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Grace and Divine Energies - Printable Version
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Grace and Divine Energies - donald wilson - 19-03-2009
I have a question that I believe is crucial to the progress of my own spiritual pilgrimage. I wonder if anybody on this forum would be able to help me.
The Protestant understanding of Divine Grace is, in a nutshell, considered to be, on the whole, Divine GOODWILL.
Grace, as I understand the Calvinistic definition, is not so much an existent, as an ATTITUDE. You get GENERAL grace, which is God's benevolence to all creation, and especially mankind, and then you get SPECIAL grace, that is God's affirmative attitude and resulting salvific benifits to the Elect - God's recipients of Gospel mercy.
Now what I need to know is this - Am I correct in thinking that the Orthodox position on Grace is that 'Grace' is not so much an ATTITUDE as and EXISTENT - ie. ENERGY.
If this is so, am I right in thinking that the entire universe lives, moves and has its being, moment by moment in by Divine Grace alone?
If it is soley the Energy of God - the 'Two hands (Ireneus)' of Son and Spirit, that hold the universe together, then Grace to Orthodoxy must be UNIVERSAL. Further, it must not be (as in Protestantism) merely a Divine attitude, but Divine action in which ALL things participate.
I realise that The Church will possess MORE grace than those outside - but could this be due to the CAPACITY to recieve God's grace, and not a predestined decree of God?
I would REALLY appreciate some light on this subject. PLEASE! Be condesending! Patronise me! I really dont care! I just want light on this vital question.
God Bless,
- admin - 31-03-2009
Dear Don,
Sorry for the delay in replying to your excellent questions.
I think that you are right that grace in the Orthodox perspective is not an attitude, though of course there is that aspect to God's relationship with man and with His creation.
Grace, as far as I understand it, is the Divine presence. I am aware of the distinction between energy and essence, but I find that some who hold to it most strongly actually wish to create some sort of intermediary between God and his gracious activity in creation. As far as I am concerned grace is the direct activity of God in His world and in our lives.
I agree with you that the whole universe is held together by the activity of God, by His grace, and that the fact that the Sun shines on the righteous and on the wicked is a matter of grace, and not merely astro-physics.
Perhaps I would want to say that the Calvinist view of grace as an attitude is not entirely absent, because God's presence and activity IS a matter of His attitude towards us.
Does the Church possess more grace? I would say that this is so, but not because grace is a substance, but a presence which is rooted in a relationship. A poor analogy might be as follows. I am in Buckingham Palace and happen to be part of a crowd which is allowed into the audience chamber. The Queen is present and I am able to approach to within a few metres of her. Then she smiles and stretches out her hand and leads the person next to me to a seat beside her. It is a close family friend that she has known for many years. We were both as close as each other to the Queen, but she 'knows' the person next to me, and the person next to me 'knows' her.
As far as the predestined decree of God, well Orthodox do not understand salvation in such terms at all. I have tried hard to reconcile Calvinism with the Patristic and Orthodox position but I have found it very hard indeed because they seem to be based on very different premises about God, man and sin.
I think that the Orthodox position is that God wills all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. He wills that all men be raised from true death to true life, but he also wills that men make free choices. If we follow the idea of knowledge and relationship, I believe that in some sense the knowledge of and by God leads to more knowledge and a deeper relationship, which leads to a closer relationship.
We are led from grace to grace, which is from one experience of God to a deeper experience of God. St Seraphim of Sarov teaches us that the end of the Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit, and this is, as far as I can see, the same as the acquisition of grace.
How does a Christian experience more of the Holy Spirit than a non-Christian? Not least because the Christian enters into an internal and personal relationship with God, who dwells within the Christian. For the Christian, life is grounded in God in much more than an external sense that God holds all things in being. Our personhood, our being, becomes increasingly conformed to the eternal being of God. We share in the gracious activity of God as far as is possible for a created being.
I hope just a little of what I have said answers your question.
Do come back with further comments.
Father Peter
The Case of the Wrong Recording! - Simon - 05-04-2009
Back in the 1980s (1984 or thereabouts I think it was) Granada broadcast the very frist episode in their superbly acclaimed adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes stories - and being something of a Sherlock Holmes fan I decided that as well as wathcing this first ever episode I would also record is, using the very latest in technology, the now (yes, I know) ancient and out-of-date video recorder. Well it was cutting edge technology back then and we can't all be teenagers and trendy young whatevers. Anyway, I watched it and enjoyed it - and when the programme finished I tried out my video recorder to see that it had come out okay... well the recording had come out fine, absolutely fine, but unfortunately what I had produced was a beautiful recording of the nine o'clock news on BBC rather than Sherlock Holmes on Granada/ITV! We will, I think, pass over my perhaps less than perfect spiritual reaction and instead draw some lessons from this frustrating failure of my attempts at cutting-edge technology.
The fault did not lie with Granada. They had produced a beautiful television adaptation of the story and broadcast it okay - for sure they had, as I had only just watched it and enjoyed it. The fault was entirely and absolutely mine. I had set the video recorder to another channel, not ITV.
Similarly we might say that God sends out His grace, His energies, Himself... but if my receiver is broken or turned off or tuned to somewhere else, then I fail to recieve what He is sending me. That's hardly His fault is it? In the Church I receive best reception, yes, agreed, but God is ever giving of Himself whether or not I am choosing the best reception or tuning in soemwhere sinful or diabolical instead...
I hope that sheds more light on your question, Don, than it did on A Scandal in Bohemia back 20 odd years ago! God's grace is perfectly available, which is to say God is always and ever available - it's down to us
Simon (the thoroughly untechnological)
IF and Then - Rick Henry - 06-04-2009
Dear Don,
I think this is very insightful/helpful when you wrote:
Quote:I realise that The Church will possess MORE grace than those outside - but could this be due to the CAPACITY to recieve God's grace, and not a predestined decree of God?
And, I really like how this intersects with Simon's excellent analogy. Specifically where Simon wrote:
Quote:. . . but God is ever giving of Himself whether or not I am choosing the best reception or tuning in soemwhere sinful or diabolical instead...
Again, I think we are gaining a peek at the cooperation or a merging of the two free wills of God and man here. I really like this analogy of "reception" and "tuning in," I think this is correct and speaks directly to your original question(s) about 'capacity' to receive as opposed to 'predestined decree.'
I understand that there is a merging here of thinking between the ecclesiological and the individual in his/her direct/responsible and personal relationship with the Trinity that takes ultimately leads us down a familiar path. But, in the End, as it relates to the uncreated energies and the Apostle Peter's words of being 'partakers of the divine nature' our theology is a theology of union. It can only be 'theology in the first person' characterized by intimate communion of man and the Holy Trinity.
So I guess what I am sharing based on my study and experience (at this point in my life) is that if you are looking for clear iron clad answers to questions in Orthodoxy to be articulated by one and agreed on by all, more than not as it relates to questions such as yours, there will not be statements presented in the positive that will probably suffice. Or, to be condescending, as you have suggested . . . if you are looking for these kind of quick answers in a one-size-fits-all mode then good luck bud because you are going to need it! I think I am trying to spare you some grief here to be honest.
And, possibly this is exactly what attracts you to Orthodoxy, as it did me about four years ago (viz. a mystical theology based on experience).
But, do you see what I mean here Don? Possibly, you are now, like I have been in the past in terms of desiring to understand each cinder block of the foundation in Orthodoxy. You know that Christ is your foundation, as the Apostle says 'there can be no other.' But, as it relates to Orthodoxy, possibly you want to understand it before you commit to it, before you sell out to it in order to not be a personal illustration of the thinking that foundationalism is dead. Possibly, you, like me, do not want to ultimately subscribe to web of belief way of knowing whereby one's feet are never really grounded; but, instead it seems that a radical mode of questioning is maintained whereby as one has said " . . . then one's life never has any form or function." And, who wants that?
So, as it relates to your questions here and elsewhere, as well as other discussions we have had in other threads with Father Peter and John Charmley, what if the answers are only found, truly found in one's direct and responsible relationship with God the Trinity? What if this is the only answer that there is that is iron clad?
What if the revelation that you seek cannot be found in a series of statements (dogmatic or otherwise); but, can only be found in such and by some as Simon's metaphor [above] which points to the answer which is can be found only by the one in his/her direct and responsible relationship with God?
And, think about this please Don, regarding your question and just about all questions any Christian could ask--with the exception of those like what color socks should I wear today, IF the revelation of God the Holy Trinity--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the basis (foundation) of all Christian theology,and 'theology in the first person,' one's experience, with the mystery of the Trinity, is the only way to truly know the answers to these questions whereby one becomes grounded for oneself and regardless of what category or "ism" one is placed with, THEN do we need to allow some room for a philosophy of unknowing in order to know the mystery of the Trinity in its fullness and in order to make any progress on the path toward perfect union with God?
What is unknowing, what is a web-of-belief? How do these things intersect with either protestant thought or post modern thinking (or the methodology of most cults)? Who cares!
What is an answer? What is a non-answer? I guess this depends on one's point of view.
But, I am saying that regarding the question behind most of the questions of the one who would be Orthodox, the enquirer of Orthodoxy, the clear answer(s) are few and far between, and most of these seem to come in the way of pointing to the Way, as Simon has done well above (and sometimes grunting about the way in an unknown language, like a caveman, while pointing as I do most of the time).
So as we consider what you have asked about one's capacity to receive God's grace, I wonder if all the above seems like rubbish to you, or if it seems like a way in which there can be harmony and peace in both one's way of knowing and state of being that can be viewed as a "greater grace?"
Yes, very good Simon! Where do we tune in? Do we tune in to systematic theology because it seems to have the most clear reception; or, do we tune in more to a mystical theology even if it seems to be a less clear channel initially?
In Christ,
- donald wilson - 07-04-2009
Hello again!
Thank you all for the stimulating responses to my post. All three responses have - to some degree - really helped me. Yes, as you all say, grace must be much more than simply a mere Divine attitude.
I suppose that in the long run, as Rick commented, clear and concrete answers to religious questions are so very often slippery and elusive. But this raises another question.
Surely in the Orthodox Church there are at least SOME non-negotiables - things that are proclaimed as being objective revelation from God. Things that can be discerned as being truth by the mystic as well as by the logician.
Faith must have an object to focus upon.
I think this - for me anyway - has been, in the past, the attractiveness of Protestantism - It offers a clear systematic theology that is sourced in Scripture - a spiritual 'road map' complete with distance markers and relevent rest rooms (see for example the Westminister Confession). This is the basic claim of the slogan Sola Scriptura. And I think that as humans we all long for such authority and certainty.
But on the other hand, I have over time come to realise that mystery in religion is something that is inevitable, it must be so - how else can mere mortals concieve of uncreated reality except by metaphor, simile and illustration? Although I am not at present no longer a 'card carrying' Protestant, I am as yet uncertain as to where to plant my flag of commitment.
But having said all this, I still insist - that there MUST be some objective non-negotables in Christianity, and it is (in a rather fuzzy nutshell) where I am stuck.
Yes! I am prepared to accept a more mystical understanding of God - but HOW do I come to even this knowledge without some propositional statements? It seems to me that the Early Church Fathers fought for objective non-negotables such as Christ's Divinity, Person and purpose. Are not the creeds objective statements? It is this that I think I'm looking for - a definate 'road' to walk on.
I wonder if you can help me out in this regard - Yours in Christ
- Rick Henry - 07-04-2009
Dear Don,
After reading your last post, I think we may have some things in common.
And, I know this is probably not what you want . . . but, simply put, I wonder what you make of this claim which represents a majority view in my neck of the wood?:
Quote:Orthodox doctrine is purely pastoral since it does not exist outside the context of the cure of individual and social ills and perfection.
As you can see the assertion being put forth is that Orthodox doctrine does not exist outside of this context.
- admin - 07-04-2009
Dear Don,
Yes, you are right, there are non-negotiables, and my particular theological interest is in Orthodox Christology and in the Christological controversies of the 5th-7th centuries.
I came to Orthodoxy out of a Brethren experience which had lost touch with theology and was essentially a pattern of life lived in a particular cultural matrix. When I discovered the Reformed tradition it was, for a while, a breath of fresh air, because it showed that there were things that could be said about God, and they could be considered true and foundational.
If I moved on from a Reformed way of thinking it was not because I did not wish to continue to have some theological foundations to root myself into, but more because I did not find that a simply propositional approach nourished my soul, anymore than the Christian moralism of my youth.
As I grew towards a greater appreciation of the Orthodox-Catholic spiritual tradition it was hand in hand with a growing knowledge of and interest in the Orthodox-Catholic theological tradition as well. The one feeds the other, though it is not clear to me that either one has precedence.
Within Orthodoxy, and I have been formally Orthodox for 15 years now, there is a sense that true theological understanding is rooted in prayer, rather than in the intellect. So the simple soul who truly prayers may well know more of God than someone like me who knows a lot about God but whose experience of God is limited by my experience of prayer.
This truth does not seem to me to negate the need for systematic theological insights, but I have come to the position where I understand that I will not be saved by my propositional knowledge about God, and need to put a lot more work into my spiritual life. I am sure that this is clear to many Christian in many traditions, but it has been something that I have had to learn.
Nevertheless it seems to me that propositional truths are part of the scaffolding which helps support the building of a life in Christ. We cannot do without these truths, but at some point the building bears its own weight and the propositions are understood to be provisional in some sense, and limited by human language.
These necessary propositions are rooted in the Scriptures, as the revealed word of God, and in the credal statements of the Church, and in the spiritual and liturgical tradition.
The Trinity, the Incarnation, the Church, the Sacraments, Spirituality
I would have to say that these are all necessary. But if we take the Church as an example. We would want to say - the Church is the Body of Christ and perhaps there is no salvation outside the Church. But what do these propositions mean? As we begin to explain them it seems that in my experience we find that though there is a core concept which is clear, at the boundaries our words fail us, because to speak when we should be silent is to say too much or too little.
This does not mean that we cannot say much about the Church, but as we grow in Spirit we hesitate to say very much at all.
The Church is the place where we are saved. Yes it is. It is the place where I am being saved. But what about the experience of sin within the community which calls itself Church? What does that mean? What of those who are not formally Orthodox and who are bearing visible and manifest fruits of salvation? Sometimes it is best to be silent. In the case of the Church the dangers of speaking out of turn are that we fall into a narrow cultlike exclusivity which ignores all actions of grace outside a clear and explicit membership roll, or else we fall into a vague, liberal acceptance of everything which is claimed to be Christian as truly of the Church.
I would suggest that the true way begins with the proposition and leads into a silence.
If we take your own situation. There are those among some Eastern Orthodox communities who would say that you are not a Christian because you do not belong to their visible community of faith. This is one way of dealing with the proposition that there is only salvation in the Church. Perhaps those in some liberal denominations would say that we are all Christians, we are all part of one rich tapestry and that no tradition is any better or more meaningful than we make it. This is another way of resolving the proposition that there is only salvation in the Church.
I am not happy with either. But it seems to me that I cannot and should not try to find some other answer that resolves all of the questions and paradoxes. I just need to be silent before the mystery that there are sinners in the visible Church and saints outside it.
I live out this paradox by trying to treat all those who love Christ as fellow pilgrims, while also considering the Orthodox Church as a precious gift to be shared and not a possession to be owned.
I am finding this with all the foundational propositions.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. What does this mean? I know what it means in an Orthodox propositional sense. I know this well and have written on the subject. But what does it mean at the level of a spiritual reality that leads me into silence? How does this proposition change me and transfigure me? That is what I am earnestly seeking to find out. This is surely the real meaning of the proposition - I mean when it changes me and is not merely an intellectual artifact.
So there are plenty of propositions, and many of them are the same as used by the Reformed tradition, but often, through reflection and within the matrix of our own Orthodox tradition they are understood differently.
Perhaps the Creed is a good place to start. It does not provide all of the answers, and is itself a product of a particular time and particular controversies, but it does seem to me to itemise many of the most important aspects of the faith. Perhaps we could consider what they are, and what the basic Orthodox propositions might be for each aspect.
In Christ
Father Peter
- donald wilson - 08-04-2009
Thank you for the reponses. Firstly, in my reponse to Rick's question - No. I do not consider the Christian kerugma to be something that is merely meaningful when confined within a particular paradigm (how very postmodern!). Christianity may well serve a pastoral need, but its claims must at bottom be far in excess of this. They must be objective. If I really do believe, for example, that God created all things ex nihilo, then Being itself - that inescapably brute fact - must be included as part of my Christian confession, and surely Being cannot be considered open to doubt (unless of course, you are a raving Solipsist1). I believe that the Gospel claims must be true whether accepted or not, otherwise it is not worth the effort of serious consideration.
But here I come up against my brick wall - How does one arrive at the objective certainty? Where does one draw the line between the essential and the superficial? This has been the jist of my question.
Father Peter, I thank you for your respone. Scaffolding...YES! That is a very helpful insight! You have given me some good stuff to chew over, thank you. Yes, I do agree with you that the Creed would be a good place to start nailing down some absolutes. Do you have any sugestions on how one could begin in this direction?
God bless you both
- Rick Henry - 08-04-2009
Dear Don,
Your comments are very insightful to me when you wrote:
Quote:No. I do not consider the Christian kerugma to be something that is merely meaningful when confined within a particular paradigm (how very postmodern!).
To be very honest, when I first read this, I rejected what you implied feeling that this seeming majority view of "pastoral theology" that I shared with you was not a mini-narrative, but because it is written about widely and widely held that it was a meta-narrative . . . but, as I thought about it more I decided you were spot on and no matter how one holds this up to the light and turns it different ways, in the end, it is always "experience enabling experience" as we consider both "theology in the first person" and "pastoral theology." I have studied extensively in the past, and written about somewhat the areas of overlap and contradistinction between postmodernism and Orthodoxy (in theory and practice). But, you are spot on here.
And, believe it or not, I am actually driving at a possible answer to the gist of your question with all of this But, this post of mine here is somewhat as (cue Pink Panther music) the elusive 'Good Doctor,' John Charmley, once said, "sometimes one has to push the wrong button to get the right answer." As you wrote:
Quote:But here I come up against my brick wall - How does one arrive at the objective certainty? Where does one draw the line between the essential and the superficial? This has been the jist of my question.
I would like to share a paraphrase of the words of another about my initial question to you the other day:
Quote:Others in the Community have recently said, and I would wish to echo here that theology and doctrine, abstracted from the pastoral dimension of "experience enabling experience," becomes essentially empty. More, it becomes essentially demonic.
And, at this point in our conversation, it doesn't matter if we agree with this or not, but what can be extracted from this that is helpful, I think, is the expression "experience enabling experience." This is because in Orthodoxy there is a learning anew in each generation of the Truth of Orthodoxy which is passed down from generation to generation. And, in this as well, there is an axiom regarding our approach to what is essential and what is superficial that goes along the line of "each as is appropriate for oneself." So this is an individual thing, or possibly better yet an personal thing.
And, there are different schools of thought on what is being said here as it relates to obedience and aceticism, as well as the role of the priest as spiritual father and the role of a spiritual father or spiritual mother that is not one's priest.
And, Father Peter can do a better job in his sleep, as he has, with a fuller picture . . . but this "line" that you want drawn between the essential and superficial is not a line that will be one-size-fits-all. Possibly, you are thinking of expressions from the protestant and non-Orthodox Christian traditions like "let us have agreement in the essentials, and in the non-essentials let us have love." Or, I think of Emery Bancroft's theology book for theology 101 in many Baptist Bible Colleges where he coined the expression about "knowing why we believe what we believe." But, such thinking is not entirely helpful here.
And, if you are like I was a couple of years ago . . . right about now you are rejecting this as some kind of double talk or wondering what the difference is between some of what I am sharing (epistemologically) and lets say the way of knowing of the Charles Manson cult. But, I wonder if you can consider the possibility that this line that you are asking to be drawn in terms of essentials and the superficial, as it pertains to salvation/sanctification is a line that only you can draw.
Possibly, you would like to have a list that shows views about the Virgin Mary that are exceptable for admission to Orthodoxy. Or, possibly you would like to have a range of acceptable views of the eucharist, the body and blood that shows the acceptability of a view of a symbolic realism or a realist symbolism . . . but, there is no such thing. And, even if there were, if you were to visit a local visible Orthodox Church, the priest of that church, or his bishop, might have a different train of thought.
Another way to look at this would be to consider how you would answer me if I asked you to explain to be the different views of the various protestants and non-Orthodox Christians on the incarnation in relation to the deification of the flesh, and all of this in relation to the Kerygma of Christ, the Proclamation of Christ, which was and is The Kingdom of Heaven. This is not a cut-and-dried thing to say the least especially as it relates to the different views of what happened during the fall and those who proclaim the Proclaimer as opposed to those who proclaim what He proclaimed . . . (possibly this is not the best analogy) . . . but I guess the point is some things don't work so well with bullet points.
And, possibly I can use this as a place to land this thing now . . . But, hopefully, you can glean something here that may help you to see that in many ways a confessional church does not have much in common with the Orthodox Church.
In this sense, a confessional entity is a historically late phenomenon (as is revivalism for that matter). At best this is something to be transcended by those of us who are more open minded towards a confessional pluralism in terms of at least dialogue. But, now I am in danger of hitting the throttle again here and zooming back up, so I will just end it with my apologies and hope that there is something here that may be of use now, or down the road as it relates to your question(s) about "objective certainty."
Either way, good to have you here Don.
In Christ,
- admin - 08-04-2009
Dear Don and Rick.
Thanks for some further interesting posts. It is so good to have this place where we can discuss meaning and value and substance without a narrow confessionalism.
I can understand both Don's desire for some structure, and Rick's explanation that Orthodoxy doesn't seem to be a place where the structure can be really nailed right down. It is a bit like the idea of an arrow fired at a tree which goes half way to the tree, and then half way to the tree, and then half way, and then half way, so that it is clear where it is going but in the fine detail always seems liable to hesitancy and provisionality.
I wonder also if there is a sense that the concreteness does not lie in where we are starting, but where we are going. This is not to say that 'every road leads to God', because I don't believe that, but certainly every journey starts in a different place and is unique.
Does the journey begin when we accept certain propositions? Or does it begin when we hear and respond to a call, without even quite being aware of it? For myself, my journey into Orthodoxy did not begin 15 years ago when I was received into the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, or 5 years before that when I started to study Orthodoxy, but when I was a toddler growing up in a devout and committed Evangelical home. That is where I first learned of Christ and was drawn to Him. I can remember being about 5 and disagreeing with comments my teacher had made about the Flood. I can remember at 10 knowing that I did not need to become a Christian because I already was one.
Yet I knew nothing about Christology, or Ecclesiology, or the Trinity, or Soteriology. Nevertheless my Orthodox journey had begun, if Orthodoxy is life in Christ - as I believe it is.
Here I am, an Orthodox priest with 15 years experience of being an active member of an Orthodox community. It seems to me that each day my journey continues to be 'just beginning'. I know more about 'propositional Christianity' but this is not my faith any more than it was when I was a child, it is the scaffolding, as I said.
And I know this because though I would want to say what Orthodoxy teaches in propositional terms, I would not want to narrowly define an Orthodox Christian by such propositions. Indeed in some sense the propositions stand in the way of an understanding of the Orthodox Christian experience if it is considered that there is only one absolute explication of the proposition, instead of each proposition coming into focus in a personal life lived.
If the propositions are a scaffolding for spiritual growth, then they are also boundaries which encompass a wide space for theological understanding, especially when theology is understood as insight through spiritual experience and not academic study. This is why many of these propositions have a negative value that says what we cannot say rather than what we can.
If we take the credal statement, 'And in One Lord, Jesus Christ, the Word of God...became man' then this constrains our reflection. for instance, we may not say that the Word of God did not become man, we may not say that Jesus Christ is only a man. But even if we fully understand in an intellectual sense that Christ is the Word of God truly become incarnate, then we have to continue asking all our life, 'what does this mean?' and the answer must be more than an intellectual one.
What I am trying to say is that the meaning of the proposition is not exhausted by simply stating it. Rather it becomes itself only a beginning for reflection, and its meaning only becomes increasingly known through prayer and spiritual experience, and that reflection is constrained by the negative exclusion of false understandings, which constraints are the fruits of the shared reflection of the Church.
So the propositions and constraints are important, but the aim is spiritual understanding and growth, and this personal experience of the Orthodox Faith is therefore liable to a variety of understandings within the constraints which the Church understands are required. It is hard to nail down an exact uniformity of understanding, but that does not mean that there is no uniformity within the constraints which the Church understands are necessary. It just means that the faith lived is not the same as propositions, and that the propositions cannot exhaust the substance of the Faith.
I'd be very happy for us to start a thread looking at the creed, and seeing what this teaches us about the substance of the Orthodox Faith, and how the creed relates to our lived faith. I'll open a thread now.
God bless
Father Peter


