text:
Is anointing with oil over the sick by elders practiced in reform circles ever practiced or is practiced today.
reference: James 5:14
Is anointing with oil over the sick by elders practiced in reform circles ever practiced or is practiced today.
reference: James 5:14
Seminary Student
Pilgrim OPC
Bangor, ME
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,for those who are called according to his purpose.
If it is it shouldn't be.
Elder Andrew Barnes (PCA)
Christ Presbyterian Church (Kansas City, MO)
Sermon Audio
Stephen Welch
PCA Teaching Elder
Houston, Texas
Oceanside United Reformed Church of North America has a paper I believe written by Pastor Danny Hyde in support of it from a Reformed View.. I will have to find it.....
Michael Daniels
Reformed, RPCNA
Denton, Maryland
[i][b]As For Me And My House, We Will Serve The Lord[/i][/b]
[SIZE="1"][I][FONT="Century Gothic"]Unum Deum in Trinitate: Pater, Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus [RIGHT]Sola scriptura - Sola gratia - Sola fide - Solus Christus - Soli Deo gloria - Solum psalterium - Lex talionis[/RIGHT][/FONT][/I][/SIZE]
John Gill
anointing him with oil, in the name of the Lord; which some think was only done in a common medicinal way, oil being used much in the eastern countries for most disorders; and so these elders used ordinary medicine, as well as prayer: or rather this refers to an extraordinary gift, which some elders had of healing diseases, as sometimes by touching, and by laying on of hands, or by expressing some words, and so by anointing with oil; see Mar_6:13 which extraordinary gifts being now ceased, the rite or ceremony of anointing with oil ceases in course:
Matthew Henry
We have particular directions given as to sick persons, and healing pardoning mercy promised upon the observance of those directions. If any be sick, they are required, 1. To send for the elders, presbuterous tēs ekkēsias - the presbyters, pastors or ministers of the church, James 5:14, 15. It lies upon sick people as a duty to send for ministers, and to desire their assistance and their prayers. 2. It is the duty of ministers to pray over the sick, when thus desired and called for. Let them pray over him; let their prayers be suited to his case, and their intercessions be as becomes those who are affected wit his calamities. 3. In the times of miraculous healing, the sick were to be anointed with oil in the name of the Lord. Expositors generally confine this anointing with oil to such as had the power of working miracles; and, when miracles ceased, this institution ceased also. In Mark's gospel we read of the apostle's anointing with oil many that were sick, and healing them, Mark 6:13. And we have accounts of this being practiced in the church two hundred years after Christ; but then the gift of healing also accompanied it, and, when the miraculous gift ceased, this rite was laid aside.
John Calvin
"...we have no dispute, whether anointing [with oil] was once a sacrament; but whether it has been given to be so perpetually. This latter we deny, because it is evident that the thing signified has long ago ceased."
Here is an attachment called "Anointing the Sick With Oil: A Missing Aspect of Pastoral Ministry in the Reformed Tradition?" by Pastor Daniel Hyde
Some Excerpts...
James' Use of "Oil" (Gk. λαιον)
Our first step in approaching James 5:14, is to get a handle on what exactly the oil James prescribes for anointing is and then answer the question of what was James' purpose for prescribing the use of oil. Generally speaking, in the ancient world, oil had two uses: first, as a medicinal agent, and, second, as a symbolic agent.
The Symbolic View
The second major view of the oil mentioned in James 5:14 emphasizes its use in Scripture as a visible sign of something, whether the Holy Spirit or simply consecration to God. This is was the position of Calvin, and is that of this author, as James speaks of oil in a symbolic manner. There are two main reasons for saying this: First, throughout the unfolding of redemptive history in Scripture, oil was used by the faithful primarily as a symbol in order to visibly signify a spiritual reality. As Douglas Moo points out, Anointing with oil is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament as a symbolic action according to which what is anointed is set apart for God's service or blessing[…]By anointing the sick person with oil, then, the elders are symbolically setting that person aside for the Lord's special attention as they pray.8 We see this use of oil as a symbol in several representative texts. In Psalm 45:7 we hear the sons of Korah magnifying the king, whom "God has anointed[…]with the oil of gladness." In the New Testament use of this part of Psalm 45, it is used of the King, our Lord Jesus Christ, and his being anointed with the Holy Spirit (Heb. 1:9).9 Even further back in the revelation of the Old Covenant is Exodus 29:7, in which Aaron and his sons were anointed with oil to symbolize their being set apart for priestly service.
