches is where Deb and I got married.

What happens when you fail at being a footballer? James Gheerbrant spoke to a few who have.

Do you worry about your phone's battery? Let Yohana Desta's myth-busting banish your fears.

Tim Challies shares a simple way to organise your praying.

There's a lot being written about Mark Driscoll, most of which probably isn't that helpful, but Celeste Gracey, a member of the church, has an honest and hopeful perspective.

In a similar speak-of-what-you-know vein, Jamie McCallum shows what a difference a daughter with Down's Syndrome can make.

Chris Plante pinpoints the moment The Simpsons jumped the shark.

Luke Davydaitishttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-69466497220047187682014-08-21T16:56:00.000+01:002014-08-21T16:56:45.182+01:00Week 34: vote Potter, the power of memory, the best way to start the football season

I climbed up some of the Pentland Hills, and so did this old man and his dog.

Did Harry Potter affect how you vote? Anthony Gierzynski thinks he might have done.

Staying with the power of fantasy, Jeffrey Bilbro shows how J.R.R. Tolkien used hope and memory to celebrate and inspire goodness. (His surname sounds a bit Hobbitty, doesn't it?)

Paul Tripp also highlights the importance of memory for Christians in need of God's strength.

Alistair Roberts explains the principles behind modern sexual ethics.

If the insatiable size of Facebook leaves you feeling disconcerted and disconnected, Ben Popper has news of something you might prefer: Nextdoor.

Lore Ferguson is doing a series of interviews with influential single people.

As the football season is now upon us with all its seriousness, David Mitchell's peerless promo deserves a rerun...

Luke Davydaitishttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-3071875806143045472014-08-15T13:03:00.001+01:002014-08-15T14:42:25.627+01:00Week 33: Apple training, sharks attacking, stadia crumbling

I finally got round to going through my photos from the Commonwealth Games.

How can we watch films/TV and read books well? Borrowing from C.S. Lewis, Alissa Wilkinson has some suggestions.

Matt Smethurst summarises teaching from John Piper about how Christians should view Israel.

The Olympic Games likes to talk about legacy: Steven Bloor has collected photos of what that looks like in Athens.

If you'd like to know how Apple trains people, Ben X. Chen has been trying to find out.

What happens when sharks attack?

Luke Davydaitishttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-2763718040151427162014-08-14T16:36:00.001+01:002014-08-17T10:07:11.006+01:00God doesn't love you just the way you are (But He does love you)
I keep hearing Christians say that God loves them just the way they are, usually in the context of them explaining why it's OK for them to do whatever they want. God seems to say something quite different, as the following quotes show (admittedly without much context, commentary, pause for thought, or caveats about how unlovingly and unwisely some of the passages have been used by some people):

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Proverbs 17:9)

"I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made... Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" (Psalm 139:14, 23-24)

"But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person." (Matthew 15:18-20)

"Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." (Luke 13:3)

Does this at all sound like the assessment of someone who thinks that you, just as you are, are OK?

What, then, is the love of God that Jesus has made known?

"God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10)

If you're a Christian, God doesn't love you just the way you are: He had to die because of the way you are. But because He loves you, He did that.

And because He loves you, He's working with you to make you more like Jesus and less like you currently are. This is a process of change which will be completed when we pass from this life to the next:

"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son..." (Romans 8:29)

"We shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:51)

"Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2)

So for now we should be working to get closer to this wonderful destiny, rather than pleading to be accepted as we currently are. Look at how consistently this is taught in the New Testament:

"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.' And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." (1 Peter 1:14-19)

"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator." (Colossians 3:5-10)

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practise homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

"Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practise every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ! – assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:17-19)

That is infinitely better than being loved – and left – just as you are.

Luke Davydaitishttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-78790993170882928722014-08-12T10:54:00.000+01:002014-08-12T10:54:43.885+01:00Robin Williams and life and death

My social media feeds are full of friends lamenting the suicide of Robin Williams and quoting their favourite films of his. The shock is obvious when you go through the list: every one involves Williams radiating energy, vitality. For me, it's Good Morning, Vietnam, where he is simply unleashed on screen and was the funniest thing I'd ever seen, so fast and so clever. That's what makes this news so horrible, the jarring contrast between the life (we should probably pronounce it "LIIIIIFFFFFFFFFE!!!!" as Williams' characters surely would) and death.

It isn't ever natural; sudden, shocking deaths like this tell us that starkly. Death is an imposter, an enemy. Christianity faces up to this honestly but not without hope. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the start of a great defeat which will be accomplished by His inextinguishable Life. That's the only hope there is.

"And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death...

"Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless."