text:
on October 5, 2012 - 1:42 PM
, updated October 5, 2012 at 11:53 PM
A judge on Friday named a special prosecutor to handle a misdemeanor assault case as a dispute deepened between her and Erie County's top prosecutor over a specialized domestic violence court.
State Supreme Court Justice Deborah A. Haendiges appointed former prosecutor Louis A. Haremski to prosecute the case in her Integrated Domestic Violence Court.
Before Haremski's appointment, District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III notified Haendiges' court that he intended to seek an indictment from a grand jury against Michael Izzard, who is accused of breaking a woman's jaw.
If the grand jury delivered an indictment, Sedita said he would prosecute the defendant in Haendiges' court or any other court to which the case was assigned.
But Haendiges ruled that presenting the case to a grand jury would be unlawful - since the assault case was already transferred to her court - and she called Sedita's intention "merely an illusory appearance" by the prosecution.
"Thus, this court further finds that the district attorney has elected to be unavailable, not in attendance and has absented himself from this case," she said in her written decision.
Sedita told The News that he would probably appeal the judge's order.
"I'm disappointed an Erie County grand jury - in other words, citizens of this county - will not have an opportunity to review the evidence to determine whether a crime has been committed, and if so, what level of crime it is," Sedita said.
Sedita said the manner in which Haendiges appointed a special prosecutor is unlawful. He also has objected to how misdemeanor- and violation-level charges are transferred into the integrated court by the court's staff.
Since Aug. 24, Sedita has stopped prosecuting misdemeanors and violations in Haendiges' integrated court. He continues to prosecute felony domestic violence cases there and in other courts. Sedita wants violation- and misdemeanor-level domestic violence cases handled in local courts, not the integrated court.
But judicial administrators have said they want lower-level defendants prosecuted in the integrated court if they also have custody or matrimonial cases pending.
Both sides have met in recent months but have failed to resolve their dispute.
In the past week, the tone has turned testy in what has become a public dispute.
Sedita has called the integrated court costly and inefficient and prone to dismissals and acquittals.
Advocates of the court describe it as sensitive and coordinated for victims who also have custody or matrimonial cases pending, as well as better-suited than other courts to monitor offenders.
"Much of the rhetoric [Sedita] has been spouting is misleading, disingenuous and simply inaccurate," said David Bookstaver, spokesman for the New York State Unified Court System.
In her decision Friday, Haendiges said putting the assault case before a grand jury "raises serious concerns by the court."
"The alleged victim will be put through the unnecessary stress of appearing before the grand jury ... to testify, would require the defendant accused of the crime to make additional strategic decisions concerning the grand jury process and creates additional and unnecessary expense to the community for absolutely no purpose, given that the jurisdiction in this matter has already been divested to the Supreme Court [Integrated Domestic Violence Part]."
The domestic assault charge against Izzard has been looked upon as a test case in the dispute. The misdemeanor case is one of 11 that Sedita had refused to prosecute in Haendiges' court since Aug. 24.
With a grand jury indictment, a special prosecutor would not be needed, Sedita said.
In the meantime, Sedita has said he has taken steps to make sure that no dangerous offenders slip through the cracks during his dispute with the integrated court.
His office scheduled the case against Izzard, for example, to be presented to the grand jury on Oct. 17, Sedita said, citing the seriousness of the allegations against him.
Sedita said he has instructed Rachel Newton, his domestic violence bureau chief, to put any other case before a grand jury if she believes the offender should be prosecuted.
Sedita has said removing the unindicted misdemeanor cases from the integrated court, and placing them in local courts, where his prosecutors are already trained in domestic violence prosecutions, would free up a prosecutor and allow him to increase staffing in his sex-crimes bureau.
Too many cases are transferred into the integrated court that are not viable prosecutions, but tie up his prosecutors, Sedita has said.
On Thursday, Haendiges gave Sedita a deadline of noon Friday to indicate whether he intended to prosecute Izzard or else a special prosecutor would be appointed to handle the case.
In his affidavit, Sedita noted that the accusation against Izzard in his Family Court case was similar to the misdemeanor charge and there are no matrimonial, custodial or visitation issues to resolve.
"I intend to exercise my prosecutorial discretion in this matter by seeking an indictment in this matter," Sedita said in the affidavit he submitted to the court.
Sedita said Izzard's lawyer and the integrated court were informed of his office's intention to seek an indictment against Izzard before Thursday's court appearance before Haendiges. Newton, he said, suggested to one of the integrated court's attorneys that the case be adjourned until the grand jury had a chance to review the evidence.
Newton did not get a response before Thursday's proceedings, Sedita said.
email: firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition (MCRC) honors champions of fair
housing, consumer rights with top awards
BALTIMORE, MD (October 17, 2012) - The Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulations'
(DLLR) Deputy Commissioner of Financial Regulation, Anne Balcer Norton will be awarded as an
outstanding consumer advocate by the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition (MCRC) at its 12th Annual
Awards Celebration on Thursday October 18 at 7 pm at the Ten Oaks Ballroom in Clarksville, MD.
"I am honored and humbled to be selected to receive this important award. Through the work the
MCRC does each day, I am hopeful that we can continue to look ahead - remain committed to civil
liberties and social justice - fight for health, housing, civil rights and equal opportunities
together," said Anne Balcer Norton, DLLR Deputy Commissioner of Financial Regulation. "By working
together, anything is possible, and I'm excited by the opportunity we have to do right by the
citizens of Maryland."
"We're very excited about honoring these great advocates and volunteers who have done so
much to protect the rights and the homes of Maryland families," MCRC Executive Director
Marceline White noted.
MCRC's 2012 award winners are:
MCRC's October 18 awards event will feature a special focus on the foreclosure crisis that
continues to cost hundreds of families their homes each month and threatens tens of thousands
of others with foreclosure. More than 79,000 Maryland families received notices of intent to
foreclose on their homes in the second quarter of 2012 alone.
"Anne Balcer Norton, Del. Zucker, and John Relman have all made critical contributions in
helping families survive the foreclosure crisis," Marceline White notes. "As thousands of
families still struggle to save their homes and families across the state struggle to meet
underwater mortgages, we think it's a great time to honor these advocates and to gather to
discuss what we can do next to help families save their homes."
Tickets for the event are $50 and they're available through
The Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation protects and
empowers Marylanders by safeguarding workers, protecting
consumers, providing a safety net and cultivating a thriving
workforce that can meet the demands of Marylands dynamic
economy. Follow DLLR on Twitter
(@MD_DLLR) and Facebook.
Return to the DLLR News home page
Questions or comments regarding the Department of Labor, Licensing and
Regulation may be directed to
Questions or comments regarding the DLLR website may be directed to email@example.com.
Updated October 17, 2012