Finally, Psalm 133:2-3 describes the pleasantness of "brothers dwell[ing] in unity" with the simile, "It is like the precious oil on the head[…]It is like the dew of Hermon." Again, the New Testament explains to us that this blessed unity spoken of among the brethren of God's people, is a fruit of the work of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:3). Thus, oil in Scripture is used symbolically for the Holy Spirit, consecration for God's service, as well as the unity of the family of God which is brought about by the Holy Spirit.
Returning to our reasons for understanding that the oil of James 5:14 is not merely a healing agent, but an outward sign of a spiritual reality, is the second reason for saying this. As we alluded to above, the anointing in James 5:14 is linked not only to physical healing but spiritual healing, the forgiveness of sins in 5:15, which says, "And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."
We must note, in passing, but importantly nonetheless, the pastoral explanation we must give of this text. Note well that James does not link inseparably sickness with sin. There is not necessarily a link between the two, nor an inevitable conclusion to be drawn about a sick parishioner who needs the prayer of his/her elders. All one has to note are the words of our Lord on this matter (John 9:2-3). What James does state, however, is that when a person is healed physically by the means of anointing and prayer, a person is forgiven if he/she has sinned and has confessed that (v. 16).
Truly, something more is going on in James 5 than mere physical healing, which
we see in the forgiveness of sins which comes solely from the Lord, not from the oil. The medicinal view cannot account for this aspect of the text. After all, how does ordinary recuperation from a common remedy effect the forgiveness of sins? The oil of James 5:14, then, is not merely medicine, but a symbol of something beyond itself, something mysterious. That "something" is the One we call the Holy Spirit.
What is the Meaning of James' Symbol?
So since James is speaking of "something more," the question is, what exactly is the meaning, and more importantly, application, of this anointing. As far as I can tell, there are three major opinions regarding the meaning and ongoing function of the oil in James 5:14 among those who take it as a symbol.
The Historical Reformed View
It was in the context of polemical theology with Rome that Reformed exegetes came to their position. Reformed exegetes from the Reformation and through our day, understand this anointing with oil and subsequent healing as being something that is no longer to be practices by the Church. This was the position of Martin Bucer (1491- 1551), John Calvin (1509-64), Zacharius Ursinus (1534-83), Johannes Wollebius (1586-1629), John Owen (1616-83), Francis Turretin (1623-87), Matthew Henry (1662-1714), and B.B. Warfield. Their reasoning went like this: since the supernatural "sign" gifts of the New Testament apostles have ceased, and since the outward sign of anointing with oil signified not an uncertain healing, but a certain, miraculous, healing, therefore, to continue administering the outward sign of oil without the gift of healing would be to lie and give a false testimony to sick, wounded sheep.
Response to the Historic Reformed View
Contemporary Reformed theologians and pastors generally agree with the Reformed exegetical tradition on these verses in rejecting the Roman Catholic application of James 5:14 to extreme unction, in maintaining that the anointing is not medicinal but rather for healing, and in holding to the "cessasionist" view of the "sign" gifts of the apostolic age.
Yet this writer disagrees with the conclusion that because of the cessation of the miraculous gifts, the anointing with oil in James is also to cease among us. This author disagrees because James 5:14 speaks not of the apostles doing the anointing, praying, and healing, but of the ordinary, established church leaders, "the elders of the church." As well, the general context of James 5:13-18 is the "prayer of a righteous person," which has "great power," and the specific qualifier James mentions in healing the sick is "the prayer of faith." To these points we shall return below under our application.
