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Presentation: Introducing High Availability and Disaster Recovery with SQL Server 2012 AlwaysOn
- Posted: Mar 07, 2012 at 10:23PM
- 3 comments
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This presentation provides an overview of the new high availabilty and disaster recovery capabilities provided by SQL Server 2012 AlwaysOn, including Availability Groups, partial containment and contained users.
Jonathan Kehayias
Principal Consultant, SQLskills
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Check out all the decks, demos and labs associated with this content at http://bit.ly/sql2012cookbook.
A good blog you have mate. Thanks for the good work you are doing and it so educative
@services house:glad you like it!
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The new Volvo FH series
The new Volvo FMX
The new Volvo FM
The new Volvo FE
The new Volvo FL
14-speed splitter and range manual gearbox with two crawler gears and twelve synchronised forward gears, plus four reverse gears. Cable operation give short and distinct gearshift strokes and eliminates vibrations in the gearshift knob. Patented synchromesh with servo function means low gearchanging forces. The gearboxes can be fitted with a compact retarder, power take-off, emergency power steering pump and oil cooler.
There is a wide range of clutch-independent and clutch-dependent power take-offs to drive all sorts of body equipment.
Clutch-independent power take-offs
PTER-DIN: Rear-mounted engine power take-off for direct drive of a hydraulic pump.
PTER1400: Rear-mounted engine power take-off with flange connection for hydraulic pump.
PTER100: Rear-mounted engine power take-off with flange connection for hydraulic pump.
Clutch-dependent power take-offs
PTR-F: Connecting flange attachment and low-rev or high-rev.
PTR-FL/FH: Connecting flange attachment and low-rev or high-rev.
PTR-D/PTR-DM/PTR-DH: Low/medium/high-rev with DIN-connection for direct attachment of a hydraulic pump.
PTRD-F: High-rev with connecting flange attachment for direct-fitted propshaft.
PTRD-D: High-rev with dual drive. DIN connection front and rear for direct attachment of hydraulic pumps.
PTRD-D1: High-rev with dual drive. Connecting flange attachment at the rear and DIN attachment at the front.
PTRD-D2: High-rev with dual drive rear and single drive front. Two connecting flange attachments rear and one DIN attachment at the front.
CS43B-O: Pull-type single-disc clutch.
CD40B-O: Pull-type twin-disc clutch.
All Volvo's clutches are lead-free.

subset: commoncrawl


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White-Collar Sentences Get a Fresh Look
A hearing scheduled for Friday in a Houston federal court on whether to substantially reduce former Enron Corp. Chief Executive Jeffrey Skilling's 24-year prison sentence comes at a time of growing debate about the rules for punishing white-collar criminals.
Individuals convicted of federal crimes are sentenced using a set of guidelines in which "points" are added or subtracted relating to various aspects of a person's conduct and the crimes involved. Over the past several decades, the potential penalties for a range of crimes have greatly increased in severity, with particularly large increases in certain types of fraud cases, according to legal experts.
Critics of the guidelines in white-collar cases contend that they have come to rely too much on financial-loss calculations, which can quickly mushroom when the crime involves a public company whose stock price falls in connection with the misdeeds. In certain cases, a public-company executive could face life in prison, said James Felman, a Tampa, Fla., defense attorney and member of a recently formed American Bar Association task force looking at proposing revisions in the guidelines for economic crimes.
The U.S. Sentencing Commission, the guideline-writing body created by Congress in the 1980s, has identified possible revision of the economic-crime rules as a priority. The commission has scheduled a September symposium in New York to get input on possible changes.
The guidelines "should be scrapped in their entirety," said Jed Rakoff, a New York federal judge and member of the new ABA Task Force, in a speech earlier this year. For instance, putting heavy emphasis on the calculated loss in determining fraud sentences "does not fairly convey the reality of the crime or the criminal," said Judge Rakoff, a Clinton appointee and longtime critic of aspects of the guidelines. He recommended replacing the arithmetic calculation system with one where judges could use a broad set of factors, none of which would automatically carry extra weight.
More judges seem to be departing from the guidelines. A Sentencing Commission study issued last December found that the percentage of fraud cases in which federal judges gave sentences below the guideline recommendation jumped to 23% of cases for 2007 to 2011 from 9.6% for 1996 to 2003. These percentages don't include cases where the Justice Department recommended a below-guideline sentence for reasons that included cooperation by the defendant in an investigation.
The increasing gap between the guideline calculations and actual sentences was a factor in the Sentencing Commission's decision to look at revising the economic-crime rules, said one person familiar with the matter.
When the guidelines were first issued in the late 1980s, judges were largely required to hand out sentences based on the calculations generated under the rules. In 2005, the Supreme Court gave federal judges more leeway, though observers say many jurists are still strongly influenced by the sentence calculations—an indication there is still substantial acceptance within the judiciary for the current guidelines.
The Justice Department has long argued that disparities in sentencing caused by judges straying from the guidelines hurt the battle against crime. In a 2010 letter to the Sentencing Commission, for instance, it said "certainty in sentencing is critical to reducing crime" and noted that crime rates have shown "dramatic reductions" over the prior 20 years.
The department supports a review of the fraud guidelines and possible revisions to them, though not necessarily for the same reasons as some critics. In 2011 testimony before the commission, Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, said there was a concern "that more and more, particularly in the context of high-loss, large-scale fraud cases, there are not consistently tough and fair outcomes." He added that the guidelines in such cases "generally provide for commensurately stiff punishment."
A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment further, citing what officials including Mr. Bharara had previously said.
The Enron scandal, which culminated in Mr. Skilling's 2006 conviction for fraud and conspiracy, helped further push up the penalties for white-collar crimes, legal observers say. The company's 2001 collapse cost thousands of people their jobs and erased tens of billions of dollars in stock-market value, some of which was held in the retirement accounts of employees.
Mr. Skilling's 24-year sentence fell within his guideline calculation. But the former executive, who has served more than six years in prison, is being resentenced because an appellate court determined that a mistake had been made in the initial guideline calculation. The Justice Department and Mr. Skilling and his attorneys have agreed on recommending a new guideline calculation that could reduce his sentence by up to a decade.
Judge Sim Lake, a Reagan appointee who is handling the resentencing, could decide to go lower—or higher—than that new recommendation. The judge has invited input from former Enron employees and investors, some of whom could speak at the hearing.
The government on Wednesday also filed a motion as part of the resentencing to complete the forfeiture of about $41 million of Mr. Skilling's funds for distribution to Enron victims. That money had been frozen pending the resolution of Mr. Skilling's appeals.
Write to John R. Emshwiller at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Top Definition
A person who burns more trees than an actual wild fire. Someone who smokes a shitload of "chops" A.K.A.a blunt fulla that smelly.
"Man you know dat nigga Hugo J.? You mean "WILDFIRE". "Yea, He be burning mad treez."
от Anonymous 616 11 май 2009
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
One who owns all. No one is greater than the Wildfire. An unstoppable force of destruction. One who owns the salmanderkiller (sally).
WildFire just destroyed josh 10-0
от WildFire 26 август 2003
Def. 1) Slang word for 'sexy beast' or pimp.
Def. 2) Awesome
Def. 2) Awesome
Did you see him last night? He was totally wildfire!
от Aghastly 21 септември 2009
The act of setting a girl who is currently PMSing's tampon string on fire and then letting it set her bush on fire. As a bonus you can put out the fire with your semen or piss.
Guy: my girlfriend has her period so i gave her a wildfire. it was hot!
от Hot 6969 10 януари 2010
When your banging a girl, you light her pubes on fire then take your "hose" and put the fire out with you man juices dont forget the fire trucks noises "WE WO WE WO WE WO"
Andrew then sprayed his man juices all over her forest to save the day from the vicous wild fire.
от cmill 11 септември 2006
strongy is pwned too
Omg so owned >:-(
от Anonymous 02 септември 2003
Like to get owned by strongy
wow man, you just got WILDED! strony owned your butt!
от strongy 30 август 2003


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Less than a week after a spring snowstorm hit Greeley, more unseasonal weather came to the area, but in a much shorter timeframe.
A severe thunderstorm warning was issued at 3:35 p.m. Saturday afternoon for central Weld County, with hail and rain reaching the area.
Jim Kalina, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service station in Boulder, said a storm moving from northwest to southeast produced up to 1 1/4-inch hail in the Greeley area.
A small amount of rain also came to the area, but Kalina said it was likely 1/4-inch or less.
The storm warning, which included Milton Reservoir, Lucerne, LaSalle, Kersey, Evans, Eaton and Greeley, was expired by 4:15 p.m., according to the weather service.
Kalina said the coming week is expected to be warm and dry, with a Mother's Day high of 82. Temperatures will continue to climb through the beginning of the week, with highs of 84 on Monday and 87 on Tuesday.


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Large meadows, gentle hills, thick forests, fields and orchards characterize "The Sun Corner of Lake Constance Thurgau". And don't forget the amazing view of the lake.
The region has been awarded the "Families Welcome" seal of approval, awarded to vacation destinations with offerings specially oriented towards the needs and wishes of children and their chaperones.