text:
The U.S. military is working
very hard to develop autonomous robotic warriors. The U.S. is not
alone -- the technology is the wave of the future in warfare, and is being
pursued by dozens of countries worldwide. While expensive, weapons-toting
robots can provide deadly accuracy and protect a nation's human soldiers.
Already, the U.S. has extensively
utilized unmanned aerial vehicles in the war in Iraq, for both surveillance
and offensive strikes, with drones such as the Hunter
UAV shooting deadly missile strikes into enemy hideouts. The SWORD
robots, designed by the army and armed
with machine guns, patrol the streets in Iraq. Meanwhile a semi-autonomous
Bradley Fighting Vehicle, named the Black Knight, is being developed in the
U.S. Not to be left out, the Air Force states that it wants to have unmanned
heavy bombers by 2020.
The key feature among all these robotic killers that have been deployed or are
under development is that they need a human to pull the trigger. However,
there is growing sentiment among military circles that eventually robots should
be developed to be fully autonomous -- fighting and killing enemies, all
without human intervention. Exactly when and how such robots should be
legal and troubling moral issues raised were topics of
discussion at Royal United Service Institute's conference, "The Ethics
of Autonomous Military Systems", a summit of international scientists and
military officials held on February 27 in London.
The question "Can a robot commit a war crime?" was raised
during the conference. Such a concern -- that robots might
malfunction and target civilians or friendly soldiers -- remains a frightening
thought to many military men.
English Barrister and Engineer Chris Elliot explained carefully his thoughts on
the legality of autonomous robotic weapons systems in terms of international
criminal and civil laws. He points out that at a certain point the
robot's engineers can no longer be held reasonably culpable, and the blame for
errors resulting in catastrophic loss of life may come to rest on the shoulders
of the robot who committed the assault. He states, "We're getting
very close to the where the law may have to recognize that we can't always
identify an individual - perhaps an artificial system can be to blame."
The idea of a robot being charged with murder raises provocative questions
about punishment and the fairness of such measures. Elliot did not back
down from taking other hard stances on issues. He made it clear that
currently there was a clear legal burden for humans choosing to deploy systems
lacking in sufficient judgment. He stated, "Weapons intrinsically
incapable of distinguishing between civilian and military targets are
Elliot stated that robots should only be allowed to autonomously wage war when
they pass a "Military Turing Test." He explains, "That
means an autonomous system should be no worse than a human at taking decisions
[about valid targets]."
The original Turing test, developed by computer pioneer Alan Turing, states
that if a human is unable to tell in a conversation with a robot and a real
human, which is the man and which is the machine, then the robot conversing
with the human has achieved intelligence.
Elliot could not say when or how such a test could or would be administered,
stating simply, "Unless we reach that point, we are unable to [legally]
deploy autonomous systems. Legality is a major barrier."
Bill Boothby, of the UK Ministry of Defense, argued a slightly differing
perspective that if the situation was carefully controlled, an autonomous
fighting machine would not need to be quite as intelligent as Elliot's test
would require. Boothby hopes that by lowering the requirements, robots
could assist on the battlefield sooner as opposed to later. He describes
this stance, stating, "There is no technology today that can make that
kind of qualitative decision about legitimate targets ... [but] it may be
possible to take precautions in the sortie-planning phase that enable it to be
used within the law."
Boothby argued that in a way, human operators might be no better as they might
simply "rubber stamp" the robot's targeting decisions.
Boothby's comments were found more appealing to many military commanders who
wished for sooner deployment of such robots as the new SWORD autonomous
fighters or Foster-Miller's MAARS combat robot, which implements advanced technology to
reduce friendly-fire incidents.
The difference in opinions expressed between Elliot and Boothby are reflective
of the mixed feelings society holds about deploying independently operating
killing machines to warzones. There remain many fears in the mind
of the public, both realistic ones, based on practical assessment of the
current limitation, and fantastic ones, fueled by popular culture such as the Terminator
movies, which depict a future in which cold-blood lethal robots have turned
upon mankind. The issue is sure to only become more contentious with time
and technological advances.
quote: Does New Zealand have a large enough military or enough money to go after all perceived threats? Very few countries do.
quote: Yes we have made mistakes, but we also pay a large price and carry a large burden that benefits other nations greatly.
quote: I wonder where New Zealand's military is waging wars!
quote: I wonder where New Zealand's military is waging wars! Not all countries go to war with all perceived threats, and the reality is, they are much safer than the US.
quote: If New Zealand were not an ally of the US, Australia
quote: part of China or some other nation
quote: The day you can talk NK, China, Russia and ... any other rogue nation into NOT being a threat will be the day your comment even makes an iota of sense.
quote: a...hum...a......i.....a....
quote: Communism leads to economic hell, loss of opportunity and the oppression of the people
quote: The biggest reason why communism failed had to do with bad leadership and lack of directly controllable, harvestable resources within the sovereign territory. If Russia had slightly better leaders, and the kind of internal resources that the continental United States had, you'd better believe the Cold War would have turned out differently.