(1 Corinthians 15:19-26, 54-58)

Luke Davydaitishttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-78984259313100669322014-08-11T18:27:00.000+01:002014-08-11T18:27:06.362+01:00Saving you from selfies

A friend once described Instagram, the photo-sharing social network, as "a superb tool for generating envy, by showing you snapshots of people at their most interested while you are at your most bored." If you will follow people who post pictures of their face repeatedly then this could very well be the case - but it doesn't have to be that way. Although the temptation of face photo-sharing made easy has attracted millions to Instagram, there are people out there sharing much more interesting things, showing us more of the world and less of themselves:

National Geographic (@natgeo) shares images from all over the world posted by its photographers on assignment. It's a great combination of natural wonders and human interest, without being as clichéd as either of those phrases, with lots of variety because there are so many contributors

NASA (@nasa) expands your vision even further - to the limits of the known universe! The occasional astronaut selfie does pop up but that's forgiveable when they have the entire planet in the background.

David Guttenfelder (@dguttenfelder) is presently in America but often visits North Korea. I've learnt more about that strange place from him than anyone else.

Ditto Michael Christopher Brown (@michaelchristopherbrown) and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Dirk Bakker (@macenzo) specialises in finding patterns in Amsterdam's architecture.

Rob Lutter (@roblutter) is cycling around the world and taking photos as he goes.

Dylan Furst (@fursty) seems to live in a forest in America, where he processes his shots in a way that makes them look like nothing else.

Humans of New York (@humansofny) asks great questions and gets great portraits.

Kieran Kesner (@kierankesner) is another portraitist who goes deep.

Ruairidh McGlynn (@ruairidhmcglynn) spends most of his time in the mountains of Scotland.

Rodrigo Prieto (@rpstam) is a cinematographer and his photos prove it.

Luke Davydaitishttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-47675558333976810222014-08-08T19:49:00.001+01:002014-08-08T19:49:50.763+01:00Elsewhere in week 32

Back from refreshing time off, which included enjoying this moment whilst camping at Newday.

If you're wondering how you can respond at all to what is happening in Iraq, Martin Saunders has some suggestions.

It's less in the news than a couple of weeks ago, but if you want to read a compelling argument against assisted suicide, I can't image there's much better than Hannah Rachel's.

With the film Left Behind soon to tarnish our cinema screens, Justin Taylor summarises the reasons Christians shouldn't expect to be snatched away.

The lamentable rise of Google Glass may lead to better days ahead, hopes Ellis Hamburger.

Steve Poole argues against spontaneity.

What does the rise of fantasy fiction tell us about ourselves and our relationship to the world? Alan Jacobs considers this at length.

Luke Davydaitishttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-35340944515012052242014-08-06T12:40:00.000+01:002014-08-06T12:40:21.845+01:00Just read: First

Most students have lots of books to plough through, and most Christian students aren't exactly sure how to follow Jesus whilst at university, so I'm grateful for Matt Carvel writing First: A Biblical Guide to Living for Jesus at Uni. It's very short and easy to read but covers lots of key issues (see below) with Bible-based theory and practical advice.

The length is important not only for encouraging students who consider themselves time-harried to read it, but because it opens up opportunities for discussion rather than assuming to present an exhaustive final word on each topic. That's how I intend to use it with the students I work with (that brevity might sometimes frustrate someone reading this by themselves), and I'm hopeful that they'll then want to go through it with others.

At £3.99 a copy, max (the price goes down the more you buy at 10ofthose.com) even the price can't put you off. If you're a Christian student going to university next month and you want to thrive and honour God through your university years, I'd strongly recommend you get this and find someone to read it with.

Contents

1. Your Life and God's Plan
2. The Wide and the Narrow Gate

Part 1: Wisdom in Key Areas of Uni Life
3. Quality Time with God
4. Finding a Church
5. Study
6. Relationships and Singleness
7. Sex
8. Drinking and Drugs
9. Housing

Part 2: Practical Tools for Uni Living
10. The Top Five Questions about Relationships
11. A Ten-Minute Bible Study
12. A Ten-Minute Prayer Time
13. Help to Live Porn-Free
14. Further Reading

Part Three: The Gospel of John in Twenty-One Days

Luke Davydaitishttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-10347091717072531802014-08-04T21:07:00.001+01:002014-08-04T21:07:40.340+01:00Back to Newday

Driving through the flat farmlands of Lincolnshire and Norfolk, the only buildings you're likely to see from a distance are the old churches. In every village a spire rises, once the reference point and source of hope for all around, now more likely to attract pilgrims of local history and architecture. Past many we drove until something different broached the horizon: a blue Big Top, put up to accommodate 6,000 teenagers who were gathering to hear about and worship Jesus. Newday

My relationship with Newday goes deep but had become distant, moving to Scotland put me nine hours' drive away from it and signalled the end of a certain level of involvement. Having attended every one since its inception in 2004, this was the first time I had made the journey in four years. A joy of the new and the nostalgic stayed with me for the whole event: innovations and improvements were everywhere, and so were many friends I hadn't seen for so long. Memories of nearly being washed away in record-breaking downpours, of working together to organise a careful response to hundreds of kids rushing to commit themselves to God, of singing and chatter and laughter and ubiquitous acoustic guitars and footballs hitting tents and bleary-eyed morning greetings.