Contemporary Application
While we do not agree with either Rome nor Pentecostalism, James' command that the sick call for the elders of the church to administer anointing with oil accompanied by prayer should continue in the Church today – including Reformed churches. This conclusion is based on the following. First, the primary purpose of James' instructions at the end of his epistle is for Christians to be engaged in prayer. The ancient church historian Eusebius described James himself as a man of prayer saying, "His knees grew hard like a camel's because of his constant worship of God, kneeling and asking forgiveness for the people." In the immediate context of the verses at issue here, is the sharp contrast between swearing "either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath" (5:12) with "The prayer of a righteous person[…]in the name of the Lord" (5:16, 14). The anointing with oil and even the healing are peripheral, even superfluous matters, in the flow of James' argument. What matters is that the elders of the church pray for those who "call" for prayer. We miss this if we emphasize too much on how oil is to be administered, what kind of oil is to be used, how are we going to implement this? What James calls us to is a ministry of prayer we have missed for generations.
Second, James speaks of the one who is "sick" (σθενε ), that is, who is "weak," and "powerless"32 in the body and not just "spiritually sick."33 As Douglas Moo points out, when this word is referring to some sort of "spiritual weakness," this is made clear with a qualifying phrase, such as "in conscience" (1 Cor. 8:7) or "in faith" (Rom. 14:1,2). In the Gospels, which seems to have influenced James the most, this word always refers to physical illness (Matt. 10:8, 25:36, 39; Mark 6:56; Luke 4:40; John 4:46, 5:3, 7, 6:2, 11:1, 2, 3, 6). As well, the verbs "save" (v. 15) and "heal" (v. 16) are used in the Gospels (e.g., cf. Matt. 9:21-22; Mark 3:4; Luke 7:50; John 11:12) to speak of physical restoration.34 The term for "sick" in verse 14 is related to the word for "the one who is sick" (τ♠ν κ•μνοντα) in verse 15. This second term is only used one other time in the New Testament, in Hebrews 12:3, where it speaks of the one who is weary and worn out. It seems clear, then, that James speaks of one who is too weak to get out of bed and attend public worship; this is why he/she must "call for the elders of the church" to have them "pray over him." What this means is that this text prescribes anointing by the elders for all those who are seriously sick. This is in contrast both to Rome's restriction only to the deathly ill as well as Pentecostalism's license in having "healing services" for any kind of illness or even just for those who desire to be anointed after a worship service and prayed for. The initiative is on the sick person, not the church to have special times of anointing and healing for anyone with fatigue, stress, or a cold. Practically, then, this means that the church must be educated on this topic, as well as be made aware of the elders' practice so that they can knowledgeably call for the elders. This can be done in home visitation, new members' classes, by way of a standing announcement in the bulletin, as well as through Christian education classes.
Third, it is "the elders of the church" (το ϕ πρεσβυτϒρουϕ τ∠ϕ ≤κκλησ αϕ) whom we are told are to pray over the seriously sick. This group entails not just the minister, priest, healer, or "district elder," but the entire "presbytery," or corporate eldership. Therefore, the gathering of "the elders" for prayer over the seriously ill under their care is what is being alluded to here. As we said above, it is important to keep in view that James is speaking of the ordinary officers of established churches, as opposed to those with the extraordinary offices of apostle or prophet (Eph. 4:11) or those endued with the gift of healing (1 Cor. 12:9). The New Testament authors use the word "elder" (πρεσβ τεροϕ) fourteen times in relation to the ruling members of the local congregation. They are mentioned as been the fixtures of the church of Jerusalem (11:30, 15:2, 21:18) and having been appointed in the churches of Lystra, Derbe, Iconium, and Antioch (Acts 14:23 cf. 20:17), while in the epistles they are described in more detail (cf. 1 Tim. 5:17, 19; Titus 1:5; 1 Peter 5:1). In none of these texts are elders given supernatural power; rather, they are designated as shepherds (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1), rulers (1 Tim. 5:17), overseers (Acts 20:28) and some are even teachers (1 Tim. 5:17). This evidence is important because the gifts of healing and miracles were not tied to the elders in the New Testament, and thus, this practice did not cease when the apostles ceased. What this means for us is that we need to be aware that being an elder in a Reformed church entails being willing to assemble at a hospital or home over one of our brothers or sisters. The eldership has no place for fear, timidity, or sense of being uncomfortable. Our sheep look to us, and we must lead.