text:
Another way of saying you would have sex with that girl right over there.
That girl is wouldable for real.
dari Jonballz Selasa, 10 Februari 2004
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
Top Definition
variation of the term "I would", being a bastardation of the phrase "I would like to have intercourse with that girl over there" usually accompanied by a point or nod in the direction of the girl.
"Would ya?" "Oh, I would. She's wouldable." "Oh I guarantee it!"
dari T-Bone Rabu, 11 Februari 2004


text:
- Text Size:
- ASmall Text
- AMedium Text
- ALarge Text
A dramatic movie about the Casey Anthony case debuts Saturday on the Lifetime cable network.
The movie, "Prosecuting Casey Anthonys" stars Rob Lowe and was based off of the book penned by Jeff Ashton "Imperfect Justice."
Anthony was acquitted at her 2011 murder trial in the death of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee Anthony.
Ashton retired after prosecuting the case with two other attorneys. He then ran and was elected to the State Attorney's Office in 2012.
Elizabeth Mitchell, of "Lost," plays prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick. Oscar Nunez, of "The Office," plays defense attorney Jose Baez.
The movie airs at 8 p.m.


text:
Top Definition
Short for Super Smash Brothers. Arguably the best game ever made for the N64 which requires 100% focus and dedication to become truely great. A number of characters from other nintendo games make an appearance in this game and each has their own unique set of strengths and weaknesses. For example, Mario has the ability to shoot red fireballs and has a strong headbut and quick grab, but he is often extremely overconfident when in fact he sucks and can be a little whiny bitch when he looses. Luigi, his brother however, could be considered the best character in the game with lightning quick reflexes and strong finishing moves which make him an excelent and classy character for true ssb masters.
Hey did you see Mario get powned by Luigi in ssb? Mario was such a little bitch hiding down there thinking hes good, but even Captain Falcon could beat him.
di SSBbro 04 ottobre 2006
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
Sucky So Bad
Can you believe he was sleeping with my wife? He "Sucky So Bad"
di DanielDiamond 19 maggio 2003
stands for Sneaky Sour Bitch. A bitch who is sneaky and sour at the same time.
Hira is such a SSB. That's the best way to describe her.
di CGI Real Quick 01 aprile 2015
Single, Sad and Bored. Many people of both sexes have experienced such feeling. It is usually used as fodder for masturbation.
Guy 1 "Man, I'm so SSB"
Guy 2 "You should jack it dude"
Guy 2 "You should jack it dude"
di SSBman 21 novembre 2009
An acronym for "Single Since Birth." Someone who is unfamiliar with the caring touch of a lover.
I'm SSB. 18 years baby!
di SSB Proteins 07 luglio 2016
"Secret Single Behavior." A term originating from the television show Sex and the City, a SSB is an action or habit that one indulges in only when alone. This refers especially to behavior that is hidden from one's significant other and could be potentially embarrassing (or disastrous) if discovered.
My personal SSB is eating a half-gallon of chocolate ice cream for dinner. I also dance around the apartment in underoos.
di Calthaer 29 aprile 2007
suck/s so bad
omg that joke ssb'd
u ssb
u ssb
di g-starr love 11 dicembre 2010