God never wallows in the past, however good it is. So I had the pleasure of seeing Him bless more lives in ways of His that are both new and timeless. Salvation, healing, challenge, comfort, community. The music moves on, making me feel slightly old but grateful that the songwriters here buck a current trend of celebrating ourselves to the marginalisation of God. Similarly the core team of leaders stay committed to God's truth and explaining it in ways that connect but never condescend. As one of them put it, "we've heard terrible and glorious things." I agree with Andrew Wilson's more detailed summary.

The response to all this begins at the event. Every afternoon, hundreds of young people poured out across the county to bring hope to its towns and villages, to those not fortunate enough to have been to something like this. In God's grace, He brought it to them. The plans and commitment went further abroad: over £140,000 was given by these young people to plant and build churches across the world.

By a quirk of train routes, on my way home I passed four great cathedrals, each catching the eye despite the buildings around them, and wondered what foundations were being laid in a field near Norwich.

Luke Davydaitishttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-62899095909661656912014-07-11T13:32:00.000+01:002014-07-11T13:34:01.877+01:00Just read: Can I Really Trust the Bible?

Can I Really Trust the Bible? is part of The Good Book Company's "Questions Christians Ask" series. This title is clearly a question asked by people who aren't Christians too but the tone of this book seems primarily aimed at people who have both faith and uncertainty, and wish for more of the former and less of the latter.

Barry Cooper claims to be inspired by the investigative reporter Winnie-the-Pooh, who, upon discovering a jar which claimed to contain honey, was not satisfied to leave the matter at that:

It had HUNNY written on it, but, just to make sure, he took off the paper cover and look at it, and it looked just like honey. "But you never can tell," said Pooh. "I remember my uncle saying once that he had seen cheese just this colour." So he put his tongue in, and took a large lick. "Yes," he said, "it is. No doubt about that."
Cooper asks three questions which follow Pooh's pattern: does the Bible claim to be God's word, does it seem to be God's word when we look in it, and does it prove to be God's word when we put it into practice? It's a useful structure which takes in along the way a number of the key issues people have when considering the Bible's trustworthiness whilst holding its own logic to build its case.

At under 100 pages long, the book's brevity (and price) makes it an attractive place to start exploring this vital topic. For those who want their questions answered in greater depth, and with more focus on a non-Christian's perspective, Amy Orr-Ewing's similarly-titled and similarly-brief (144 pages) Why Trust the Bible? is an excellent alternative. Where Cooper is strongest is when his love and enthusiasm for God's word is on display, which it is on most of its few pages.

It also has a promo video which made me smile...

Luke Davydaitishttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-29441496786034190122014-07-10T15:29:00.000+01:002014-07-10T15:29:18.522+01:00Elsewhere in week 28

I visited the magnificent Kelpies.

A beautiful combination of photography, video, drawing and animation by Christoph Niemann explains what football means to Brazil.

On the flip-side, Henry Winter explains how Germany's victory over Brazil was a decade in the making.

Have you ever wanted to explore the words you read in the Bible more deeply? A new resource from Tyndale House will help you do that.

If you're not sure how restful your summer holiday will be, Steve Tibbert has shared some principles that might help.

The anxiety of Christians when sharing what they believe is soothed by Jenny Frank.

Vlad Savov explains how choosing your next new phone has much bigger implications than it used to.

Finally, here's what it's like to fly among fireworks (apologies for the soundtrack)...

Luke Davydaitishttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-28882150729083817782014-07-08T23:39:00.001+01:002014-07-08T23:39:08.030+01:00You prayed but it didn't work out

 Brazil's football team and everyone associated with them, famously, pray a lot. This evening they were torn apart by a combination of German superiority and their own many weaknesses in the World Cup that they were hosting and borderline-neurotically desperate to win. Some people, innocent Christians and sceptical non-believers, might wonder what is up with that.

As it happened, I was listening yesterday to a talk by Timothy Keller that addressed this issue of whether believing in Jesus means your life will go well or not, based on Romans 8:28-30

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."

It's a brilliant piece of teaching, dealing with an area of life so emotive for many Christians: their expectations. It's summarised in three points and goes deep into each one:

Our bad things turn out for good.