Various family offerings, five swimming facilities with a place for grilling and extensive offerings for active guests make The Sun Corner Lake Constance a popular vacation destination in Eastern Switzerland.
- Educational Fruit Trail Altnau – hike through orchards, which have a magnificent view of Lake Constance. Markers inform visitors about the art of growing fruit. Now also with animation for children.
- Oak Trail Güttingen – hiking trail through Güttingen Forest, which boasts mighty old oaks. Eight orientation signposts tell visitors what is special about the oak forest.
- Culture Trail Münsterlingen – makes the visitor aware of the scientific, historic and economic significance of the micro-region surrounding the hospital center of Münsterlingen.
- Panorama Trail Langrickenbach – entices you to hike, jog and ride a bike, while enjoying the wonderful mountain panorama and the view of Lake Constance.
Top Events
- Village Market of Altnau – Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m (July to mid-August).
- Altnau Apple Weeks – for about two weeks it's all about apples in Altnau (September).
- Lantern Trail Altnau – marvelous trail with Christmas stories (mid-November to the end of December).


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Hideo Kojima & Guillermo del Toro are making a new Silent Hill game
Metal Gear Solid and Pan's Labyrinth directors team up for Silent Hills.
Silent Hill to battle Paranormal Activity 4 this Halloween
Good news, everyone! A new Silent Hill film will be arriving in cinemas on October 26.
Win seven-game Konami bundle, including MGS HD Special Edition
Two runners-up each win a copy of Silent Hill Downpour.
UK Video Game Chart: FIFA Street top, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 new at No.2
EA's FIFA Street holds on at the top of the All Formats All Prices UK video game chart for a third week, despite competition from new release Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 which pars the hole to place in third.
Silent Hill HD Collection confirmed for March 29 release
The included games were previously released on PS2, but now benefit from updated high definition visuals, plus a re-recorded soundtrack and dialogue - reuniting the original vocal artists.
Release date slips for latest Silent Hill games
Konami has announced that the three Silent Hill games due for this month will be released slightly later than planned.
Silent Hill 2 and 3 to get separate HD releases via download, PEGI suggests
Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3 are due to appear in spruced-up HD form in Konami's forthcoming compilation, but it now seems both games may also get a separate download release.
Three Silent Hill games dated for March 2012
Konami has slapped US release dates on three Silent Hill games, with all of them due this March.
View AllScreenshots
Heads-up: March 30
Heads-up: March 30
Launch Trailer
Launch Trailer
Silent Hill Collection HD - Silent...
Silent Hill Collection HD - Silent Hill 2 gameplay
Silent Hill Collection HD - Silent...
Silent Hill Collection HD - Silent Hill 3 gameplay
Trailer 2
Trailer 2
Official Konami Trailer
Official Konami Trailer


text:
Antonio Palumbio, MD
University Of Turin
Turin, Italy
Abstract Number:
J Clin Oncol 31, 2013 (suppl; abstr 8509)
Mario Boccadoro, Federica Cavallo, Francesca Maria Gay, Francesco Di Raimondo, Arnon Nagler, Vittorio Montefusco, Francesca Patriarca, Paola Tacchetti, Tommasina Guglielmelli, Pellegrino Musto, Luca Baldini, Claudia Crippa, Marina Ruggeri, Fabiana Gentilini, Maide Cavalli, Dina Ben Yehuda, Tommaso Caravita, Giovannino Ciccone, Izhar Hardan, Antonio Palumbo; Myeloma Unit, Division of Hematology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy; Italian Multiple Myeloma Network, GIMEMA, Italy, Italy; Hematology Division, BMT and Cord Blood Bank, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel; Hematology Division, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel; Cancer Epidemiology Unit, CeRMS and CPO Piemonte, Città della Salute e della Scienza, University of Torino, Torino, Italy; Hematology Division, Meir Medical Center, Kfar-Saba, Israel; Division of Hematology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
Background: The incorporation of new drugs into induction, consolidation, and maintenance therapy is changing the treatment paradigm of MM.
Methods: At diagnosis, 402 pts (< 65 years) were randomly assigned to receive six MPR cycles (N=202) or tandem MEL200 (N=200). After MPR or MEL200, pts were further randomized, within each group, for no maintenance (N=204) or lenalidomide maintenance (N=198). A 2x2 factorial randomized trial was designed. The primary end point was PFS. An enrolment of 170 pts/arm was required to demonstrate a 15% improvement of PFS at 2 years (2-sides a = 0.05, 1- β 80%).
Results: After a median follow-up of 45 mos from diagnosis, the median PFS was 25 mos with MPR and 39 mos with MEL200 (p=.0002). Median PFS were 37.5 mos for maintenance and 25.7 mos for no maintenance (p=.0008). The 4-year OS from diagnosis was 71% with MPR and 72% with MEL200 (p=0.71), 76% for maintenance and 68% for no maintenance (p=.08). After a median follow-up of 32 mos from start of maintenance, the median PFS was for 41 mos for maintenance and 18 mos for no maintenance (p<.0001). The 3-year OS from start of maintenance was 81% for maintenance and 72% for no maintenance (p=.04).
Conclusions: MEL200 significantly prolonged PFS in comparison with MPR. Lenalidomide maintenance significantly reduced the risk of progression independently from the previous treatment. OS is similar between MPR and MEL200, with a trend for an improved OS in pts receiving lenalidomide as maintenance therapy.
Clinical trial information: NCT00551928
Ken Anderson, MD
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Sundar Jagannath, MD
Mount Sinai Medical Center
New York, New York, USA
Shaji Kumar, MD
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota, USA
Sagar Lonial, MD
Emory University School of Medicine
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Paul Richardson, MD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Saad Usmani, MD, FACP
Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock, Arkansa, USA
Ajay Nooka, MD, MPH, FACP
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Katja Weisel, MD
University Hospital Tuebingen
Tuebingen, Germany
Andrzej Jakubowiak, MD
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Irene M. Ghobrial, MD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, MA
Henk M. Lokhorst, MD
University Medical Center Utrecht
Utrecht, Netherlands
Member, IMF Board of Scientific Advisors
Noopur Raje, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Shivlal Pandey, MD
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota, USA


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Top Definition
A fighting manuever used when your opponent is too close to punch. A face rub includes anyone of the following: eye goudging, putting one's fingers up another's nose, twisting another's nose, pushing down hard on your opponent's face, grabbing their face and mangling it, any improvised pain inflicted by mashing one's face by grabbing and mashing.
Lorenzo and Sean fought until they fell in between the the trampoline springs, then they just gave each other face rubs until we broke it up.
автор: sonicturkey 18 марта 2006
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
Noun: The act that results when two people rub their faces together as a sign of affection.
I haven't seen you in ages! Come here and give us a good face rub!
автор: penguinpancake 31 января 2011


text:
Orthodoxy through another perspective - Printable Version
+- The British Orthodox Church - Fellowship Forum (http://britishorthodox.org/forum)
+-- Forum: General Lounge (http://britishorthodox.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=11)
+--- Forum: General Conversation (http://britishorthodox.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=7)
+--- Thread: Orthodoxy through another perspective (/showthread.php?tid=376)
- John Charmley - 06-04-2010
Or, dear Rick, as Fr. Gregory pointed out, we just 'resign' full stop, and go out of the back door in a speedier manner than we entered the front door.
It is fairly clear from my renewed participation in this fellowship that for the last year there has been much frustration as circumstances prevented me from being present at St. Felix or the Eucharistic feast. Abba Seraphim has been (as ever) a saint, and managed to get to me and keep me going; but it allowed me time for thought!
Unable to get to Church, I prayed every morning in my icon corner, I read the Bible, and, for some fellowship, walked locally with friends to their Churches. I saw there that what we are talking about here is not confined to Orthodoxy.
In the UK (unlike the US) we have a very secular society where it was long ago accepted that Christianity was a private matter which should be kept that way. It has, and should have, no relevance to public life except where it supports a contemporary 'caring' consensus. So we are put into the margins and left there.
So yes, if we end up concentrating on our salvation that is, in part, because that is the way Christianity in the UK constructs itself vis a vis the national debate on just about everything.
Atomised Churches in an atomised and secular society, we can seem like ships on a vast sea, all actually going to the same place, but only occasionally flashing the odd signal to that effect. And, we, the laity, can be like passangers on that sip expecting the captain to do all the work, whilst he, poor fellow, is exhausted also looking after our every need as well as steering the ship.
Once I start on metaphors it is better for me to stop before they fall over themselves, but I hope you see the point.
In Christ,
- Rick Henry - 06-04-2010
Dear Father Peter,
As you can see I have three posts above that are the same except for format.
I have been meaning to write to you to tell you about this. This started about one week ago. I was getting a duplicate post in that funny format and would delete the extra copy . . . but now as you can see they are posting in triplicate.
So, instead of me deleting these and trying to describe to you what has happened in a PM, I'll leave these here so you can see first hand (and then delete the extras as the Administrator please).
Thank you,
PS This problem seems to occur when I use the edit feature. When I make a correction, this is when I see that there has been duplication.