Fourth, the oil James prescribes does not heal magically, nor even does prayer. Only the Holy Spirit can heal. When we anoint with oil we are setting aside a sick person as especially devoted to the Lord as an object of care,35 while confessing that it is the Holy Spirit alone, the "Lord and Giver of life" (Nicene Creed) who can raise the sick one up both from physical ailment (v. 15) as well as spiritual depths (vv. 15b, 16). What is so wonderful is that James' epistle indicates that God the Holy Spirit does his healing work through the means of "the prayer of faith" of the elders, accompanied by the outward sign of oil. Thus we can answer those who say that healing was a necessary result of this anointing, by saying that James qualifies the "guarantee" of healing with the phrase "the prayer [vow] of faith." Pastorally speaking, then, when a person is not healed, it is not their lack of faith (per "Faith Healers") but in a real sense, even the weak prayers of the elders; ultimately, though, whether the Lord will heal or not is his prerogative and a part of his secret counsel. In view of this we must lift up our eyes in hope and respect.
Lastly, although the apostolic age and the "sign" gifts have ceased, no one can limit or negate the sovereign power of the Holy Spirit throughout the generations. We must recapture our sense and reliance upon the Holy Spirit as Reformed Christians. Remember, it was the Calvinists' who re-emphasized the work of the Holy Spirit in their writings, preaching, and confessional documents. As professor and pastor Sinclair Ferguson, says,
No right-thinking Christian would deny that God continues to be active in the world, to do wonderful things for his people, and especially to answer their prayers in keeping with his promises. It is still appropriate for the sick not only to consult a doctor but to 'call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord'. The promise remains that 'the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up' (Jas 5:14-15). People continue to be healed by God — through, above and even against means. Indeed, writes John Owen, 'It is not unlikely but that God might on some occasions, for a longer season, put forth his power in some miraculous operations.' Thus, it is precisely because we as Calvinists believe in the Holy Spirit, "the Lord and Giver of life," that we need to add to our elders' existing ministry of prayer and care, the anointing and prayer over the seriously sick in our day. This is not only exegetically respectable, but also pastorally necessary.
Last edited by Coram Deo; 04-15-2008 at 09:21 AM. Reason: formatting problems
Michael Daniels
Reformed, RPCNA
Denton, Maryland
[i][b]As For Me And My House, We Will Serve The Lord[/i][/b]
[SIZE="1"][I][FONT="Century Gothic"]Unum Deum in Trinitate: Pater, Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus [RIGHT]Sola scriptura - Sola gratia - Sola fide - Solus Christus - Soli Deo gloria - Solum psalterium - Lex talionis[/RIGHT][/FONT][/I][/SIZE]
I think it notable that this rite which was distinctively and traditionally Jewish appears only in James which was the earliest and most Jewish epistle.
Michael Daniels
Reformed, RPCNA
Denton, Maryland
[i][b]As For Me And My House, We Will Serve The Lord[/i][/b]
[SIZE="1"][I][FONT="Century Gothic"]Unum Deum in Trinitate: Pater, Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus [RIGHT]Sola scriptura - Sola gratia - Sola fide - Solus Christus - Soli Deo gloria - Solum psalterium - Lex talionis[/RIGHT][/FONT][/I][/SIZE]
He does cover the medicinal view in the attachment....
I agree with his response to the Medicinal View...
Michael Daniels
Reformed, RPCNA
Denton, Maryland
[i][b]As For Me And My House, We Will Serve The Lord[/i][/b]
[SIZE="1"][I][FONT="Century Gothic"]Unum Deum in Trinitate: Pater, Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus [RIGHT]Sola scriptura - Sola gratia - Sola fide - Solus Christus - Soli Deo gloria - Solum psalterium - Lex talionis[/RIGHT][/FONT][/I][/SIZE]
Adam Clarkes' comments are worth reading:
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders - This was also a Jewish maxim.