text:
Signs of working together
March 2, 2013
Despite the rhetoric coming from Washington, Democrats and Republicans are beginning to work together in the states....
LOL. Conservatives in the House years ago passed and sent to democrat senate, over 30 jobs bills. Rockefeller and his democrats in senate are STILL sitting on those bills and refusing to even read or vote on them. Even as more and more people lose their jobs. I do NOT call that "working" together. Liberal lies are so obviously transparent. However, it's not the 'transparency' the democrats want!!
2 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Democrat-run states are a total disaster. Conservative ones are in much better shape financially. What's so hard about seeing the big liberal problem here? Difference is dems don't care if they're broke....they'll just continue borrowing and spending. Obama after over 16 trillion in debt still refuses to stop wasting our money. Fools is the correct term here.
2 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
LOLOLOL. Jerry Brown has passed a budget? Do you even realize how bankrupt Callyforny is??? LOL. Clueless.
2 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
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text:
13yo Girl Naked Videos
Watch more 13yo Girl Naked Videos, share videos and find the latest funny videos at Viduu.
- Ahh.. A sexy girl naked in a big hot tub, perfect for a romantic time.. Not for this guy.
- A few extracts from a Boogie Pimps music video in which a half naked girl rolls around on the grass.
- A girl plays table tennis outside completely naked. (Nudity Warning)By: nearlygood l Tags: pingpong, naked, nude, ping pong
- This cute blonde girl strips all the way down, showing off her sexy, naked body.
- Heres a hot naked girl rolling round in the sand for us. Enjoy! (Nudity warning)By: nearlygood l Tags: naked, nude, beach, hot babe, photoshoot
- Here's one hot blonde babe in this nude photoshoot. Enjoy.By: nearlygood l Tags: nude, naked, nudity, photoshoot, babe, girl
- Wow, this girl is really hot as she gets photographed topless in public. Check her out.
- This clip is from an Italian hidden camera show. A girl goes into the guys showers and strips off to see how the guys will react.By: nearlygood l Tags: shower, nude, nudity, hidden camera, funny
- This girl is pretty hot and she does a nice strip where she gets totally naked. But, probably best to watch with the sound off.
- This girl is cute, very cute. She strips for us on her webcam. No teasing here, she gets completely naked.By: nearlygood l Tags: cam girl, strip, strip tease, amateur
- In this clip Jennifer Aniston is topless during a sex scene in the film The Good Girl. We get a nice glimpse of her nips.By: nearlygood l Tags: jennifer aniston, topless, sex scene
- This girl has a smokin' hot body, I mean what an ass! She strips off for us on webcam in her bedroom.By: nearlygood l Tags: selfshot, self shot, webcam, web cam
- This amateur girl strips in her bedroom for us. She gets completely naked for us and even does a little pole dance.By: nearlygood l Tags: amateur, strip, strip tease, pole, dance
- A girl biker tries to disrupt an RC car track, but really gets what she deserves.
- A couple get posed a question on the street, the girl gives an answer her boyfriend didn't want to hear.


text:
GREENFORD - The third meeting between the Leetonia Bears and Western Reserve Blue Devils looked a lot like their previous encounters, but in the end, the Devils came from behind in the fourth quarter and prevailed with a 49-44 victory in the Division IV sectional tournament on Saturdday at South Range.
The loss ends the Bears season at 8-13, while the Devils will now face Lowellville at 6 p.m. on Thursday.
Leetonia had the lead 38-32 just over a minute into the fourth quarter, but from there the Devils went on a 13-0 run to go up 45-38. The key basket for the Devils came with the game tied at 38, and 5:12 remaining in the contest. The Devils' April Lude buried a three-point shot to power them to a 41-38 advantage.
"The three-point shot that April hit when we were tied late, to me that was probably the turning point in the game. When she hit that it kind of took the wind out of their sails," Devils coach Josh Scott said.
"It definitely took the air out of tires," Bears coach Kelly Paxson said. "Especially when we came out in the third quarter and played so well."
Lude scored a game-high 15 points for the Devils, the Bears were led by Emily Schneider with 13-points and Nicole Mann with 10.
Fact Box
W. RESERVE SCORING: Lauren Falasca 4-1-9, Bethany Burger 2-0-4, Rachel Maslach 2-0-4, Paige Ewing 0-1-1, April Lude 4-4-15, Taylor Kilbert 2-0-4, Tory White 2-4-8, Maddie Kreitzburg 0-0-0, Gabby Stubbs 1-0-2, Linley Mamonis 1-0-2. TOTALS: 18, 10-19: 49.
LEETONIA SCORING: Delaney Gardner 1-0-2, Maddie Penfold 0-1-1, Kinzie Smith 2-2-6, Emily Schneider 5-3-13, Bethany Basich 2-2-6, Haley Scoville 3-0-6, Nicole Mann 5-0-10. TOTALS: 18, 8-14: 44.
Three-pointers: Western Reserve 3 (Lude).
The Bears tried to make one last charge when Kinzie Smith would hit a basket with 22 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 47-44, but Lude hit two free throws moments later to seal the victory for the Devils.
"We just kind of ran out of steam. I give all the credit in the world to Western Reserve. They are a great team, they have great coaches, their shots fell, and they stayed with it," Paxson said.
"We have had a up and down season, and we were fortunate to get a little bit healthy as of late, and get some kids that have been out for awhile," Scott said.
Starting forward Linley Mamonis had been out for the Devils earlier in the season.


text:
Sources: Soluto, ZDNet
quote: Academics are rarely DTP experts, and rarely are really good in Office apps (use of styles, for example). As such, all of them (that my wife has frequent collaboration with, that is) use MS Word for their articles and books. Apparently Word's built-in equation editor, tables, graphs etc. are enough for them to put paper together.....I'm not saying that all that could not be done on Macs. I'm just saying that all that you consider serious office work can be done (and is being done) on Windows too, as well at least.


text:
Business week includes service, networking
The Utah Statesman
A recycled percussion concert and a university-wide service project are on the schedule for The Jon M. Huntsman School of Business's annual Business Week, Sept. 10-14.
Other activities during the week include an ugly tie dance on the Quad, the first common hour speaker and an invitation-only networking dinner.
Business Senator Jeff Parker said the dinner is key event aiming to helping student make connections that will be valuable to them in the future.
"Graduates and undergraduate students can sit down with business leaders and business professionals and be able to meet them and get to know them one on one and find out what it takes to become a part of their organizations," Parker said.
Kinsey Eborn, a member of the Business Council, said the event she's most looking forward to is the percussion concert.
"It's one of the biggest concerts we have on campus throughout the entire year," she said.
For the complete article click here.


text:
Top Definition
Nothing of value. From Yiddish 'bobkes;, meaning 'little beans'. See bupkis
"We got bubkes! We turn ourselves in now, they'll give us twenty years in the electric chair!" -- Dan Aykroyd as "Mother", in Sneakers (1992)
von Moshe Jacobson 9. November 2004
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
bubkes also bupkes or bupkus ... noun, plural but singular in construction Yiddish (probably short for kozebubkes, literally, goat droppings), plural of bubke, bobke, diminutive of bub, bob bean, of Slavic origin; akin to Polish bb bean (1942): the least amount.
He doesn't have bubkes.
von John C Goodman 29. Mai 2005
Bena pulled out and saw that he had a lot of bubke on his genitals
von benadoesanal 10. Juli 2015


text:
RENO, Nev. (AP) — The University of Nevada is getting into the wine business.
Volunteers helped plant hundreds of grapevines Sunday morning at the new vineyard at the school's Main Station Farm in Reno.
UNR professor Grant Cramer said they've been raising money for the past year and working on selecting a location for the 1-acre farm they hope to someday turn into a commercial-sized facility.
"I think we have a great climate for northern Nevada," Cramer told KTVN-TV (http://tinyurl.com/cl5zf7y ). It's similar to conditions in Washington state, which boasts an industry worth about $8.6 billion annually, he said.
"I would hope for a $5 billion industry in northern Nevada," Cramer said.
The vineyard currently is financed through university grants, but a large amount of private money will be needed to expand, he said.
"This is expensive," said Cramer. "It's about $20,000 an acre development for the system and irrigation lines."
For now, the labor is free, with students doing much of the work.
"It's great to be at the ground level, sort of starting this in Reno," said Daniel Hopper, a biochemistry student at the university.
The nonprofit group Nevada Vines & Wines also is supporting the effort.
"The reason it's a nonprofit is we will reinvest any of the money we have into new vineyards," said Bill Coplin, the group's president said.
With just two commercial wineries in northern Nevada currently, the market is small, but that could soon change, Cramer said. Recent studies suggest that by 2050, 70 percent of grape production will decline in California due in part to the anticipated effects of global warming, he said.
"Places like this (northern Nevada) that are higher elevation, (farther) north are a little bit cool now are going to be just right in 30 years from now," Cramer said.
The first bottle of wine produced from grapes at the Nevada vineyard is expected to be ready for sale within about three years.
Information from: KTVN-TV, http://www.ktnv.com