Through Our Own Perspective II - Rick Henry - 07-04-2010
John, I wonder if you remember Herman the Pooh over in that other woods. When a conversation takes the turn that this one has, he is fond of restating the fact that he "has no where else to go." What he is saying is that he has both exhausted all of his options and that even though there may be shortcomings where he is at, he is simply saying, for him, there is no where else to go other than Orthodoxy, for him this is IT. With him there is something akin to a sweet spirit of resignation at play. Or, possibly more accurately there is a somber joy involved.
Part of that situation speaks to my comment above about when the dreaded smile of resignation starts to grow on a man's face. And, I'm not sure that what I am stumbling towards here has ever really been addressed. I know when folks go through that back door of a local visible church for the last time, there is never any kind of exit interview. If anything there is only a covering of one's eyes or a wagging of the head on the part of those left on the 'inside.' So, why would this be addressed? The front door "conversion" numbers are still intact. Evangelistically speaking it was still a good year . . .
But, there comes a time when a person has gone through the back door so many times that there really is no other place to go after a while. And, coupled with this, when one suspects Orthodoxy just might be IT on this side of Heaven, regardless of the shape of Orthodoxy Today, the feeling that there is no where else to go is reinforced.
So as some may look at the shape and dimension of Orthodox Missiology and the condition of the local visible church this comes into play at times. As some may look at the others who make up the numbers of Orthodox converts, specifically the one's whe "converted" the same year that he did, and as he realizes that they have all simply faded away . . . why would he want to bring any of his friends or associates into this realm so that they can fade to black with this smile on their faces.
That would make a good book title, "Atomized Churches." Or, maybe as well "An Atomized Orthodoxy?"
Although it is a bleak thought, like the smile itself, what happens to something when it is atomized? That's right it disappears, at least to the naked eye. What if it is true that many of the churches have been atomized and this is why even though they are still there going through the motions, the substance one hopes to find does not abide in a real way in these groups anymore than it does in other associations or societies. And, lest we become happy-clappy or participate in some sort of giddy superficiality, this is why there seems to be only two other options. One, enter into a kind of sweet resignation and fade to black within the local visible church. . . in this sense play your part along with the others who smile every Sunday. Or, two, become atomized yourself and just fade away.
Or, maybe for those of us in the US who find ourselves in this place, there is another option John. But, how could this other option be much different from what the Reformers have done? Regardless of the degree of error or deadness of a Church, does there ever come a time when there can be a kind of insurrection that does not have disastrous results or one that is not evil? What does any kind of rebellion, limited or other, have to do with Orthodoxy and obedience?
But, as I allow some room for Orthodoxy through our own perspective, and specifically from my perspective, maybe this does not apply to what is going on in the BOC. I suspect it doesn't really apply, based on what I have read here and elsewhere. There seems to be a lived experience in the BOC and I have read Father Peter's words in another thread today where he wrote that the British Orthodox Fellowship is committed to missions. I have known some groups that say they are committed to missions, this is what they tell people . . .but, when you look at where their resources go it is obviously a lie. But, I get the feeling that the BOC is committed to missions just because of the way Fr. Peter wrote in that post. Hopefully, they are committed to the "converts" as well once they come in the front door and are recorded as a number.
I can see that some of the churches in the BOC are very small. So some of these churches do not need a large staff in order to function at their current level. But, even here as we might consider such things as Church Growth and Church Planting, regardless of the age or size of a local visible church or mission church, which is more important: a.) the size of the body? or b.) the health of the body?
Regardless of whether there are 3 or 300 members in a given parish, the health of the body is what's most important in terms of both salvation and evangelism. An unhealthy church is not going to be an evangelistic church and even if there is some effort on this front what will happen to the new "convert" if he is to come in the front door of an unhealthy local body of believers?
You wrote once before John, about the unique place of the United States as it relates to An American Orthodoxy? But, the more I think about it, the more I can see that in Orthodoxy Today, the tiny BOC is the one positioned most uniquely.
But, again, it's not the size of the local body, but the health of the body that always takes precedence, right?
In Christ,
- John Charmley - 07-04-2010
Yes, dear Rick, it is the health of the body which is most important, and there the BOC is indeed blessed. I walked away from the Great Pascha service feeling the real joy of the Risen Lord, and the blessing of the fellowship of which I had just been fortunate to have been a part. The hour and a half journey home passed more speedily than ever, and that was not because of my speed
America is different, because Christianity there plays a more important role in public, and perhaps private, life. I remember when I lived in Fulton Mo. 18 years ago being amazed to drive down the high street on a Sunday morning and see that all sixteen Churches on it had full car parks; this in a town of 10,000 souls - and some of them had a second service and were just as full. Our Mr. Blair did not dare mention religion in case people thought he was a 'nutter'; your politicians would be 'nutters' if they failed to mention it.
In a way it is the very pluralism of American religious life which provides Orthodoxy with its recruits. Americans are used to changing their religious affliliations as their spiritual lives develop; the British, when they are religious, tend to be rather as they are with their banks - unwilling to change unless almsot forced to.
Fr. Peter's evangelical background makes him more comfortable (in the best sense) with the idea of evangelising than those of us from the C of E are. We are here, of course, for enquirers, and we do what we can - and perhaps that's all any of us can?
In Christ,
- Simon - 07-04-2010
Two thoughts on the size of BOC congregations, firstly that it's all a matter of perspective, of how we look at these things and secondly a sermon I preached in the BOC Church in Babbingley in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Firstly, then those comments, from a visiting Copt, concerning our numbers as we gathered together a month back for our Portsmouth Mission monthly Saturday Liturgy: "Attending the Liturgy in Portsmouth last Saturday and seeing about 7 people, who are 100% British who were not born into the faith, but discovered and live the Orthodox faith is just amazing to me, I believe you are at the forefront of orthodox mission in evangelizing in the western world." What a change not to be denigrated because of our numbers, for only having seven - but for someone to be amazed that we had that many... made quite an encouraging change I can tell you!
And now that sermon...
Five Loaves, Two Fishes & One Mosquito:
God can do a lot with a little?
You are all, I dare say, familiar with the five loaves and the two fish ? but the mosquito? No, this is not some new ultra modern version of the Bible (those of you who know me will know that I am far too much of a traditionalist for any of that ? I am Orthodox after all!) nor is it some secret Coptic text hitherto hidden for centuries under the sands of Egypt?
It was during the flight to Egypt for my second pilgrimage there (back in1998) that I sat reading Graham Green?s Monsignor Quixote, including the following reply from a bishop to Father Quixote?s question as to how a mosquito could have been created for man?s use. ?Surely, father, the use is obvious. A mosquito may be likened to a scourge in the hands of God. It teaches us to endure pain for love of him. That painful buzz in the ear ? perhaps it is God buzzing.?
We landed at midnight and by two a.m. had reached the Church centre (we shared the Cairo traffic with the celebratory fans of one of the main football teams making progress even slower than usual) and I found on our arrival that the English rain had managed to penetrate my suitcase back at Heathrow and I spent some time arranging wet clothes to dry over the next day and finally got to bed around 3 a.m. We were up at 5 a.m. sharp and on the road for a five hour drive to Muharraq monastery! It was a wonderful day ? the severe beauty of the desert, the ancient beauty of the monastery, meeting the monks, looking at manuscripts and so much more? Late in the evening one monk said to me, ?You will join us for the night prayers? to which I said ?I?ll try? whilst thinking inwardly how unlikely that was! I really think when I went to bed that after all the travelling of the previous day, the late night and scanty sleep, then the five hours on the road earlier and all the wonder of the day in the monastery that I had little if any intention of joining the monks for the night prayers. But that was before I encountered the mosquito?
I was laying there trying to go to sleep when the mosquito started buzzing in my ear. So I pulled the blanket over my head and shut it out. Then after ten or fifteen minutes I got too hot and threw off the blanket ? and it was back in a flash, buzzing away. So after a few minutes I pulled the blanket back over my head ? only a few minutes later, being too hot, to throw it off again. And so I alternated between the heat under the blanket and the mosquito at my ear for however long it went on? until, finally, I said to myself, ?I?ve had enough of this, I?m going to Church!?
And what a blessing that Church service was ? so many things I learned in worship with those monks in the early hours of that day! Some years later I remember remarking to someone that my mosquito was an angel sent to me from God to get me to Church that night to which he replied it was more likely just an ordinary mosquito. I do not for one moment insist that I encountered one of the heavenly ones sent down disguised as a mosquito but in the general meaning of the word ?angel? as ?messenger? ? well, I got the message all right, so in that sense my mosquito was definitely an angel!
I was reminded of my mosquito encounter some months ago when I came across a greeting card I had once bought and put by for future use and forgotten about. It was one of those greetings cards that have a quote on the front ? and this one read. ?If you think you?re too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.?
God can do a lot with a little. That tiny mosquito got me to Church. And with five small, even tiny, loaves and a couple of small fish God fed thousands.
I don?t know what size congregations you worship with Sunday by Sunday. I don?t know whether they are as tiny and few as the Sunday congregation here in Babingley or how many they may be. I don?t know if you ever feel down or dispirited when you read and hear in the media year on year of ever decreasing Church attendance, numbers down at Christmas and Easter again. Well don?t ? don?t feel down, don?t be dispirited, don?t be discouraged. Remember the loaves and fishes. Remember that mosquito. God can do a lot with a little.