Rabbi Simeon, in Sepher Hachaiyim, said: What should a man do who goes to visit the sick? Ans. He who studies to restore the health of the body, should first lay the foundation in the health of the soul. The wise men have said, No healing is equal to that which comes from the word of God and prayer.
Rabbi Phineas, the son of Chamma, hath said, When sickness or disease enters into a mans family, let him apply to a wise man, who will implore mercy in his behalf. See Schoettgen.
St. James very properly sends all such to the elders of the Church, who had power with God through the great Mediator, that they might pray for them.
Anointing him with oil -
If a miracle was intended, it could have been as well wrought without the oil, as with it.
It is not intimated that even this unction is to save the sick man, but the prayer of faith, James 5:15.
What is here recommended was to be done as a natural means of restoring health, which, while they used prayer and supplication to God, they were not to neglect.
Oil in Judea was celebrated for its sanative qualities; so that they scarcely ever took a journey without carrying oil with them, (see in the case of the Samaritan), with which they anointed their bodies, healed their wounds, bruises, etc.
Oil was and in frequently used in the east as a means of cure in very dangerous diseases; and in Egypt it is often used in the cure of the plague. Even in Europe it has been tried with great success in the cure of dropsy. And pure olive oil is excellent for recent wounds and bruises; and I have seen it tried in this way with the best effects.
But that it was the custom of the Jews to apply it as a means of healing, and that St. James refers to this custom, is not only evident from the case of the wounded man ministered to by the good Samaritan, Luk_10:34, but from the practice of the Jewish rabbins. In Midrash Koheleth, fol. 73, 1, it is said: Chanina, son of the brother of the Rabbi Joshua, went to visit his uncle at Capernaum; he was taken ill; and Rabbi Joshua went to him and anointed him with oil, and he was restored. They had, therefore, recourse to this as a natural remedy; and we find that the disciples used it also in this way to heal the sick, not exerting the miraculous power but in cases where natural means were ineffectual. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them; Mar_6:13. On this latter place I have supposed that it might have been done symbolically, in order to prepare the way for a miraculous cure: this is the opinion of many commentators; but I am led, on more mature consideration, to doubt its propriety, yet dare not decide. In short, anointing the sick with oil, in order to their recovery, was a constant practice among the Jews. See Lightfoot and Wetstein on Mark 6:13. And here I am satisfied that it has no other meaning than as a natural means of restoring health; and that St. James desires them to use natural means while looking to God for an especial blessing. And no wise man would direct otherwise.
St James orders this anointing for the cure of the body
The anointing with oil, if ever used as a means or symbol in working miraculous cures, was only applied in some cases, perhaps very few, if any...


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The power of the SEC strikes again.
Greg Bryant, the nation's No. 4 running back in the Class of 2013 according to Rivals.com, decommitted from the Oklahoma Sooners on Monday night, as he has his eyes on the SEC.
Bryant named the Auburn Tigers and the South Carolina Gamecocks as his two favorites, according to Mike Farrell of Rivals.com.
Florida RB Greg Bryant has de-committed from #Oklahoma according to his dad. Wants to play in SEC, #Auburn and #Gamecocks on top.— Mike Farrell (@rivalsmike) July 31, 2012
Bryant told ESPN.com on Tuesday that he has also spoken with Georgia and is considering the Bulldogs as well.
End of Update
The 5'11", 197-pounder has star written all over him, and playing in the SEC would certainly get him ready to play at the next level.
He has the size to be a between-the-tackles force as soon as he sets foot on campus, but he can run past defenders at the drop of a hat with his 4.5 speed.
Whether it's Auburn or South Carolina, either would be a good fit.
Where will Greg Bryant play college football?
There will still be some spread elements in Auburn's offense for other players to get touches, but since there isn't a No. 1 running back now and senior Onterio McCalebb will be gone next season, there is playing time to be had at Auburn.
The same can probably be said for South Carolina.