text:
Tori Spelling has landed an exciting new gig as host of an upcoming TLC reality show, and luckily even with three kids – and another on the way – she still has plenty of energy.
"This is actually the best pregnancy I've had so far out of all of them," Spelling tells PEOPLE. "Knock on wood. [I have] no morning sickness and I have energy. [It's the] total opposite than other three."
Spelling will host and executive produce Craft Wars, premiering June 26, which will pit three everyday enthusiasts against each other in two rounds of crafting challenges.
"We are a very crafty family," says Spelling, 38. "[My husband] Dean [McDermott] is super crafty! He's the builder in our family. He's amazing at building things and painting them, and then I decorate them. We are a great team."
The kids, too, know their way around cutting and gluing, sticking and stamping. "Liam and Stella love to get creative," says the actress. "We craft every weekend."
As for the show, if it's anything like what takes place at the Spelling-McDermott home, it should be fun … as long as it doesn't get out of hand.
"The worst that has happened is [my kids] got into the glitter," she says of past crafting incidents.
The family's successes have included plaster of Paris molds of the children's feet; a slew of homemade cards; and a piece of reclaimed lumber that Tori stenciled with the words "Grow Old With Me" and gave to Dean for their fifth anniversary (where the traditional present is wood).
Dean's creations have included a homemade easel with a canvas on which he made a pop-art painting of the word LOVE. "I told him he could totally compete on Craft Wars," says Spelling. "I bet he'd win."
Spelling also displays her crafting skills in her upcoming party-planning book, CelebraTORI, out April 3.
Tori Spelling: This Is My 'Best Pregnancy' Yet
Albert Michael/startraks
The Latest
Only on People.com


text:
Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - The Indiana Fever captured their first
WNBA title on Sunday by knocking off the defending champion Minnesota Lynx
with a balanced scoring attack.
Four Fever players reached double figures in Game 4's 87-78 victory to
complete Indiana's memorable championship run.
Despite losing their second-leading scorer, Katie Douglas, to an ankle injury
while upending top-seeded Connecticut in the East Conference finals, the Fever
had all the answers in solving the Lynx's deep roster.
Tamika Catchings recorded 25 points and eight assists in the clincher, Erin
Phillips netted 18 points and Shavonte Zellous and Briann January each chipped
in 15 for Indiana, which forced 12 turnovers and shut down Seimone Augustus.
Augustus, last year's Finals MVP, shot a woeful 3-of-21 from the floor and
finished with eight points.
The Sports Network


text:
|Welcome to the MANGA Forum.
|You will have to register before you can post: log in or sign up at the top of the page to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
i'm a writer, and i'm working to be a manga novel writer, i write everyday, almost lol. and i like roleplaying, anyone elese some interest about writing???
I like to write too. I've been into Manga ever since the Manga explosion of 95. Here my blog site our upcoming book of short stories about new super heroes. Feel free to stop by and comment.
my mom likes to write! (shes an authur) and i like to write too! (about stuff that interest me) :D =D
< =D =) =. :D :) :. =P =f =B =b =O =X XD >D 8D 8) =5 =E =H :P :B X) >) 0) -) -D 0D o_O >
'' Whenever you see me as Bowser i feeding the anger of my soul, but when i having glasses on im nicer that way to my friends on Manga dot com''
I am a writer as well. I have finished a total of 3 books so far (I am working on getting one published) Now I am working on four other books two of which are sequals to the two I finished last year. On top of that my friends at school (who are abusive, keep that imind) have been bugging me to work on a comic, so I have been and finished it yesterday. For me writting all started when i was telling my friends about a fanfiction Idea (Kinerin) which i started writting two years ago (however the idea has been developing way back when I was in fourth grade) Over the years I have drawn characters, made stories and as of last year I finished it the book itself ended on Chapter 176 page 564 (no thoes are not typos) Even though it is only a fanfiction (for I took some characters and creations of various videogames and animes such as Halo and Gears of War, but also some of my own creations and Characters and plot line) My friends have pushed me to start on the sequal for it, along with the other non fanfiction books I have made up. One of which called My World, is in the process of being published. I am working on making a website so that others can read my writting and look at my comic. Hopefully publishers from aroudn the world will see my writting and drawings (almost forgot all the books minus Kinerin are illistrated by me I am an artist as well) and want to publish my ideas, hopefully.
Anime is life, Creativity is blood
I am reading fallen novel


text:
OData Meetup 2012: Microsoft Research OData
- Date: to
- Day 2
- Speakers: Frank Martinez
Right click "Save as…"
Frank Martinez, a Senior Lead Program Manager at Microsoft Research, leads a session on how Microsoft Research is using OData. This talk was delivered at the March 2012 OData Meetup Event.
For more information about upcoming events or other items related to OData, please visit http://odata.org
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text:
Black Algae Mask
Multi-Action Mask that Detoxifies, Stimulates Circulation and Exfoliates.
SKIN TYPES: All Skin Types (except for super sensitive).
This concentrated formula stimulates circulation and brightens your complexion. Black marine silt and pure fig extract contain deep-cleansing enzymes for your skin while micro black jojoba spheres provide a gentle granular exfoliation.
How it works
Black marine silt and pure fig extract are a rich source of malic acid, working together to brighten the complexion by exfoliating surface dead skin cells and stimulating circulation.
100% NATURAL DERIVED INGREDIENTS: Aqua, Hematite, *Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Ficus Carica (Fig) Extract, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate (from Vegetable Fatty Acids), Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Jojoba (Jojoba Beads) Esters, Ulva Lactuca (Algae)Extract, Porphyra Ternera (Algae) Extract, Malic Acid, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Fruit Extract, Ferulic Acid, *Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa (Hibiscus) Flower Extract, *Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, *Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, *Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract, *Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tetrahydro Curcuminoids, Di-Potassium Glycyrrhizinate, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Japanica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Maltodextrin, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate *CERTIFIED ORGANIC INGREDIENT
How to Use
Use weekly to exfoliate and even out dull, flaky skin. Leave mask on for ten minutes, then moisten fingertips and gently massage to activate the micro black jojoba spheres for deeper exfoliation.


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Bad Block: Vaccination bill should be easy choice to enact
March 27, 2013
West Virginians would not tolerate it if a government official stood beside their family doctors and overruled physicians' recommendations for care of our children....
I couldn't agree with the Journal more about this one...
5 Agrees | 2 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Honestly don't know how to feel about this. Being forced into shots scares me. Parents should have the right to choose. The immunized will be protected. At least they will be protected by choice. All the risks involved, I would do shots again for my kids.
3 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
This is DISGUSTING. Tiffany Lawrence is responsible for blocking this bill, by the way. It's time for her to GO.
5 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Tiffany Lawrence insisted in committee that government has the power to make the choice, not parents. Lawrence is a big government extremist. She always talks about protecting children, but only when she approves of it. Which always results in more power for Lawrence. Wonder where she stands on gun control. What with her dad being an unlicensed gun dealer.
4 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Beginning in the last half of the 20th century our society erradicated Small Pox (by vaccine at birth), and practically erradicated Measles, Mumps and Rubella. Polio; once the scurge of life has been relegated to the footnotes of history. Absolutely the society as a whole has the moral right to insist on certain medical prophylactics to ensure the outbreak of disease is mitigated. Giving a pass to a parent by use of a Doctor's note will allow far to many to be left unprotected and these harmful childhood (some can occur in adults as well) diseases will be allowed to once again run rampant through our childrens' lives. Interesting that I would imagine all of the adults reading this have had the vaccines discussed by the legislature and have no chance of falling victim to the illness. But you would allow a parent to make a possibly fatal mistake by being allowed to opt out?
0 Agrees | 5 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
deadhead, your head is dead indeed. How about government making fatal mistakes? No problem, huh? Parents love their children, government loves its power. Who has killed more children? Parents or wars governments waged for power?? Not to mention many other government policies creating starvation, misery and death. Stalin, Mao, Hitler, Castro, Chavez, and so on.
4 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
"gottarideduc" just what the **** are you talking about? Do you know how to read?
0 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Major, aren't you usually pushing for the big-government agenda of forcing vaccinations on everyone? Interesting that you seem to be changing your stance when you realize the House Republicans voted another way...
0 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Deadhead you better go climb in a bubble somewhere because 48 States in this country allow Religious and Philosophical exemptions in addition to medical exemptions. WV parents were not even asking for those same rights, all they were asking for was to have their person physician make these medical decisions rather than a county health officer who has never examined their child! Teachers and other school employees who are exposed to OUR kids don't have these same mandated requirements!!
3 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Some concerns mentioned by delegates who voted no: "There are parents who will take an exemption just because they can." ~ and WV is the only state where these parents exist? "What about a teacher who is pregnant who has an unvaccinated child in her class? We need to protect her baby." ~At the expense of the child who medically can't be vaccinated? Do vaccines keep us from transmitting diseases? No. Are unvaccinated children walking disease factories? No more than vaccinated children. If the teacher is vaccinated, why should she worry? Why is the responsibility on just the children to be up to date on vaccinations?
Why does WV have to lag behind in YET ANOTHER area? 48 other states have MORE exemptions and GREATER vaccination rates.
1 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Good call Journal News! I can't seem to locate the Poll that was up regarding this story?
0 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
There has been no documented medical proof that any of these child vaccinations cause any problems, other than the made-up BS that you get from the Hollywood morons. They'y don't cause autism or any of the rest of the stuff these idiots spout, and that has been scientifically proven. They spout this crap with no basis in fact, then think everyone should follow their lead. They're stupidity has cost the lives of millions around the world.
Don't fall into that trap. Vaccinate your kids; save lives.
0 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
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Top Definition
Romnenomics refers to the out-of-touch business-minded people who demand Americans invest in their products while they make products outside the country and hide profits offshore in order to dodge taxes.
"Bain Capital maintains at least 138 Cayman Island bank accounts thats what i call 'Romnenomics'."
de ghm-327 20 Iulie 2012
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Celebrity Central / Top 25 Celebs
Alexander Skarsgard
- 1980s
Gimme a Break
The eldest son of actor Stellan Skarsgard and his first wife, My, a doctor, Alexander Skarsgard grows up in Södermalm, Sweden, with his four younger brothers – Gustaf, Sam, Bill and Valter – and sister Eija. At 8, he makes his on-screen debut opposite his father, and later becomes a celebrity with his role in 1989's The Dog That Smiled. But the attention makes Skarsgard quit acting. "I needed seven years of just being a normal kid and having fun and doing my thing," he later tells the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Mid-1990s
Finding His Way
Skarsgard enlists in Sweden's Royal Navy and serves 15 months in the antiterrorist division SäkJakt, stationed inside the country's archipelago. "It's … Sweden. We shoot flowers," he later jokes to the Los Angeles Times about his military experience. "We haven't been in a war in almost 200 years. I was training for something I knew would never happen." After completing his service in 1996, he enrolls in England's Leeds Metropolitan University, where he briefly studies English for six months before deciding to restart his acting career.
- 2001
Model Behavior
Having secured several roles in Swedish films, Skarsgard makes his Hollywood debut after auditioning on a whim for the Ben Stiller comedy Zoolander. He makes a brief appearance in the film as male model Meekus, one of Stiller's roommates who memorably blows up in a gas station accident. Skarsgard moves to Hollywood in 2004 to further his career.
- 2008
Going in for the 'Kill'
Skarsgard lands his big break when he is cast as Sgt. Brad "Iceman" Colbert in Generation Kill, an HBO miniseries based on a book about a reporter embedded within a Marines battalion during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. "We made it for all those soldiers over there because you don't really see what's happening on a daily basis, what the soldiers are going through and what kind of baggage they come home with," he tells GQ UK. "So it was just important to make it right for these guys."
'True' Success
HBO taps Skarsgard for the role of bad-boy vampire Eric Northman on True Blood, an adaptation of Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse novels. Following a brief appearance in the show's first season, his second-season storyline, which includes a love triangle with costars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, turns Skarsgard into a fan favorite.
- 2009
Love on the Set
Skarsgard and Straw Dogs costar Kate Bosworth spark romance rumors when they are spotted holding hands at the Spike Awards in L.A., and later cozying up at the Coachella music festival in April. "He's a wonderful, wonderful man," she tells PEOPLE. "I adore him." But after two years together, the pair quietly splits in July 2011.
- 2010
A Bloody Good Time
Alongside True Blood costars Paquin and Moyer, Skarsgard strips down for Rolling Stone. "It was just one of those things in the moment where we all looked at each other, we'd spent all day with the photographer, we felt comfortable with him, we knew that he was great and the atmosphere was right and we were like, 'F– it, let's do it,'" he tells GQ UK.
- 2011
The Last 'Straw'
Months after his split with Bosworth, Skarsgard returns to the big screen in their collaboration Straw Dogs, a remake of the controversial 1971 Sam Peckinpah film about the violence that erupts when a Hollywood couple returns to the wife's small town. "It's about the fact that we're animals, we're territorial," he tells the San Francisco Chronicle about playing lead aggressor Charlie in the box-office disappointment.
- 2012
Ship Shape
Skarsgard puts his real-life military training to good use when he stars in the big screen adaptation of Battleship as Commander Stone Hopper, opposite Taylor Kitsch and Rihanna. Despite the star-studded cast, the film opens at No. 2, grossing $26 million during its first weekend.
- Pages:
- 1
Photo Credits
BIOGRAPHY (top to bottom): John P. Johnson; JPI Studios; Courtesy Rolling Stone; Everett; Everett
- Name
- Alexander Skarsgard
- Date of Birth
- August 25, 1976
- Birth Place
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Relationships
Kate Bosworth, ex-girlfriend (2009 to 2011)
Amanda Seyfried (dated briefly in 2007)