Hear these Old Testament verses, from the First Book of Chronicles, chapter 12. These are the numbers of those who came to help David, to make him King over Israel, to fight with him against Saul.
?And these are the numbers of the bands that were ready armed to the war, and came to David? to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD. : The children of Judah that bare shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, ready armed to the war. Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valour for the war, seven thousand and one hundred. Of the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred? of the Aaronites?three thousand and seven hundred; ?of the children of Benjamin? three thousand? And of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty men of valour? of the half tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand... And of the children of Issachar?? (We?ll come back to Issachur in a minute)
?Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: they were not of double heart. And of Naphtali a thousand captains, and with them with shield and spear thirty and seven thousand. And of the Danites expert in war twenty and eight thousand and six hundred. And of Asher, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, forty thousand. And on the other side of Jordan, of the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and of the half tribe of Manasseh, with all manner of instruments of war for the battle, an hundred and twenty thousand.?
That?s over three hundred thousand? but what about the tribe of Issachur? For I skipped their verse ? let me read it to you now: ?And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment? Two hundred ? not two hundred thousand nor twenty thousand, nor even two thousand? just two hundred. ?And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment?
Yes, God can do a lot with a little. Indeed sometimes God whittles a larger number down to a smaller number ? consider another Old Testament account, that of Gideon.
?And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.
I am reminded of the conversation I once read about between two ministers in Scotland and one asked the other how many had been added to his congregation in the recent revival to which the answer came, ?Not one ? but God has greatly blessed us inasmuch as some have left we?ve been trying to get rid of for years!?
There is a very important lesson in the words of God to Gideon: ?And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.? If we are many and skilled and well-resourced and capable we can too easily trust in ourselves apart from God. Like Israel of old we too may be tempted to think our own hands have done this, it is all our work, our achievement. I know of a Church that for years had a prayer meeting before the Sunday worship and prospered and did well ? so they felt they didn?t need that prayer meeting any more and now things aren?t so good, they aren?t doing so well?
There is an important word in Orthodox doctrine and spirituality: ?synergy?. Synergy is God and man working together; in the words of the Apostle Saint Paul ?work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you?? The great example of someone co-operating with God is the Virgin Mary at the Annunciation when in response to the angelic announcement she says ?Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.? God cannot be born without the power of God but God will not be born without the co-operation of Saint Mary. God can do a lot with a little - this young woman, this slip of a girl really, co-operates with God, says yes to God, she hears the word of God and keeps it ? and becomes the Mother of God, the one who gives birth to God. But it cost her. Initially it cost her the trust of Joseph her betrothed (who was minded to divorce her quietly ), it cost her exile, she became a refugee, and it would cost her untold anguish at a later date with the crucifixion of her son, ?Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also? Co-operation with God carries a cost, it comes with a cost ? indeed our Lord warned us to count the cost. Think back to the loaves and fishes?
They were brought to Jesus, then He blessed them and broke them and distributed them to the multitude. If we would be used of God for the feeding of the multitudes in our day then we must come to Jesus, we must make ourselves available to Him to be used in His service, for His work. And we must seek His blessing upon the work we do for Him and with Him ? we must start every work for Him with prayer, always seeking His blessing and never launching out without first being blessed for the work. And we must be prepared to be broken. ?The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise? That spirit of independence may need to be broken, that thinking we can do it of ourselves, that we have sufficient numbers, sufficient skills or whatever it may be, so that we neglect to seek, and to really and earnestly seek, God?s blessing. And then there?s a broken and a contrite heart; that?s not just some quick and cheap vaguely sort of sorry that we sinned but being heartbroken and contrite for our sins?
This may be a good moment to mention that in a little over two weeks? time it will be Great Lent, the greatest fast of the entire Christian year. We never, ever have to wait until Lent to sort out our sins, to sort out ourselves spiritually (any more than we would think of waiting until Lent to see our doctor for our physical well being!) and we should never, ever delay or put off such things until Lent, nonetheless Lent is a penitential season and provides (like all the fasts throughout the Church year) in the otherwise busyness of our lives an opportunity to get serious about our sins, to get heartbroken and contrite over our sins.
Think what God can do with us if we but bring ourselves to Him for blessing and in brokenness... The loaves and fishes were brought to our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ and He blessed them and broke them and fed thousands. Then let us not hold back ourselves but rather make ourselves likewise available to God. But what can such a handful as us do? Never mind a handful ? I give you one, yes one person, St Seraphim of Sarov. He taught, ?Acquire inner peace and thousands around you will be saved.? And so they were, thousands around St Seraphim in Russia were saved, just like St Antony all those centuries earlier in the deserts of Egypt, another example of one man through whom God blessed multitudes. These men spent years with God, coming to Him continuously for His blessing and how he did bless them ? and others by them.
Whether you worship in a congregation as small as seven people, yes seven - like the five loaves and the two fishes; or whether you are a solitary hermit like Saint Seraphim or like Saint Antony the Great, just one - like my mosquito? always remember, always, always, always remember: God can do a lot with a little.
Yes, ?with God all things are possible?, ?with God nothing shall be impossible? ?Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee? and unto Thee we ascribe as is most justly due all majesty, dominion, glory and adoration, both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
- admin - 07-04-2010
Dear John,
I wonder if you are using the 'quote' link, as this would create a new post with the previous post formatted as the ones you had left for me to see.
This is an interesting thread to have spent some time catching up with. In regard to a shorter liturgy. I suppose I have a few observations. On the one hand, for a Sunday liturgy, it is possible for folk to attend in Chatham at about 11am, just in time for the Gospel, and stay for the remaining 50-60 minutes. So not too long I don't think. (And we have folk who do this, especially with young children).
On the other hand, in my latter years in Evangelicalism the length of services was growing all the time. Some evening services might be nearly two hours long, with a period of praise beforehand, a lengthy sermon, and lots more singing throughout. I am not entirely comfortable with reducing the length of a service if it is only to satisfy the lack of concentration span among many modern people.
But, a little bit of research shows me that the Presanctified Liturgy was used in the Syrian tradition until the 13th century at least - and one text has the name of St Severus. And it was used, among other reasons, for those occasions when a full liturgy was inappropriate or inconvenient, and could even be celebrated with modifications by a deacon or a lone monk. Certainly we know that even in the Coptic tradition - which is strongly resistant of the reservation of the eucharistic elements - there was a normal reservation throughout the early period, which perhaps ceased due to the threat of Islamic desecration of the elements.
A Presanctified liturgy would indeed be useful, but we don't have access to such a practice. I am doing a liturgy tonight, and will be welcoming two British folk into the catechumenate, but the 3 or 4 of us will be at Church for 2 hours, which does not always and in all circumstances mean that we will be twice as reverent and worshipful as if we were there for 1 hour.
In regard to how I perceive the disconnect between what I expected of Orthodoxy and what I have found. I would say that I have reached a happy place where I embrace the humility and poverty of the British Orthodox Church, such that there is nothing there for us other than Christ in the eucharist and in each other. We have nothing else to offer people. There is no cathedral choir. There are a no gold plated roccoco decorations. When you visit us you find a handful of friendly people worshipping God. We offer ourselves to God and to each other.
I guess I have also come to embrace the notion of 'total uselessness' rather than 'total depravity'. There was and will be no golden age of the Church when everything was wonderful. On the contrary it has always been as human and provisional and corruptible as it is now. Therefore there is no need to fear the future or despair of the present. It has always been like this and yet the Church survives.
In 516AD it seemed that the anti-Chalcedonian position had finally prevailed. There were anti-Chalcedonian patriarchs in Constantinople, Antioch and Alexandria. The emperor was sympathetic. Then in 518AD it had all changed. Patriarchs, bishops and monks were expelled. St Severus finds exile in Egypt. Yet the Church survives. In the time of St Cyril there was constant ecclesial stress. In the time of St Athanasius he spent much of his episcopate in exile. St Dioscorus dies in prison. St Timothy of Alexandria spends much of his episcopate far from home. Yet the Church survives.
It will survive these present times. It will survive our humble circumstances. Because we, in the BOC, are not the whole Church. We are one small community of a wider community of millions of faithful Christians in a variety of places and cultures who are all facing the ever present challenge of being fully Orthodox while being fully <add your ethnicity>. Our ethnicities are always a moving target, and so we must always be seeking to be genuinely Orthodox to our present and not to our past.
In my own experience I would suggest that what would be useful would be a good-quality proper Western musical setting of the Raising of Incense and the Liturgy. It is not unpleasant at all, but I would like it to have the sense of something which was a little more musical. I would also like (and this is something within my power) a greater sense of the calendar through the year. Perhaps also a better use of a few Western hymns, especially those of genuine antiquity, and also the setting to Western tunes of some others of the Eastern hymns. Also a proper and comprehensive program to develop a liturgical synaxarium (not just a book of saints) which rooted us in our own Western ecclesial heritage as well as the Alexandrian and universal heritage.