Our good things can never be lost.

The best things are yet to come.

You can listen to it here, and you should: the truth in it is actually more incredible than a semi final finishing 7-1.

Luke Davydaitishttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-85245716051528084722014-07-04T14:54:00.002+01:002014-07-04T14:58:34.411+01:00Elsewhere in week 27

I sat on a really big chair and pretended nothing was weird about that.

What motivates a Christian to make a horror movie? Scott Derrickson explains.

The question we've all been asking is answered definitively by Dan Kois and Andrew Bouvé: Who won the World Cup of arm-folding?

The are 59 instances of the phrase "one another" in the New Testament and Steve Alliston has listed them for us so we can be reminded of how to treat one other.

The meal of the week on our World Cup adventure was probably the home-made flour tortillas.

James Medd reports on how British TV is ruling the waves.

The demise of out-of-town shopping centres is noted by David Boyle.

Finally, that shot by Nick Kyrgios is probably worth watching again...

Luke Davydaitishttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-76068812398508099512014-07-01T16:38:00.001+01:002014-07-04T14:20:13.659+01:00Report from the New Ground Leadership Conference

It took us eleven hours to get there, and less than two days after we'd arrived it was time to head home again – a mere eight hours this time. Thankfully, the New Ground Leadership Conference was worth it.

450 leaders were gathered in Burgess Hill of all places and some had come even further than we had: France, Holland, Italy, and Romania were all represented. Everyone in the group from Edinburgh said they'd been inspired not only by the teaching but by the news of what we're involved in together across Europe. Our excellent hosts, The King's Church Mid-Sussex, made us feel welcome, and it was great to continue making and developing new friendships, as well as catching up with old ones. (One of the accidental pleasures of being part of this family of churches is that it includes the guy who was my youth leader and people who were in the youth work that I led subsequent to him.)

It won't surprise anyone who has heard PJ Smyth speak to learn that he has two swords hanging in his office. His relish for the battle that God has brought us into is always evident, and in four densely-packed teaching sessions he gave an arsenal of expert advice. He's an inspiring guy – among the stories he shared was one about the President of South Africa visiting his church to hear him preach on "What would God say to President Zuma?" – and he's thoroughly worked out his philosophy and how to explain it. He spoke on the mission we have, the power of partnerships, the way God calls, how we should mentor people, and how to communicate the message we have. I made piles of notes and will have to spend a long time thinking through all that was said and talking with the people I work with about how we can put some of it into action.

Failure to do this would be to miss the point of the conference, as Dave Holden made clear in the final talk. Dave loves to tell us that we can't go back to old ways, nor can we bask in the enjoyable present but we must put our energy into taking new ground (it's a well-chosen name). If all of this sounds relentless, it was! But there's a good way to be driven as well as a bad way, and this weekend was good: the opening talk by Chris Taylor reminded us of God's grace for us, however we see ourselves; our times of sung worship were full of joy; every opportunity for fun or honesty was taken, during both the "formal" and "informal" parts of the conference. This is such a potent combination: the stretch of new challenges and the certainty of God's love. I left encouraged and excited, and grateful to have been able to make the journey.

(Also, we found a massive chair.)

You can download the talks from the conference here.

Luke Davydaitishttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-4330742900122931252014-06-26T21:17:00.001+01:002014-06-26T21:17:14.564+01:00Elsewhere in week 26

The flags we've been using for photos on Football Fan Food have also helped keep us up to speed with who is still in (at full-mast/toothpick) and who has been knocked out (at half-mast).

If you've been watching the World Cup and muttering about players writhing around on the floor, Geoff Foster has done the research to back up your complaints.

Hadley Freeman reports on how people in Brazil's favelas have been making the World Cup work for them.

Marcus Honeysett considers how Christianity could challenge middle class suburbia.

The boys at Sounds Good To Me Too have made a summer playlist for us all.

I love the BBC and so does Alex Proud.

Even more, I love John Piper's love for God, expressed in typical passion as he gives Christians twelve questions to ask before watching programmes like Game of Thrones.Luke Davydaitishttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-4521865272329673525.post-91019967960628533282014-06-26T16:52:00.000+01:002014-06-26T16:52:31.091+01:00Just read: The Story of Christianity

I've just read David Bentley Hart's The Story of Christianity: A History of 2000 Years of the Christian Faith (Quercus, 2013 Kindle edition). I found it really helpful as a well-written summary and introduction to most of the key themes of Christian history in less than 300 pages.