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Top Definition
A few sheets of toilet paper placed into bowl prior to a poo session. It's purpose is to cradle the poo and slow it's entry speed into the wee-infested toilet water, reducing splashback.
That public toilet was minging. I had to use a gentlemans cape to prevent infection from arse-diseases....
Spleegによって 2012年03月22日(木)
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Building event-driven, long-running apps with Windows workflow
- Date: to
- Day 4
- Jolt
- Speakers: Ron Jacobs
- 2 comments
Loading user information from Channel 9
Something went wrong getting user information from Channel 9
Loading user information from MSDN
Something went wrong getting user information from MSDN
Loading Visual Studio Achievements
Something went wrong getting the Visual Studio Achievements
Right click "Save as…"Slides (view online)
Oops, something didn't work.
Excited about the versioning feature. Where can we get more details on this dynamic update and update map feature?
@Eddie Tse: Absolutely - we will have some blog posts / sample code available soon. Be sure to check out our Facebook page for more
Comments have been closed since this content was published more than 30 days ago, but if you'd like to continue the conversation, please create a new thread in our Forums, or Contact Us and let us know.


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Sources: U of M [via Eurekalert], Current Biology
quote: High fructose corn syrup is responsible for the plague of obesity and diabetes, but M&Ms are mostly plain old sugar.
quote: Your answer to this problem?
quote: I chuckle at the high fructose retards...too funny. It's not the corn syrup its the fork in fatty's hand.
quote: So you're OK with subszing the healthcare costs of the type 2 diebetics because they can eat whatever they want and get as fat as they want?


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Source: Desmoines Register
quote: And secondly, ethanol is grain alcohol, so the only way to make it is to repeatedly boil and cool the liquid a dozen times or more, extracting the alcohol each time. How much energy do you think it takes to bring a trillion gallons of liquid to a boil, then cool it, a dozen times over? A LOT.
quote: Biodiesel also contains more energy per gallon than corn ethanol. Ethanol has about 96,000 btu's per gallon, while biodiesel has around 136,000 btus per gallon.
quote: Biodiesel is better in every measurable way than corn ethanol.


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Oklahoma: The unlikely home to one of experimental electronic music's most fascinating labels of recent vintage.
The multivalent UK producer has roots in Detroit and the United Arab Emirates, but it was through access to the internet that his sound has evolved. RA's Ryan Keeling explains.
One of electronic music's peerless innovators talks Skrillex, Ableton and clichés.
RA's Oli Warwick talks to some of the key local protagonists who explain the rising part the Lithuanian capital has to play in the global electronic music scene.
The noise underground has been flirting with techno more than ever recently. RA's Justin Farrar introduces some of the essential acts.


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The Independent Holiday Hostels of Ireland (IHH) are the biggest and best choice of Tourist Board Approved hostels throughout Ireland –We are cooperative society with 55 member Hostels in great locations all inspected and approved by Failte Ireland ,the National tourist board
We can offer over 6,000 hostel beds across Ireland. With hostels in a variety of locations, from high up in the mountains, urban centres, to the tips of peninsulas, travelers will find it easy to plan their trip around Ireland.
Holiday hostels vary in shape and size, and quite often reflect the characteristics of their owners or locality. Our hostels offer a range of rooms, dorms, en-suite rooms, wheelchair accessible rooms & even camping and caravan facilities. All holiday hostels have a self catering kitchen and are registered with the Tourist Board.This means they fully comply with health and safety regulations and meet the high standards of the Irish Tourist Board. All our member hostels are independently owned and operated so you don't need to be a member of any organisation to stay at one of our hostels.
Hostels are sociable places to meet and share with fellow travellers. They have a wide range of facilities for their guests such as self catering kitchens, common rooms, internet/WiFi and games. Some hostels even have cinemas and saunas! If you haven't tried a hostel you need to try one of our member hostels.
Our members pride themselves offering the traditional Irish welcome at a price that everyone can afford and strive to provide an excellent standard of accommodation and service.
If you feel that a hostel member has not met your expectations, or if you would like to make a suggestion, please speak to the hostel manager in the first instance. And, if after speaking to them, you feel that the matter has not been resolved to your satisfaction, please feel free to contact us.
Want to become Member Hostel ?
If you manage or own a hostel in Ireland and are interested in the benefits of becoming a member of Independent Holiday Hostels of Ireland ,pPlease contact [email protected] .com with your details . All our members are Failte Ireland Approved Hostels


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At least they weren't on the floor in the middle of the night!! :)ReplyDelete
Oh, they're there, too. But I've learned to walk on them much like walking on hot coals or broken glass...
I think every parent has four or six perfect circles, evenly spaced, drilled into the bottom of their feet at least a few times.
I can't say I've ever found one in bed.
Legos and those little matchbox cars...YEOW-ZA!ReplyDelete
Ouchey! Those little buggers are sharp!ReplyDelete
Those sharp edges can kill you.
Those wouldn't be Star Wars legos by any chance would they? ;)ReplyDelete
My husband can not stand sand or crumbs in the bed. Drives him mad.
I've just heard terrible things about these legos...
Hey! I found legos in my bed the other night too. The teeny tiny little flames that go on the back of the little race cars. I've also found pens and pencils, as well as crumbs. Why is my bedroom the homework/watch tv/snack room?ReplyDelete
LOL LOL LOL I love it!ReplyDelete
I agree or matchbox cars!ReplyDelete
Ouch!! Legos hurt!!ReplyDelete
Ouch! I get that type of stuff every night. But I hate walking into the kitchen (barefoot) to discover someone (kids) spilled juice or koolaid on the floor. ikkkReplyDelete
I know the feeling!ReplyDelete
So far, I've only encountered books and binkies!ReplyDelete
how about thorns. LOL We had made one of those easter egg things with the different things in each egg representing Christ. Well somehow someone put the thorns under my sheets by my feet.
Major Ouch.
Prairie Lady


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Officials are investigating after a misrouted 911 call left a man suffering an apparent heart attack waiting for almost 15 minutes.
The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports that Ormond Beach Commissioner Bill Partington is raising questions about the Sept. 4 incident.
David Cromartie says he called 911 after a friend collapsed on a racquetball court.
Several minutes into the call, Cromartie's frustration grew as he waited for help. A dispatcher told him crews were having trouble finding them.
The friend died and Cromartie says he's not sure a more timely response would have saved him.
The Volusia County Sheriff's Office took over 911 operations about two years ago. It is looking into the matter and working with Ormond Beach officials to make sure similar mix-ups don't happen again.