I have no great interest in the Western Rite project - since I do not come from a liturgical background at all. But I am interested in Western Orthodoxy - if that means an Orthodoxy which is naturally at home in the West of the 21st century, and not that of Anglicanism in the 19th century. It seems to me that generally Orthodoxy becomes properly inculturated by modifying what is received rather than starting from scratch. So I am not so interested at all in thinking of an Orthodoxy from scratch. But I do think that language and music are key to culture.
As ever
Father Peter
- John Charmley - 07-04-2010
Dear Fr. Peter,
As ever, you offer us much food for thought - and very nourishing food too.
Perspective is required on numbers, as Fr. Simon's post shows. Indeed, once upon a time most of the Church could fit into an upper room in Jerusalem, and some members of that were quick to pretend they knew nothing of it when circumstances changed. It is here, perhaps, were we recall that comment on the essays you review in the GR about Chalcedon - that St. Dioscorus was the Athanasius of his day. And he's a reminder that the earthly fate is not always that of St. Athanasius. All we can do is the Lord's work; He it is who brings the increase.
You make some extremely interesting observations which go far to address some of Fr. Gregory's comments.
I would share the view you express about the lectionary. Whilst I was to attend Church my Catholic friend very 'kindly' lent me three volumes of the Catholic lectionary. Of course, he was rather hoping this would help me to see why he thinks everyone should be a Catholic, but its real use to me was to give me a structure for my Bible reading which I found very helpful as part of my spiritual life. I'd like to be offer him something of ours!
I have offered Fr. Simon my services to provide a catena from the Fathers for each week's Gospel reading, and he kindly sent me copies of the forthcoming Gospel readings - and not being familiar enough with the Coptic Calendar, I had to ask him to explain which ones came when! certainly the readings from the Synaxarium are interesting to those of us with an interest in Coptic history, but they are sometimes a bit gruesome, and the sort of thing you mention sounds most useful Your own Daily Life has been, and remains, a great help.
On the music, that's an interesting thought; it would be good to hear more about this.
On length I didn't read it as a concession to modern business, but more as an attempt to remind us that Orthodox tradition has in it, as you remind us, other liturgical forms. You raise some really interesting questions for further contemplation.
In Christ,
- Antony-Paul - 07-04-2010
My dear Brothers,
I hesitate to enter this absorbing thread, being only recently Baptised and Chrismated after over sixty years of Roman Catholicism. But perhaps one or two observations from that perspective are relevant.
I, too, am unhappy with the numbers game. I recall mentioning to my non-Orthodox wife that at Pascha we had a full house - Bournemouth church had about seventeen people in it, and it was packed! It must have been a bit like the Upper Room. Just a handful of dedicated people.
What impressed me was the degree of devout prayerfulness, coupled with both sadness at the Crucifixion and joy at the Resurrection. This small number of Jesus' followers was absolutely a reflection of the Church as it should be. I come from a background where large numbers attend Mass just because they have been told to (or even under pain of sin if they don't) rather than because they want to. Here, people had travelled for hours to worship God because it was important to them. Just going to the local church was not enough, they needed the specific community of the OC. And the OC needs their qualities not vast numbers of converts. Much better to have a few willing volunteers than a regiment of pressed men.
I suspect that Rome fell into the numbers game trap with VaticanII. There was a worry that numbers had been falling for decades and something had to be done to reverse this trend. Several radical changed took place. Large numbers left. Large numbers joined. Then the decline continued...... One presumes that numbers is not the name of the game after all.
Turning to the Liturgy, I had a chat recently with Father Simon about this. Personally, I love our Liturgy, and have no problem with its length. However, I tried to take a charitable approach by suggesting that some folk may not be able to cope with the length, and was there an alternative that might help them. He replied, firmly, that it was appropriate for them to accept the Liturgy as it is, or not at all. We should not water down our principles for the sake of quick popularity. (Perhaps he should intervene with this bit, rather than have me paraphrase his words.) Nevertheless, the historic existence of shorter forms and even presanctified species does seem to me to be worth further prayer in the circumstances of BOC as distinct from Coptic needs.
Locally we have begun regular prayer meetings one evening a week using the Agbia, followed by a suitable discussion or exposition. This is in addition to the Liturgy, and often happens without Father Simon if he is busy. This is yet another development which mirrors the early church, when there were few (and differently regarded) ministers available. It is proving a valuable exercise, especially for enquirers and catechumens.
The OC tradition of people coming and going during the Liturgy seems to offer another way to ease the difficulty for newcomers to our long services. It does seem a little odd when you come from the "be there at the beginning and stay to the end" brigade, but it obviously works, having survived all these centuries.
I am dubious about the musical idea. Unless you have persons with some musical talent I fancy it could degenerate into something less than was intended. A large congregation can cope with one or two who cannot carry a tune, but in our small groups it is rather difficult. I feel that the retention of simple chants is probably more helpful, certainly for the forseeable future. Personally, I also find it has a more monastic feel which is conducive to a prayerful attitude, but that is just my feeling for what it is worth.
I look forward to more on this thread. Perhaps I will add more myself once I have thought some more. In the meantime,
- John Charmley - 07-04-2010
Dear Antony-Paul,
An interesting set of comments which move us along nicely; many thanks for your engagement.
You bring an interesting perspective as a convert from Roman Catholicism.
Yes, it is tempting to agree that numbers don't matter; and yet they do in the sense that so many need bringing to Christ. Even the early Apostles were dealing with a society saturated with religion, and, in their own cases, one where a highly liturgical form of worship was practiced and to which people were used. In the US, as Rick knows, many entrants into the OC are converts from other denominations; here, oddly enough, we have a real opportunity to reach the unchurched. And was it not St. Paul who made himself all things to all men so that he could appeal to the widest audience.
We must never forget that the Church is not ours; the faith must be preached to all. There is a danger in taking the: 'this has worked for centuries in Egypt/Greece/Russia approach'. In the first place it is by no means clear it continues to work in Greece and Russia; in the second we know that there are other and shorter forms of liturgy, and they existed, and exist, for a reason.
Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to spend two hours each way driving to Church and then spend three hours at the service; if we assume we live in a society where this is the case then we are wrong; and if we say that people can take it or leave it, then they'll leave it, not necessarily because they are not committed, but because they have other commitments. If we are saying that our members have to be up to doing what we do now the way we do it, we shall attract only those with the leisure to do it; the blessed Apostles did not make the yoke too much for the Gentiles, despite the wishes of the 'men from James'; as ever, we can learn from the best evangelists the world has ever known.
It isn't about quick popularity; it is about the need to meet people where they are, I suspect.
Being profoundly unmusical in practice, I am sympathetic to what you say about music; the noise I make could only be described as singing by someone as tone-deaf as myself. As my old music master used to say: 'he joins in with great gusto' :oops:
Unlike our American friends, we are dealing with a society where, especially amongst the younger generation, there is a profound ignorance about the faith. Most schools hardly teach Christianity save as part of a multi-faith experience; RC schools are among the few honourable exceptions I know.
Most of my students simply do not know the first thing about Christianity; most of them are 'searching' for what they call 'spirituality' and many think they will find it in 'the East'. When I tell them that our Faith is the ultimate Eastern religion they look startled; most of them think it started in Rome or Canterbury.
In Egypt, Pope Shenouda long ago said that a Church without a youth has no future, and that a youth without a Church also had no future; what he said is profoundly true, and, of course, the Sunday school movement in the COC is the result. How we convince our youth that their spiritual longings can be met within the Church will, at least in part, determine what sort of future the BOC has.
In Christ,
- admin - 08-04-2010
From my own perspective I am not really looking for a cathedral quality setting of the liturgy, but I would like a variant tune to the Our Father, and I would like a musical setting for the Creed. Just so that the liturgy was a little more musical.
In terms of length, I suppose my thought is that there are occasions when folk would benefit from the eucharist (who could not) but when there just is not 2 1/2 hours to do it in. It seems to me that even in the Coptic rite there is a shortening of what must have been an even more lengthy service - I mean that in the Hours the psalms are distributed to be read simultaneously, and there are prayers in the liturgy which are now said silently (and therefore quickly). Indeed since the Coptic rite seems to me to be especially monastic in origin - because of the history of the Church during centuries of persecution - I wonder if that is not another reason for the very long services when the whole cycle is prayed?
I have some younger Coptic priest friends who are well educated theologically but I see that their entire week is now spent celebrating very long services in Church and they do not have time even to respond to emails, let alone spend time thinking, studying and writing. This is not a criticism at all of the Coptic practice, which is often inspiring.
Last night I was discussing this with my two new catechumens. We will hopefully expand our services each month to a weeknight liturgy, a evening of the Vesper's Hour, Prayer and Study, and perhaps a cleaning night. We would also like to start praying at least one Saturday Raising of Evening Incense. What we seemed agreed upon was that we should not try to do everything possible, not only because we would burn ourselves out, but also because we are indeed called to be Christian fathers and husbands and neighbours and witnesses outside the building of the Church as well as within.
This is not to propose a reduced Sunday liturgy. People can always come in a little later and could even be in Church for just an hour from the Gospel. It is not even to suggest a restoration of some ancient rite. (As if we had any authority to do so). But it is to wonder how and whether there is a space between doing everything and doing nothing. Because many people are unable to do everything.