The Gamecocks offense uses a feature back more than Auburn, and that feature back probably won't be around in 2013. Marcus Lattimore is only a junior, but if he rebounds from his knee injury and gets back to the way he ran in his first year-and-a-half, it's unlikely that he will stick around for his senior season.
He would be a good fit at Georgia as well. The dismissal of Isaiah Crowell has opened the door for several players to earn playing time this season, including Ken Malcome, Keith Marshall, Richard Samuel IV and Todd Gurley.
Malcome, Marshall and Gurley are all underclassmen this season, so Bryant will have to fight if he wants to play immediately if he chooses the Bulldogs. But he certainly has the talent to contend.
The SEC has won six straight national championships and had the most players drafted in the NFL draft in six straight seasons. It sounds like Bryant wants to be a part of that action.
Lead image courtesy of 247sports.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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{iPhone Valentine @ Living Locurto}
I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme.
Did you create this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you?
Plz answer back as I'm looking to create my own blog and would like to know where u got this
from. thank you
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Thank you for a really cool Valentines Day Blog. I found the gift ideas given here very interesting.
Valentines Day Gift ideas for Husband
So many cute ideas!! Love the weekend wrap-ups:) Check out the Valentines that I made for Addie this V-day:
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Happy Valentines Day Jen!!
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thanks so much for featuring my fudgy valentine's! it is such a honor & surpise to see them up there!
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Thank you for featuring my lollipop covers! I'm off to check out those Mocha Cocoa Lovemallows. Thanks for the great roundup!
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Jo @ SmileMonsters
Thanks for the feature Jen!
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so much of hard work Jen!
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Thank you so much for featuring my Lollipop Flowerpots! I love your blog – this is such an honor!
– Jennifer @ Social Salutations
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So many yummy ideas! I love all the homemade marshmallows:) I think I am going to try them for Easter this year!
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Sectir - 22, Near Hill View CHS,
Nerul, Mumbai-400706
06:00 AM To 08:00 PM
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For all the art lovers, Balaji Temple located a Nerul, Navi Mumbai has become one of the most sought after places to hang-out. This artistically made made temple is 60 feet high is made of exclusively carved granite stones. Built on the lines of Venkateshwara Temple at Tirupati, it has been constructed in the typical Shilpashastras style. Though the main deity is Balaji, other deities like Ganapathy, Anjaneyar in sitting (yoga) position, Narasimhar and Padbavathy Thayar are also common attractions here. One of the most unusual fact about this temple is the presence of Sannathy for Ramanujar. It is actually considered unusual according to the practice of the southern culture. The reason for this may be for the huge stature of the Ganapati in Maharashtra. What further adds to the glamor and beauty of this temple is because of the presence of `Bali Peetham` and the tall `Dhwaja Stambham` that can be seen as you enter the temple. Apart from these two, a long flight of stairs leads to the `Tiru Mamani Mandapam`. The later is further famous for it's architectural excellence and is built on the basis of modern architectural practices. So if you ever pay a visit to this city, just hop into this temple to have an exciting experience. It remains open seven days a week from 6 AM to 8 PM.
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Nerul, with a total of 50 sectors stands one of the well-heeled commercial and residential areas of Navi Mumbai. It is hailed as the most populated node of Navi Mumbai with a population of around 600,000. Developed by the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra or CIDCO, it homes .
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text: Im back at work and travel to different offices during the week. Some times I get to pump 3 times a day others only 2 times. Im worried this may effect my supply. I also dont get to pump at the same time each day, will this effect it too? I usally end up with 10-12 oz. by the end of the work day. So if I end up with less then 12 I pump after LO goes to bed. Any advice? Thanks!


text:
We still don't have an exact move date yet (don't ask), but by my calculations, next week will be our last "normal" week here in this house. After that comes Thanksgiving and packing and moving, oh my!
I informed the kids of this and asked if there was anything special they wanted to do in our current house One Last Time. After all, we've lived here five years. Their answer? "Eat macaroni and cheese. Watch a movie. Play Wii."
Basically, everything they do when the baby-sitter is here.