Unlike many Protestant historians that I might read, Hart is in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, so he doesn't just know and tell the story of Christianity's journey west, but goes east and south as well. He also corrects many of the black myths of Christianity, from the Crusades to the Scopes trial, whilst remaining honest about the church's many mistakes. Where I found him slightly less charitable was in his treatment of Martin Luther and John Calvin, who are better served by Michael Reeves' similarly accessible The Unquenchable Flame.
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Bealls is a privately held company, rich in tradition, owned by the founding family and its employees. Founded in 1915, Bealls Department Stores now operates 80 store locations in the state of Florida in addition to BeallsFlorida.com. Bealls Department Stores and BeallsFlorida.com are owned and operated by Beall's Department Stores, Inc and Beall's Westgate Corporation.
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Sunday, Aprl 29, 2012: Police investigate the Dalton home where Emilio Canales is believed to have shot three family members.
Steve Hardy/Chattanooga Times Free Press .
published Sunday, April 29th, 2012
Stories this photo appears in:
A 27-year-old Dalton man has been charged with murder in connection with the deaths of his father and brother, police say.


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Sunday, June 8, 201411:00 am – 4:00 pm Location: Kimball Farm, 791 East Broadway, Haverhill, MA
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When BMW invited kids to build a life-size Lego replica of its i8 car, I thought no one could beat that combo of Lego and cars. For two years that position remained..
Tag Archives: Lego
We are no strangers to some incredible Lego structures that artists around the world have been going out of their way to create. Just last year, we witnessed students from a school..
We know for a fact that we will never get bored of writing about Lego, and our readers who are Lego Lovers too will never have enough of it. Thanks to Lego..
Mums the word till you're a baby but once you get hitched you have to go the wife way or take the highway (to hell of course). Something similar happened to a..
As a kid I spent quite a few insanely enjoyable weekends putting together Lego models with my friends. My philosophy on the matter – the bigger, the more complicated, the better. That..
LEGO MINDSTORMS Pet Feeder is a super cool contraption that would prove to be a great deal of fun both for your pet as well as you. Making it may not be..
Ever wished that your life was just as colorful as a Carnival? Now you can get an essence of Carnival in your life and home, with this LEGO Fairground mixer. The new..
Five year old Milun Simpson gets his dream Lego Star Wars Bedroom as winner of Design Your Dream LEGO Bedroom campaign
How many kids can say they got to design their own bedrooms when they were young? But that's exactly what this very lucky young boy is getting to do. Five year old..
Baron von Brunk's series of LEGOformers, replicas of video game systems/games that transform into robots, have become something of a favorite on Instructables. His latest creation adding to the series may be..
Any man can be a father, but it takes a special person to be a dad. And, an awesome dad has made his daughter's dream come true by creating a Lego version..