I notice that quite a few Coptic churches are now celebrating a Liturgy of the Word, which is essentially the first part of the Liturgy up to the dismissal of the catechumens I guess. They are using this to reach out to non-Orthodox in the English language and with a shorter non-eucharistic service. At Chatham we have used the hour of Prime successfully as a lay-led service when Father Michael was not available, and now if I am ever not there. Part of the problem may well be that we are not exposed to the full cycle of Coptic services very often and so we are less aware of other opportunities for spiritual benefit - I say this to myself.
I know that Father Simon has been supporting more and more of the Paschal cycle with great benefit. And I hope that next year we will have a fuller Pascha at Chatham. It seems reasonable that we should be aware of everything in the tradition before we wonder what else we could do! More and more seems available in the English language. And as we have discussed Orthodoxy does begin somewhere, even when it is being inculturated in another setting. We don't start from scratch.
Father Peter
- John Charmley - 08-04-2010
Again, some very good points for us to discuss and ponder, Fr. Peter.
You cut to the heart of this in your comments about also being called to be Christians in the world outside of the physical Church building. The fullness of the vocation of a life called to prayer and service within the monastic tradition does, indeed, allow for the full cycle of the services at their most developed; there is also a comfort to the rest of us in knowing that this is happening.
But if one has worldly responsibilities, then they, too, have to be met. Personally, now I can drive again, I love the early morning journey through the Norfolk countryside when few others are about, and the services allow me the space I need to begin to focus on what is to come; so, if I had only myself to think of, everything would be perfect, and I'd be happy to stay as long as possible; but as I don't, I have to think of others and their needs.
It is interesting to hear about your plans at Chatham, and a useful reminder that as we get more established and begin to grow, new possibilities open up. It sounds as though your work is bearing fruit, and as it does across our patches, we clearly have the spirit to grow as we are called to grow.
In Christ,
- Rick Henry - 08-04-2010
Your last post just really hit home with me John. Before I read your post, I knew that you and I, and most if not all of us on this website, are not a bunch of monks. But, somehow after reading your last post, it just is somehow really crystal clear that some of us are husbands and fathers and businessmen and homeowners . . . and in this we really are not a bunch of monks.
As we consider where our services come from, and as we might consider cycles of daily and weekly worship, I think this matters. Just as we have considered an emphasis on the size of the local body of believers and an emphasis on the health of the local body of believers (viz. appearances and actuality), I wonder if there is some room to consider the fact that we are not a bunch of monks living in a monastery with our main responsibility in life being to go to services on the same property in which we live.
I really think this needs to be addressed in a plain and simple way. Otherwise, it is easy to begin to feel "less than." And, while humility is always a good thing, I'm not sure that this type of "less than" feeling has anything to do with humility (if that makes any sense).
There is a very fine line here between what is helpful and what is not, in this train of thought, about our 'approaches' and 'pursuits' . . . and while knowing I was attracted to Orthodoxy because of both the emphasis on Community and the mystical aspects, at the same time when the line between unreal expectations and the teaching of the Church becomes blurred . . . and when "doing everything," as Fr. Peter has said, is what is expected or striven for, then I think whether we know it or not we have gone down a rabbit hole and it is hard to distinguish what is real from what is pretend (or pretense).
I'm not sure that I have a conclusion here in this, but knowing we are not a bunch of monks going to services everyday in the church building; but, that we are husbands, fathers, etc., maybe there is no clearly defined answer to be given in a one-size-fits-all fashion, and in plain in simple language. Maybe no matter how much we rack our brains on this subject, or even talk to numerous pastors who seem to think they know what's best for you, possibly there is a wisdom to be found in a letting go of this somewhat and just being honest and real and saying I don't know. Why would we not do this really, in our direct and responsible relationships with the Triune God? . . . why would we not just make our starting point about this question one of an avoidance of all forms of pretense in ourselves and say to God, I don't know. And, now I'm thinking of a prayer by Thomas Merton that I'll post as a possible conclusion to the whole matter (look at the honesty in this please):
My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really understand myself,
and the fact that I think I am following
your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the
right road, though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may
seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and
you will never leave me to face my troubles alone.
--Thomas Merton
- Rick Henry - 08-04-2010
Quote:Maybe no matter how much we rack our brains on this subject, or even talk to numerous pastors who seem to think they know what's best for you, possibly there is a wisdom to be found in a letting go of this somewhat and just being honest and real and saying I don't know.
It just occurred to me that possibly there is more heat than light in what I have said above . . . but, as it relates to "perspectives" I think it is fair to say that not everyone has an Abba Seraphim in their life. And, for those who do not, in light of our discussion, how can there not be a degree of a Protestant mindset/perspective (whether we admit it or not)?
As we might consider the words of Scripture about letting go, or laying it all aside, I wonder how much of this applies to even our efforts in our 'religion'?
- admin - 08-04-2010
When I was talking with folk last night we considered how we will not be judged by how much we know - Christianity is not a matter of accepting or understanding propositions. Nor will we be judged according to whether or not we have completed a checklist of activities.
Our Christian faith is a matter of being and becoming. Therefore all of these other necessary things are a means of being and becoming more Christ-like, and more completely filled with the Holy Spirit. Sometimes even attendance at Church services and the study of theology can prevent us being and becoming as God would wish.
We thought together last night how our prayer lives at home, and our lives with others, were also necessary means of being and becoming, and that we should not neglect those aspects of our lives, any more than we should neglect the proper and necessary and sustaining participation in the services of the Church, the Body of Christ - of which we are of course mystically and organically members.
Balance in all things I suppose.
Father Peter
- Rick Henry - 09-04-2010
admin Wrote:Our Christian faith is a matter of being and becoming. Therefore all of these other necessary things are a means of being and becoming more Christ-like, and more completely filled with the Holy Spirit.
From where I stand, I think it would be hard to make a more spot on point in this "perspectives" thread than what you have here Fr. Peter, thanks.
And, at the risk of taking this conversation where some would rather it not go, I have to wonder, at this point, if I really agree with this. As I read it I think I agree 100% with what Fr. Peter has said, but what are we really saying when we say this and believe this? I know Fr. Jack Sparks has said the same thing in terms of making it clear that some people, whom desire to achieve "being and becoming" [or what some others may call experience/encounter], will do this by attending long services in church. Others will carry out fasts, vigils, and prostrations, or sleeping on bare earth. Others will say many prayers at home. Others will focus on mental prayer, solitude, isolation, and silence. And, of these "means" or "methods" and their help in terms of being a vehicle for "being and becoming," as Fr. Sparks says, they may or may not help us.
What is a vehicle of grace for one may not be for another. And, I think this speaks to what was written earlier that Orthodoxy is not just a set of doctrines and teachings . . . because if it is, then anyone could be Orthodox regardless of where they attend church for a couple of hours on Sunday morning, right? If it was a certain way of knowing and being, and if it is a process of being and becoming [or experience/encounter], then any whose theory of knowing and theory of being was Orthodox would be Orthodox (as much as any) right? In some ways this speaks to an old question for a few of us here, which has been, it seems that in some ways one must already "be" Orthodox before one can "become" Orthodox and have an Orthodox mindset . . . otherwise there is no conversion, nothing is different. And, in this how does this come into play in terms of the vehicle of grace that is offered each Sunday? This seems to be the one determining factor really in much of our discussion.
Because, one could almost conclude that one can be Orthodox whether one is Eastern Orthodox, or Oriental Orthodox, or whatever Orthodox . . . or even Roman Catholic, or possibly even Baptist or other labels, if one is "being and becoming" and if one participates in the lived experience of Orthodoxy in terms of its teachings.
So, this is what I like about teachings and doctrines and propositions (and even systematic theology) . . .it takes much of the subjective element out of personal experiences and religious practices. When we put down on paper what we believe, this can be helpful . . . when we say what we believe and why we believe what we believe this can also be very helpful. But, sometimes when we put everything together that we are saying, it causes pause for reflection.
If for example, the main reason why I am Orthodox is not because of any unique teachings or doctrines found within Orthodoxy, or because this is the only place I can attend church on Sunday and hold my beliefs in good conscience, but the main reason why I am Orthodox is because this is where I encounter Christ in the Lord's Supper, then this is a good reason to be Orthodox. But, if this is our criteriology that we are using for our association with a particular group of Christians . . . then how could we suggest that where another experiences what we experience within say the RCC or the Baptist Church that they are any "less than" or how could we suggest that "they" need to become one of "us?" When I was a Baptist about 15 years ago, when we would have Communion it was a very special and serious thing to me. I know many Orthodox who like to ridicule what I experienced then and point out that as I was holding my "cracker" and my little cup of "Welch's Grape Juice" I was not participating in anything other than a mockery of the Holy Eucharist. I have not shared this with them, because I will not cast my pearls before swine . . . but, I feel comfortable sharing here that when I would hold my cracker and my juice and wait for direction to consume these and listen to a few words about what we were doing before consuming these . . . I have experienced the Living Christ and his resurrection power through His Holy Spirit as much or more than I ever have through the Orthodox "spoon." So, in my case, if this is our criteria, what in the world am I doing being Orthodox? I can live Orthodoxy, the life of prayer, and I can teach and preach Orthodox doctrines to others, who might never here these elsewhere.