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Top Definition
when you poop or fart and you butt hole burns. not like tempature, but like hot sauce on your tounge, or when you throw up and it goes up your nose. like that exept on your butthole.
guy 1: *FARRRRRTTT*
guy 2: EWW that was a wet one! wasnt it?!
guy 1: OWWWW MAJOR FART BURN!
guy 2: what?
guy 1: it feels like i just farted out jalapinos!
guy 2: omg...
guy 2: EWW that was a wet one! wasnt it?!
guy 1: OWWWW MAJOR FART BURN!
guy 2: what?
guy 1: it feels like i just farted out jalapinos!
guy 2: omg...
додав Bubba2x4 15 Лютого 2009
Trending Now
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The burning sensation one feels in their rectum after having been flatulent the entire day.
Navin: Oh man, I had Taco Bell all day yesterday, and now I have fartburn.
додав avaron 02 Листопада 2006
Food that makes you fart or have farts that leave a burning sensation.
That jumbo beef burrito gave me fartburn.
додав nephew96 20 Липня 2011
A feeling one gets when they pass gas after eating hot mexican food especially beans.
The hot beans really gave me a bad case of fartburn!
додав TheJockster 25 Травня 2008
The fecal residue left in one's underpants resulting from overindulgence of food and/or drink.
"Man, I ate me some good ole beans and it gave me the worst fartburn! My wife had to bleach my underwear twice just to get the stains out."
додав XtremeJokes 13 Серпня 2008
when a fart is so strong that it "burns" the nose hair of those around you.
"Dude, you totally gave me fartburn with that one! Take your stinky self outside!"
додав AlaskaFisherman 11 Липня 2009


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Software Firm Upgrades Database, Trusts Rackspace to Deliver Easy Scalability
Based in New Zealand, Xero is a provider of online accounting software. With hosting partner Rackspace, it is in the process of upgrading to Microsoft SQL Server 2012 to take advantage of scalability and availability improvements. By hosting SQL Server 2012 with Rackspace, Xero gets on-demand scalability, high-performing code that runs more reliably, and a true business partner that takes care of infrastructure concerns so that it can focus on its business.
Xero is a software company that makes Xero, an online accounting software program for small and midsize businesses and individuals. Based in Wellington, New Zealand, with offices worldwide, the firm employs nearly 200 people.
Solution Spotlight
- Can easily scale online offering to accommodate terrific business growth
- Can create more efficient code, which improves developer productivity and code performance
- Free to focus on the business rather than infrastructure worries
Business Needs
New Zealand software maker Xero is extremely ambitious: it wants to be the world leader in online accounting software—and it's making good progress. The company's namesake product, aimed at chartered accountants and small to midsize businesses, is gaining devotees by the day. The company's customer base has grown beyond Asia Pacific to the United Kingdom and the United States. From 2010 to 2011, Xero more than doubled both its revenues—from NZ$9.3 million (US$7 million) to more than NZ$19 million (US$14.5 million)—and its customer base, from 36,000 to more than 78,000.
With its customer count doubling annually, Xero has to scale its IT platform rapidly and continuously. Xero has hosted its product with Rackspace since 2008 and has always used Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Enterprise data management software as its database engine. Rackspace is a US-based hosting and cloud computing provider that delivers hosting services to businesses around the world.
By early 2012, Xero had 50 servers in two Rackspace data centers—in Dallas, Texas, and in Chicago, Illinois—including two SQL Server clusters. All were Dell PowerEdge R710 and R810 servers running the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system. Xero began encountering scalability limits with its existing storage area network (SAN) and needed to upgrade. Upgrading storage made it a good time to also upgrade the database software.
"We want to keep up with the latest features in SQL Server," says Paul Rushworth, Platform Manager at Xero. "Some of the features in SQL Server 2012 support higher availability and scalability, which would let us fail over databases more seamlessly and also test new product features more easily. Upgrading to SQL Server 2012 would help us improve our resilience and response."
Xero began evaluating SQL Server 2012 in April 2012, with special interest in the SQL Server 2012 AlwaysOn feature. With it, Xero can treat a group of databases as a single entity called an Availability Group and fail over a group of databases as a single unit. By using AlwaysOn, Xero will be able to set up an active/active/passive configuration for its databases, which will deliver greater availability and enable easier testing of new features.
Xero is also exploring SQL Server 2012 enhancements to the T-SQL (Transact SQL) language. Some of these enhancements ease the transition to SQL Server from other languages and platforms and others provide new ways to solve database problems. "Our product makes extensive use of T-SQL, so these improvements will help our developers write more efficient, high-performing code," Rushworth says.
Xero's main production database contains roughly five terabytes of data and serves nearly 80,000 customers. With Rackspace, Xero can continue expanding its customers and data stores without scalability or infrastructure concerns. For example, when Xero needed to upgrade its SAN, Rackspace researched the best option. Xero plans to have production workloads running on SQL Server 2012 by October 2012.
By upgrading to SQL Server 2012 and hosting with Rackspace, Xero can gain the scalability it needs to accommodate fierce business growth, create higher-performing code, and focus on its business rather than infrastructure concerns.
Scale Easily to Accommodate Business Growth
Xero is doubling in size annually, and SQL Server 2012 and Rackspace are key enablers of that growth. "By hosting SQL Server 2012 with Rackspace, we have the scalability we need to spin up databases very quickly and cost-effectively, thanks to the cloud delivery model," Rushworth says. "No matter how much our customer base and databases grow, we're ready."
Xero is adding a database node every two to three months and plans to double its storage shortly. By working with Rackspace, Xero does not have to incur the capital expenditure and pain of performing a SAN upgrade itself; Rackspace takes care of every inch of the infrastructure.
Additionally, by taking advantage of US Rackspace data centers, Xero can also take advantage of US-based Rackspace employees, who are hard at work while Xero employees sleep. "We have a growing global customer base, so Rackspace's global presence is a huge asset," says Rushworth.
Create Higher-Performing Code
By using the improvements to T-SQL, the Xero development team can write more efficient code, which not only improves developer productivity but increases product performance and availability.
"Once in production, we expect to see query speed performance improvements, which gives customers a better experience using our product," Rushworth says. "We can expand our business globally while maintaining very high performance and outstanding customer response times."
Focus on Business Rather than Infrastructure
In Rackspace, Xero has far more than a hosting provider; it has a trusted business partner. "Our ambition is to be the world's best small business accounting solution, so we need to be with the top hosting provider—and today, that's Rackspace," Rushworth says. "Our business wouldn't exist if we'd had to create a comparable infrastructure on premise. Rackspace is a true partner and a core part of our operational team. They research and invest in the latest technology so we don't have to. It makes our job not only easier but more pleasant."
- Prepared by the Microsoft SQL Server Solutions Team
Continue the conversation in the Rackspace Community.
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Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in America. For the past 10 years or more it has been exploding out of its traditional hotbeds on the East Coast. In states like Utah and Idaho, where there was no lacrosse at all, there are now 20, 30 or maybe even 50 high school teams. In states like Michigan and Ohio, where there were maybe 20 teams a dozen years ago, there are now over 100.
College lacrosse is growing just as quickly. With over 200 varsity teams and more than 300 club teams, there are now opportunities to play lacrosse at every type of college in every corner of the country.
I'm often asked for advice on what it takes to build a good high school program. Great coaching is one obvious answer. A good youth feeder program is another. School, family and community support is also important. Recruiting athletes who are playing other sports like football and soccer in the fall and basketball and wrestling in the winter is a must.
One thing that is often overlooked when building a high school program is the culture of the team. The best teams have everything I listed already, but they also have built-in expectations of playing at the next level. Most, if not all, of the players on those teams expect to play lacrosse (or one of their other sports) in college. They take their athletic participation very seriously because it's fun, yes, but also because they understand what playing team sports can mean to their futures.
I'm not going to get into all of the possible benefits of playing a sport in college. There are too many to list here. Instead, I'm going to give you a few ideas on how to build that culture I mentioned on your high school team. If you are a coach, captain or booster, here are some things you can do:
1. Research summer and fall camp opportunities for your players. What camps should they attend based on their needs and skill level?
2. Get to know the recruiting process. Talk to high school lacrosse coaches at established programs for their advice (good high school coaches should be helpful through the process, but not controlling).
3. Talk to college coaches about the recruiting process to get their perspective. What are they looking for in a player? How should players contact them?
4. Get to know as many college coaches, at all levels, as you can. Invite some of them to come to events to speak to your team's players and parents about recruiting and college lacrosse opportunities.
5. Film every game! Not only is the single most useful tool for improving your team, but it's also very valuable for putting together recruiting videos for your players.
6. Watch college games as often as possible. Whether it's the latest Virginia vs. Syracuse game or the local college club team game, expose yourself and your players to college lacrosse as much as possible. Record games on TV and show them to the team weekly.
7. Invite college players to speak to the team about their experience.
These are just a few things you can do to start building a culture on your team that leads to more players aspiring to play at the next level. It will help your players individually, and it will make a huge difference for your team.
Good Luck!
John Paul
Michigan Lacrosse
Read more from Coach Gafner at www.coachgafner.com


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MARTINSBURG - For generations, The Journal has provided a comprehensive daily report of happenings in the Eastern Panhandle.
Adding an Apple OS application to the ways readers can get their news is the latest media the newspaper is using to reach readers quickly, easily and conveniently.
The free app joins the printed newspaper, its website at www.journal-news.net, and its Facebook and Twitter feeds (facebook.com/thejournalwv and twitter.com/thejournalwv) as ways you can get your news. All are unique products, providing both news and special features appropriate to each form of media.
Article Photos
The huge popularity of the Apple iPhone and iPad pushed us to develop the app for them first. The combined traffic our website gets from those two devices is far more than from all other mobile devices combined. All mobile users, including those on Apple devices, still will be able to access our site using a web browser. Content on our main site, our mobile site (mobile.journal-news.net) and our new app will all continue to be updated daily.
With the app, readers can access stories, leave comments, search for content and participate in polls.
"We are pleased to extend the reach of our award-winning and trusted newspaper to our readers, who have long depended on us to let them know what is happening in their community," said Craig Bartoldson, publisher of The Journal. "The addition of the iPhone app gives us yet another way to serve our readers."
Visiting our website with any device running an Apple OS system will trigger a screen urging readers to download the app. You can also search for "Journal Martinsburg" in the app store or visit www.journal-news.net/iphone to be redirected to the download site.