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Spices on the cheap?
Anyone know of a cheap place to stock up on spices preferably around brookline or west roxbury/roslindale? The supermarket prices seem a little high.
I'm afraid the issue of expensive spices is a millennium-old problem. To some degree, you'll always have to pay a fair amount for even mid-grade quality.
I've found some good value at Trader Joe's, especially for very expensive spices like saffron.
Not in Rox/Ros, but Christina's in Inman Square has pretty competitive prices. A few of the Middle Eastern grocery stores in Watertown are supposed to be good too.
One trick: if you buy whole spices instead of ground, they'll last longer and taste fresher when used. I keep a second coffee grinder on hand just for this purpose.
re: finlero
Second the TJ's option for decent quality at reasonable prices.
One very cheap option is Ocean State Job Lot, but the closest one to you could be Randolph or Norwood. They carry a brand called Spice Supreme ( http://www.gel-spice.com/spice_suprem... ) and usually have quite a variety, but you get what you pay for. I happen to like their pickling spice mix, and also use their sesame seeds, poppy seeds, bay leaves etc. but I mostly keep them as a backup for when I cant get or run out of the good stuff.
(edit) And oh yeah, the Penzey brand spices mentioned by rlh below are WAY better, I have not gone to any local stores but get their stuff online regularly.
I THINK the quality to price value ratio is really high at Penzey's in Arlington Heights (or online) - they seem to be the freshest with a wide range of mainstream spices (whole and ground) always available.
Frontier bulk spices at Harvest Co-Op in Central Square have the best prices we've found for reliable quality.
re: bookgirl
cool, I don't know any of the grocery stores, mind recommending a few?
By the way thanks for all the suggestions. Arax sounds great, as does harvest co-op and I will have to hit those up.
re: bookgirl
Farmer's Bounty on Elm St in Davis Square has a bunch of indian spices- haven't bought them myself, but the prices are good. I go there for the packaged Indian meals- my go-to non-cooking dinner.
There is a Harvest Co-op in Jamaica Plain. It's self service, so you can get as small amount of spice as you wish. Very reasonable.
Also, Bay Sweets in W. Roxbury sells spices by the ounce. I just purchased some shawarma spice last week from them last week. Haven't tried it yet but I can tell you it is very aromatic. Think it was only 50 cents. They told me that restaurants purchase it from them so it made fresh on a regular basis. I'm hoping to duplicate the wonderful shawarama chicken I got at Falefal King in Quincy Center.
Either place, you can't go wrong. And if you go to Bay Sweet, they make a nice hummus, too.
re: bearzie
I second this. I find it's better to buy in small amounts fresh unless its an spice that you use a lot. Last night I bought a little dill weed for 50 cents that was fresh and much cheaper than I could get even at Penzy's. I also use the Indian and Middle eastern Stores. For Brookline, West Roxbury, Roslindale, I would suggest Bob's Pita Bakery and Bay Sweets and the Indian place at Cypress and Harvard and the one on Harvard South of Beacon.
re: SaraASR
Araks and Severns in Watertown on Mt. Auburn - Indian stores in Brookline used to have more but still have some - try Bazaar in Brookline for some spices
re: teezeetoo
It's Arax and Sevan, btw. They have tons of spices - they all look fine to me and an incredible value when you think about how little you get in those little packs at the supermarket.
I bought a medium sized baggie of "saffron" for $1.99 last weekend at Arax - huh? How can that be, right? It must be some sort of substandard saffron, although it appears to taste like the real thing.
Similarly, I have bought a big bag of star anise at one of the Indian stores on Moody Street for like $3.
re: Bob Dobalina
Hey Bob,
Just curious -- was it saffron powder? Or actual saffron threads?
re: finlero
Finlero - It was definitely not powder. But it also was not threads like you typically get. It was like flowery shards.
re: Bob Dobalina
I agree with your Arax recommendation. They seem to have a good rate of turnover on the spices I buy (typically cinnamon, cumin, coriander, dried oregano, bay leaves, whole black and white peppercorns, etc.) so they're fresh and flavorful. Plus the prices and the variety are great. It's also my go-to place for ingredients for my home-made hummus. No more supermarket spices for me.
re: Bob Dobalina
thanks bob, i do mangle the names but love the places!
re: teezeetoo
No prob, tz2 - just helps for board search purposes, etc.
The Harvest Co-Op is my go to place for spices. I also dry my own fresh herbs I buy. Normally I only need a little for a recipe and then the rest ends up sitting in the fridge. Since starting to do this, I don't end up wasting.
One cheap option is the little packets of spices sold in the Spanish foods aisle of places like Star Market. For a buck or less you can pick up enough oregano or thyme to refill a $4 McCormick's jar.


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1121 Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Category: Restaurant > American
Region: Minneapolis (Downtown)
Do you know what the biggest and best bar night of the year is? You'd be wrong to say New Year's Eve, and don't even think about that green-doused mid-March holiday. The most awesome night to hit the town is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Why, you ask? Because it's everyone's last hurrah before forced family fun time — set around a dried-out bird and Aunt Ida's Jell-O salad monstrosity, of course — kicks in. This Wednesday, head down to the heated outdoor realm of wonderment that is the Butcher & the Boar beer garden. Inside, they will have all the meat madness and beer-soaked fun that you'll need to fortify yourself through those awkward familial exchanges. They'll be pouring specialty beers, including a barrel-aged B&B exclusive Libertine from Fulton. They've also got the Batch 300 brew and regular Libertine to share, and these will only be poured here this one historic day. To bring that collaboration full circle, the chefs at Butcher & the Boar have poured beer into their sausage to create the beautiful monster known as "The Butcher and the Boar Fulton Libertine Sausage." (No, they're not that creative on the titles, but it's going to taste really good.) Not a beer drinker? No worries. The maple-bourbon shots and hot toddies have got you covered. Drew Peterson and the Dead Pigeons will be playing for your aural enjoyment. The party starts at 4 p.m., with music from 7 until 10 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 27, 4 p.m.-2 a.m., 2013