So what are we really saying above, and do we really believe this? I do not see any evidence/symptoms of Groupthink here, but one remedy/cure for Groupthink is to play the devils advocate within such a particular group. Possibly, some of this is going on here (me being advocate), but everything that I have offered for our little discussion is true.
In Christ,


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COLUMBIANA The recent decision by council to re-appoint Richard McBane to the planning commission elicited more dissension among some members this week.
Councilman Bryan Blakeman made a motion to repeal the Nov. 6 vote that put McBane back on the commission for another six years.
The matter was discussed at length during the previous meeting, with councilman Bob Bieshelt voting to table the appointment, but council moved it forward with a 3-2 vote. He and Blakeman opposed because the position was not advertised as open first.
Blakeman said council should have taken letters of interest from the public for the position and requested the repeal of the vote in order to do so. He recommended council accept resumes until Dec 13 and have someone appointed on Dec. 18 for the new term that begins Jan. 1.
"That table was voted down and rammed through knowing someone else" wanted the position, he said of Bieshelt's motion.
"That doesn't in my mind, nor should it in yours, present a level of trust ... We are going to silence it from the public and ram it through and we don't have a full council here," he said of the Nov. 6 meeting in which Councilman James King was absent.
Councilman Tom Ferguson was incensed at Blakeman's comments and a discussion then ensued between himself, Blakeman and James King that ended with Mayor David Spatholt interrupting by pounding the gavel.
"You're going to have a hard time proving that's the object," Ferguson said of Blakeman's statement that it was "rammed through."
"I take offense to that," he added. "Don't you tell me how I voted. Don't you tell me that I ram-rodded something through. Don't you use those words about me."
He then went on to say that he was pleased with the appointment and didn't feel anything had been done wrong because it was clear the public was also pleased with McBane since he had earned votes to be on council last year.
McBane was running against Bieshelt who was running as an incumbent. Bieshelt retained the seat by earning 20 more votes.
"I would say that the public has spoken. I know the citizens accepted that; he almost became a councilman. I know that everyone on the commission is happy with Dick," Ferguson said.
But King responded that the city "didn't speak on the planning commission" because they were voting for McBane to be on council at that time.
"The man got votes to be councilman, you don't think (they would) support him as chairman?" Ferguson said.
Don Oberholtzer, who was in the audience and who had submitted an application for the commission position held by McBane, said he was "offended" that he wasn't given an opportunity.
"I did send a letter in with my name," he said, adding that he believes the public should have a right to be told of an open position.
Keith Chamberlin said he "probably did" get the letter but that he doesn't "keep them."
"The decision we made that night was a good decision and I am sticking with it. I think we got the best man for the job," Ferguson said.
King then asked how he knew the best man was chosen when others hadn't even been given a chance to apply, and the question began a heated exchange between the two that resulted in Spatholt's interruption.
"From now on anyone interested in any position, send your letter in at any time and they are to be filed and kept on record until any position is open," Spatholt said.
He also said that term expirations dates for city-held positions should be posted on the plaque in city hall. The information will also be made available on the city's website, www.cityofcolumbiana.org.
Blakeman's motion to repeal McBane's appointment then died following a 3-3 vote broken by Spatholt who voted against. Those opposed were Ferguson, Mary Calinger and Lowell Schloneger.


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Fairy Wands
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Wands are the primary tools that every Fairy and Anti-Fairy needs to use their magic.
They are featured heavily in all the episodes that feature Cosmo and Wanda. Although they won't grant wishes unless waved, as seen when the world only had desserts and Wanda needed to wave her wand in order for her to grant a wish. As seen in Wishology, Wands can also double as lightsaber-like weapons, but with a star on the end of the lightsaber. Wanda used a pink one to deflect two laser-bullets from two robots that resembled destroyer droids from Star Wars. It possibly being a wand. Wands were once replaced by cellphones during the time when Pixies took control of Fairy World. There are also emergency wands that fairies give to their godchildren if the fairy is too busy, it only contains 10 wishes.
In the Oh Yeah! Cartoons short Where's the Wand?, it is stated that whoever holds a fairy wand has complete control over it, and has the power to grant their own wishes, plus the wishes of others.
It is stated in I Dream of Cosmo, that when you shrink a fairy wand, you only have enough magic to do silly parlor tricks.
Wands become useless when soaked in water. (Turner & Pooch)
Living WandsDuring wishes where fairies poofed them and their godchildren, and possibly others, into an old cartoon, Wands will become alive and try to escape their fairy owners. But after the fairies catch them, they'll happily grant wishes for them again, even if it means poofing them out of the old cartoon, which means that the wands will become non-existent again. Cosmo & Wanda's living wands are played by Dee Bradley Baker.
- A fairy wand takes on the appearance of a yellow star on a straight black stick.
- An anti-fairy wand takes on the appearance of a blue or black star on a black stick.
- Jorgan Von Strangle's Wand is about twelve times the size of a normal fairy wand, and is used more like a giant staff.
- Poof uses a rattle with a star icon on it as his wand. Foop uses a black and blue colored baby bottle with bat wings.
Fairy Wands
- Cosmo's Wand
- Wanda's Wand
- Jorgen von Strangle's Wand
- Blonda's Wand
- Nana Cadabra's Wand
- Binky's Wand
- Mama Cosma's Wand
- Big Daddy's Wand
- Tooth Fairy's Wand
- Juandissimo's Wand
Other Wands
- The Fire Wand
- The Wind Wand
- The Ice Wand
Anti-Fairy Wands
As the fairy wands are powered by fairy believers, the Anti- Fairy wands must be powered by non-belivers.
- Anti-Cosmo's Wand
- Anti-Wanda's Wand
- Anti-Jorgen's Wand
Other Devices
Magic Cell-phones
The variation of the wand used by the Pixies, as they treat magic like a business, and a boring one at that. Presumably, a wish is made by dialing a magical text message into the keypad and waving the phone in the air to transmit a wish to some sort of magical uplink tower or satellite.
Magic Rattles
A premature variation of the wand used by fairy babies, so the baby may channel its magic and control it until they are old enough for a wand, the sole example being Poof's rattle.
Magical bottles
A variation of the wand used by Anti-Fairy babies; presumably a wish is made by waving the bottle in the air and squirting it, and is recharged by filling it with magic in the form of a sparkly liquid.
- There are 3 colors of rays, Blue, Pink, and Yellow
- Jorgen's Wand Ray has been from yellow, pink, and Blue throughout the series.
- Earlier in the series when the Fairy Wands lit up it was yellow, but later in the series it turned orange.
- In Land before Timmy, Wanda states that the wands require 1.21 wishowatts of power,a parody of the Delorean's 1.21 gigawatts in Back to the Future Trilogy.
- A similar wand was seen in the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy episode Nigel Planter and the Camber Pot of Secrets.


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A motorcyclist was found dead hours after he crashed into a mailbox in Palm Coast early Tuesday morning.
Codie Ray Barlow, 20, was traveling on Pacific Drive where the road curved sharply. He did not make the curve and hit a mailbox, according to Florida Highway Patrol.
Barlow ended up in the front yard of a home on Pacific Drive.
A neighbor heard the crash at 3:30 a.m. and saw the damaged mailbox but thought a vehicle had struck it and drove off.
Four hours later, the same neighbor went outside to check the damaged mailbox and found Barlow dead in the yard.


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Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Jennifer Lea Roberts, 41, teaches math at Summerville High School. She also works with kids needing extra support for graduation.
She is married to a former North Charleston police officer, Jerry, and has a stepdaughter, Stacie, who is currently in grad school at USC. AT home, she is "mom" to two Chihuahuas – Dexter and Kessler.
Last year, she was a District Honor Teacher of the Year.
Her 20-year teaching career began in Haut Gap Middle School on John's Island where she spent four years. She then came to DD2 and taught at Alston Middle School for seven years before coming to Summerville High School where she is beginning her 10th year of teaching.
She has taught social skills, social studies and math. She has a Master's from The Citadel and is certified in elementary, middle and secondary education.
Growing up in Irmo, which is north of Columbia, she earned her Bachelor's in elementary education at Clemson.
Why teaching? "I get to make a difference," she says. "As a Christian it gives me an avenue to do God's will."
"Sometimes, you are the [only] caring adult in a child's life."
Roberts works with At Promise kids. Some are homeless, some are single parents, some have personal or family issues. She also gets kids who have transferred to SHS and she helps them get up to speed. She helps those who struggle with math. Most of her students are in the 10th grade.
She is also mentoring a new math teacher.
She finds it difficult to select a best experience…"there are so many," she says.
There's one, she finds special, a student who struggled for five and a half years to graduate, went to night school and is now employed with DD2.
Her worst? Well aside from the student who threatened to shoot her over a detention (and whose brother had brought a gun to school the year before) which was, she says, pretty scary, there aren't many bad experiences.
When not in school, Roberts is active at St. George's Episcopal Church, she sings on its Praise Team and is a member of the Daughters of the King religious order. Not surprising as both her parents, although now retired, are Episcopal priests.