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GreatSchools Rating
Teacher quality
Principal leadership
Parent involvement
We love this school! Our 2nd grader's teachers have been young but wonderful teachers. Millcreek's Leader in Me program has been wonderful for our daughter and we are thrilled she is learning some of the same values at school that we try to instill at home. Her teachers and support staff have been wonderful.
Poor leadership by principal. She does not listen, but loves to spew out planned speech. We've had good luck with teachers. On the whole, I'd say the teachers were slightly above average. Not happy with the principal at all.
The staff never give up on any child - encouraging each student to do their very best.
Millcreek teachers and staff work hard to help students determine their dreams for the future. Millcreek is pushing students to think outside the box and doing everything they can to do the same.
My child has gone from loving learning to dreading school. They don't make learning an adventure, they make it a chore and they treat the children like little prisoners with their strict rules.
My two daughters studied at this school and moved to another school because of gifted and talented program. Ms. Williams ( the principal) is so greaaaat, she is very enthusiastic and working hard with other teachers and staff to improve the quality of school. Some parents may judge schools based on CATS score, but the qualities of education, teachers, staff and principal are much much better than what you can see by the average CATS score of this school. The scores are definitely not representing the quality of this school. My daughters loved this school, and they became the best students in their new school. All the credits go to the Millcreek teachers and principal. Milcreek is just a great school.
The teachers are extremely dedicated and caring to all students.
My son has attended Millcreek for the past three years. When he started kindergarten he was already reading and working on a second or third grade math level. The teachers have been very good about keeping him challenged, and the gifted (primary talent) program is excellent. The administration has been very receptive to parent suggestions, and even added an excellent science teacher who services all grade levels. Millcreek recently received a large environental grant to build an outdoor science lab around the creek. The PTA is very active and supports countless programs. I would highly recommend Millcreek to anyone in Fayette County.
We moved here from out of state 2 years ago. It is very sad that Lexington has made their school system not work. My two son's went to Millcreek for one year and that was enough for us. Beware before sending your kids here. The academics are not taught at this school. They just want the kids to pass the test to make them look good. Which means the kids 'sare being left behind. Please before moving to Kentucky talk to people and go look at the school before moving here. No one should have to pay for private school to get their child an education. If I had it to do over I would not have moved to Kentucky if I had know how the school system was.
My daughter went to Millcreek for 4 years, from 2003 to 2007, starting in Kindergarten. The teachers were good, probably as good as any other public school in Fayette County. However I do have a problem with the academic education received at Millcreek. As a 3rd grader the only subjects my daughter was taught were reading and math. She was already a strong reader and so this year of school was largely a waste. The school only taught what was being tested on by Kentucky so she had no science, history, social studies, etc. We moved my daughter to a private school in 4th grade. It was obvious that she was behind and wasn't up to the level expected for her grade. This is the same child who received an academic achievement award from Fayette County Public Schools for 3rd grade testing. Check around before sending your child here.
The teachers really care about the well being and prosperity of their students. They are deeply rooted in the community and offer to help each other at every possible turn.
Millcreek principal, Lorraine Williams, has been extremely supportive of both of my children while attending Millcreek. It is clear that when it comes to raising the bar academically, she knows what she is talking about. The teachers at Millcreek have been great about contacting me to discuss daily outcomes and goals as well as medical concerns that my children face. I feel fortunate to have two children attend such a well rounded school!
While Millcreek supports one of the most socio-economically diverse populations in Lexington, they meet each child's needs successfully. Teachers receive extensive training in new teaching methods, classroom structure/discipline, reading, math, etc. Equal attention is given to students at the both ends of the achievement scale so each child receives challenges appropriate to their current skill level. The building is well kept, staff are professional and friendly, providing a family atmosphere for all students. The Family Resource Center, counselors, and reading/speech tutors are dedicated professionals who work hand-in-hand with homeroom teachers. After 8 years as a Millcreek parent, I have seen tremendous progress in the last 5 years and would not hesitate to recommend this school to every family. Want to get involved? Parents are encouraged to work in the classrooms and there is an active PTA and after school program.
Millcreek is a fantastic school..All of the teachers and staff are wonderful.
The school is well organized, attentive staff and the grounds maintained.
Community ratings and reviews do not represent the views of GreatSchools nor does GreatSchools check their accuracy or verify the reviewers' identities. Use your discretion when evaluating these reviews.
The Community Rating is the school's average rating from its community members (e.g., parents, students, and school staff). The highest possible rating is five stars; the lowest is one star.
1212 Reva Ridge Way
Lexington, KY 40517
Phone: (859) 381-3527
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National Ocean Council Principals Hold Inaugural Meeting
Tuesday marked an historic occasion for our stewardship of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources as 25 Cabinet Secretaries and senior officials from across the Federal Government gathered in the Roosevelt Room of the White House for the inaugural meeting of the National Ocean Council's (NOC) Principal-level Committee.
The Committee is charged with implementing the National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, our Coasts, and Great Lakes, including coastal and marine spatial planning. Key functions of the Committee include setting national priority objectives, and providing direction for implementing the National Policy based in part on recommendations from the Deputy-level Committee, which had its first meeting earlier this year.
During the meeting, the Council:
- Reviewed the role of the NOC and the work ahead;
- Approved the NOC Charter;
- Approved operational items for establishing the Governance Coordinating Committee to formally engage state, tribal, and local authorities;
- Approved the charter for the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) task force for it to continue to coordinate the collection of information to establish the full extent of the continental shelf of the United States in accordance with international law; and
- Established Interagency Working Groups to address topics including information management, and communications and public and stakeholder engagement.
The first Principals meeting of the NOC reiterated the Administration's commitment to providing senior-level engagement in the implementation of the National Policy. It also was a significant step toward making good on the President's vision of ensuring the sustainability, resilience, health, security, and productivity of ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources for the benefit of all Americans.
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Hulk Hogan Borrows Older Woman's Cane During Wrestling Match
'On The Sidelines' Podcast 2/01/12 [AUDIO]
10 Wrestlers We Want to Show Up at the 2012 Royal Rumble
The 2012 Royal Rumble is almost upon us. Of course, part of the fun of the Rumble every year is the dramatic entrances from grapplers who weren't expected to participate. What better way to get excited for this year's event than to check out the wrestler
WWE Diva A.J. Lee — Babe of the Day [PICTURES]
WWE Bodyslams T-Shirt Because It Looks Like It Has a Penis on It
WWE '12′ — Game Review
WWE Superstar CM Punk Interferes With a John Cena Match and Goes Off on the WWE Universe
The line between truth and fiction is constantly blurred in the world of professional wrestling. Real life situations are often worked into the kayfabe storylines, but the audience usually has a good idea when they are being duped. Superstar CM Punk blurred that line brilliantly on Monday's edition of WWE Raw.


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Cheap gas, regulatory uncertainties, and a technology revolution are re-making the U.S. utility industry. Top executives at three very different companies—CMS, NRG, and the Midwest ISO—share their...
Congestion Relief
Transmission expansion is only part of the remedy for system constraints.
few markets for a few periods during the year." 7
These recent and potentially long-lasting decreases in natural gas prices and congestion could result in significantly reduced electric congestion over the long term. Additionally, as gas becomes the marginal fuel in more places, due to lower prices and the potential implementation of carbon pricing, congestion might be further reduced. New natural gas pipelines also further can reduce congestion by bringing natural gas to local gas-fired generators. This can be the equivalent of electric transmission when natural gas is the marginal fuel that sets the electricity price. This would impact the Northeast, one of the areas that transmission advocates claim is in need of additional transmission. Further, policymakers mustn't ignore the added benefit of lower gas prices for heating customers, a feature of policy that might be unique to the Northeast with its high concentration of gas heating customers.
New, clean, efficient natural gas generation also can be built in load centers. Approximately 2,000 MW of new generation has commenced operation in New York City over the last nine years, and an additional 550 MW is expected to begin operation sometime next year. 8 Older and less efficient generating units in New York City, totaling approximately 1,000 MW, have retired. The new gas plants are at least 25-percent more efficient than existing baseload plants. 9
These changes in the natural gas market are especially important in light of the recent Department of Energy 2009 congestion study that identifies the Mid-Atlantic region as a "critical congestion area," specifically highlighting southeastern New York as the single greatest regional challenge. 10 The DOE's conclusions are based on outdated data and should be revisited in light of more recent studies and changes in the natural gas market.
Recent NYISO studies show there are no reliability needs in New York and that while additional transmission may be beneficial, or useful in some amount, it isn't a critical need, and not currently justified by the economics. 11 As demonstrated by the NYISO study, the consumer cost to relieve congestion can be greater than the congestion itself (see Figure 1) . Moreover, natural gas prices continue to change, and will continue to affect congestion. And recent natural gas price forecasts are lower on average than the prices that were used for the NYISO congestion study.
No Panacea
Electric transmission investment must continue, but shouldn't be regarded as a panacea for achieving all energy goals. Electric transmission facility investments can, and should be, part of future energy infrastructure investments, but examining the overall impact on fuel mix and customer supply costs is an indelible part of the equation. In particular, relief from electric transmission congestion could come more quickly and more cost-effectively from energy efficiency, lower natural gas prices, new gas pipelines, and new efficient natural gas plants.
1. The service area of Con Edison's subsidiary, Orange and Rockland Utilities Inc., includes New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The small amount of generation owned by Con Edison (totaling approximately 700 MW) is associated with the plants that Con Edison owns and


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The epitome of cool, one who is dope sauce slides with ease through daily problems
That Jordan dunk was pure dope sauce
von Dope Sauce 22. März 2004
This is the only liquid substance you can pour onto yourself to make you "doper".
When you pour dope sauce on you it makes you dope. The first person to use dope sauce was Cee-Lo-Green. If Cee Lo didn't use dope sauce then he would just be some fat wierdo. Also Skrillex used dope sauce.
von xplosivechiken 5. Februar 2013