She loves working out and does so five to six days a week incorporating Zumba, Yoga and Body Flow (a combination of Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates) into her routine. She is a big Clemson fan and she supports her daughter who runs with USC track.
"I love to read," she says, "and enjoy best sellers, Patricia Cornwall, trilogies and series and I read what the kids are reading so I can keep up with them and understand them better."
Both she and her husband work 50 to 60 hours a week. Her husband, although retired as a police officer, works for CPD as a civilian in the digital evidence unit in forensics.
At school she is an athletic academic advisor working with student athletes to arrange tutoring and help them keep up with their academics, supporting teachers and students alike.
Her future goals? She has worked with online courses at SHS for the past eight years and is an ardent supporter of a future DD2 online high school. "I would like to be a part of that."
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It was Noah's birthday wish to have lunch there today.
And, just so you know, the reason we've never been isn't because we are against it for any reason at all (aside from a little fear due to some horrific tales I only hope are urban legends) but rather that for a long time Noah was on a special diet and we stayed away from places like that until he was better and since then the opportunity to go had not presented itself.
Until now.
I bought hand sanitizer, as suggested.
I prepared my stomach for questionable "pizza."
And I nervously bit my nails.
I planned to blog about the whole experience here, hoping for some eloquently phrased great teachable moment to tie it all up in the last line.
But this morning Noah decided he'd rather go to the mall and eat at the Food Court instead for his birthday lunch and have I told you lately how much I love this boy?
We found out they had this Funflatables play area and headed right there. In a good hour we'd exhausted all their energy to which only corn dogs and lemonade could fix.
Side note- going to the mall on a school holiday REALLY makes you realize that four is a lot of kids if you hadn't noticed it in a while.
There are things that I hope my children someday look back and think of their childhood. I hope that they can be found one day sitting around talking with each other and maybe even arguing a bit because each one thinks that they were my favorite. I hope that they always knew how much their Mommy and Daddy loved and respected each other. And I hope they always knew how much we hoped for them, dreamed for them, and loved them.
And I hope they felt like they didn't miss even one single moment of being a kid.
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The Office of Student Financial Aid assists students whose personal and family resources are not adequate to cover the costs involved in attending the University of Wyoming by:
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UW Offers In-State Tuition for Military Veteran Students
Time Limitation on Direct Subsidized Loan Eligibility for First-Time Borrowers on or after July 1, 2013


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LOCATION IN MALL: Lower Level, JCPenneyWing near Windsor
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TU's addition:
February 8, 2014 Construction is under way for Tiffin University's new addition, Murphy Academic Support Center. Ground for the center was broken in November. The Adena Corp. more »»
Fundraising wrapping up for Heidelberg's stadium project
February 8, 2014 Ground work has begun for Heidelberg University's Hoernemann Stadium and The Fox Den Alumni Center; the university has only about $400,000 left to raise to reach its goal. more »»
New building 'feels like home'
February 8, 2014 BASCOM – "Fantastic," "wonderful" and "blessed" are words that Superintendent Nichole Jiran uses to describe her time spent in Hopewell-Loudon Local Schools' new K-12 school building. more »»
Terra looks to add entrance to campus from highway
February 8, 2014 FREMONT – For improved economic growth and safety, Terra State Community College had proposed an additional entrance off of SR 53. more »»
Library adds program, meeting room
February 8, 2014 SYCAMORE – The year of planning and raising funds has paid off for Mohawk Community Library; the 1,661-square-foot program and meeting room finally is complete and in use. more »»
Frost-Kalnow Stadium project to move to Phase II
February 8, 2014 Phase I is complete and Tiffin City Schools is to move into Phase II of its stadium renovation project. more »»
Proposed designs under way for Carey school building
February 8, 2014 CAREY – Preparations are under way to begin designing the Carey Exempted Village Local Schools' new pre-kindergarten through high school building. The district had proposed a . more »»
Alzheimer's Walk Support from GW'S September 27, 2016
Alzheimer's Walk Support from GW'S Fine Food & Spirits, 5a.m.-11 p.m., In support of Alzheimer's Walk will donate 15% of all food sales. more »
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text:
You Capture: still life
More about our day (what a day) yesterday.
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Twitter me- I'm babysteph
You Capture: still life
More about our day (what a day) yesterday.
Subscribe to my blog here
Twitter me- I'm babysteph
precious! Love it!ReplyDelete
She look so happy! What more could a girl want, her monkey and pumpkin :)ReplyDelete
Where did you get her that dress? (And the one with the same pattern all over from a few posts ago). I LOVE it!ReplyDelete
Kendra- thank you! Same dress, just reversible. I bought it from Noisy Nora on etsy! (and they liked her photo in it that they are using it on the site!)
What a beautiful picture! She really does look so happy! ~SusanReplyDelete
LOVe those matryoska dresses!ReplyDelete
She loves her monkey..so cute..ReplyDelete
Love the monkey! And of course Ivy is as adorable & stylish as ever!ReplyDelete
Awww.... how cute!ReplyDelete
What a beautiful image! LOVE.ReplyDelete
Bee-u-timus. {Read: beautiful :)}ReplyDelete
Too cute! Nice capture!ReplyDelete
I love that she loves her Monkey so muchReplyDelete
Cute Monkey! :) Cute photo!ReplyDelete
Absolutely beautiful!ReplyDelete
Isn't she precious! Too cuteReplyDelete
Juts adorable!ReplyDelete
I LOVE your still life. The composition is wonderful. What an adorable focal point!ReplyDelete
What a sweet, sweet picture!ReplyDelete
Such a cutie pie!! I love that little dress.
who is (finally) over not getting selected for the baby wearing triathlon and ready to comment again:) hehe
I love that monkey! Oh, and the one Ivy is holding ;) I mentioned her monkey love in my post today.
Enjoy your benefit Gala tonight, Steph. I heart your heart. God has blessed us both with tender hearts for a reason.
Aww, perfect for this occasion! =)How lovely.ReplyDelete
Sweet shot!ReplyDelete
That smile, that monkey...that girl; just adorable!ReplyDelete
She is lovely!!ReplyDelete
I love that girl, this photo and that crazy monkey.ReplyDelete
I love fall, and I love this picture! :) I hope your day was much better today...ReplyDelete
So great - instantly brought a smile to my face!
One word: Adorable!!
I so love this time of year.
Awww, did Monkey pick out his own pumpkin? So sweet... : )ReplyDelete
So cute! Pumpkins are the best.ReplyDelete
adorable picture! And that DRESS!!!!ReplyDelete
I can't wait to get our pumpkins!! I love everything you put her in. Must shop with you sometime! LOLReplyDelete
Hmm I wouldn't normally call a active toddler still life. :) But that is an adorable photo. Looks like your beginning to really make your camera sing.ReplyDelete
finally getting around to checking out everyone's captures from last week!
that little dress?? it's killing me. love it!


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RENO, Nev. - The world's first strictly canned beer festival, CANFEST, announces its return for a fourth year with a brand new title brewery sponsor, Mammoth Brewing Company, and the second annual bike drive. CANFEST will take place on Nov. 3 inside the Reno Ballroom in downtown Reno, Nev. CANFEST expects to bring back favorites such as Oskar Blues, Caldera Brewing, 21st Amendment, Anderson Valley Brewing Company, and dozens more. "We're incredibly excited to have Mammoth join us for CANFEST this year," said event co-organizer Ty Whitaker. "They have a phenomenal reputation in the craft beer world and as a brewery that looks to keep the trend going, we couldn't ask for a more appropriate CANFEST affiliate."CANFEST launched in 2009 to celebrate and showcase the growth of canned craft beer. Long viewed as a staple of cheap, poor quality beer, cans are quickly becoming a popular and effective method for packaging craft beers. Tickets are now available through the Silver Legacy box office and Ticketmaster.com. Tickets are $25 in advance, $35 at the door. CANFEST benefits the Reno Bike Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit community bicycle shop and advocacy group. CANFEST will once again launch a bike drive with RBP where every bicycle donation made to the RBP in the name of CANFEST will be rewarded with a complimentary ticket. That promotion will run through Nov. 3. For more information on the bike drive, please email email@example.com. In addition, CANFEST is presented by The Abbi Agency, a Reno-based public relations and marketing firm, and hosted by the Silver Legacy Resort & Casino. Room packages will be available.For information about CANFEST visit www.canfestbeer.com.For information about the Reno Bike Project visit www.renobikeproject.com.About Mammoth Brewing CompanyMammoth Brewing Company is the highest elevation brewery on the West Coast (at 8,000 ft.) and has been brewing award-winning beers since 1995. Because of their strong love for outdoor recreation and immediate access to the Sierra backcountry, MBC decided to start packaging their beers in efficient, easily-transportable aluminum cans in 2007. MBC beers are only distributed and available in Sierra communities of California and Nevada. For more information visit www.mammothbrewingco.com.
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October 31, 2012
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Moulded Mask with Diamantes
- Description
This dramatic eye mask comes with beautiful diamantes around the eyes to create a sexy, mysterious look. It's tied at the back with a soft satin ribbon, and can be worn in or out of the bedroom.
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