Andrew chimed in, "It's not about the house for them, Lora Lynn."
And that's true. They're not at an age to be truly sentimental yet. Or to remember much that happened any further than five minutes ago. But since my family heritage is one of sentimentality and stubborn reluctance to change, I decided to make a list for them.
Things My Kids Should Do Once More Before We Move (Or Not):
1. Visit every toilet. Dump half a roll of toilet paper in. Flush. Plunge. Repeat.
2. Drop small missiles over the railing at unsuspecting passersby below.
3. Take a crayon to every visible wall. Don't forget the doors.
4. Slide down the stairs head first on their bellies. Safety first!
5. Slide down the bottom of the stair bannister in sock feet like they're surfing.
6. Throw-up in the favorite spot right in front of the bathroom door.
7. Pee on the wall right next to the toilet.
8. Jump on the trampoline high enough to peer over the fence and watch ESPN on the neighbor's outdoor TV.
9. Play hide and seek in the curtains until the curtain rod comes out of the wall.
10. Ride the baby walker up and down the hallway. The more siblings on the walker, the better.
11. Sit in Mommy and Daddy's closet with an iPad and a jar full of peanut butter during a tornado warning.
12. Play in the fountain til everyone is soaked.
13. Ride bikes in the cul de sac.
14. Stand in the front window and watch all the neighbors walk by and shake their heads at the poor, unsocialized homeschoolers.
15. Sneak through the jack 'n jill bathroom to the other bedroom and discover something to tattle on them about.
16. Climb to the top of the linen closet and hide there like Zorro.
17. Run naked through the house to retrieve a forgotten towel.
18. Squeeze everybody into the half bath with Mommy, a pile of books, and whichever child is potty training at the time.
19. Appear at the railing after lights out and ***Insert Request Here***
20. Stare in wonder at our naked Christmas tree which, sadly, we have retired after 3 years of service in our living room.
21. Take one last Masked Crusader ride around the downstairs.
22. Smudge every window, slam every door, and spread crumbs all over the floor. Just once more… for old time's sake.
**Updated to reassure you, we have the "foot picture" taken with Finn's feet in it. You can see it on the Vitafam facebook page.


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This Year's Model
Von Südenfed
"That Sound Wiped"
From Tromatic Reflexxions (Domino)
Though tweaking and tinkering all they want, musicians still adhere to French poet Paul Valéry's adage that "a poem is never finished, only abandoned." While the decades-old formula of your grandma on bongos and fussbudgety grandpa Mark E. Smith would normally constitute the Fall, here Smith + blip-pop experts Mouse on Mars = Von Südenfed, a collab founded on a remix of the latter's squishy 2004 single "Wipe That Sound." The cutesy squelches and cooed command of the original are replaced by a harder Siouxsie "Peek-a-Boo" beat as Smith looks down his disco nose, wipes that down, and sneers through his sinuses: "You don't look like no goddamned singer-songwriter to me."
Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas
"Turkish Delight"
From Reinterpretations (Eskimo)
While luminaries in that ever-expanding space-disco sky, Norwegians Lindstr & Prins Thomas spent too much time gazing into the lite jazz of softies like longhair Andreas Vollenweider and beardo Bob James on their self-titled 2005 debut. With its tickled pianos and twinkling Arp synths, "Turkish Delight" was at best a power nap amid an album's worth of afternoon meditations for pony-tailed executives. For Reinterpretations, they effectively make you forget the snooze, emphasizing instead left-field disco. Arpeggiated starbursts worthy of Giorgio Moroder, along with hand-claps and drums right out of Arthur Russell's closet, blend together and dilate for 10 mesmeric minutes.
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From Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band EP (Drag City)
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Many parents of strong-willed children feel inadequate or like they're doing something wrong. But this isn't true! Although strong-willed children do present a unique challenge, it is possible for Mom and Dad to tailor parenting practices and actually enjoy their time with the kids. Written by two distinguished parenting authorities, this book offers specific advice on the serious problems that face so many parents. Finally parents can relax, as they learn how to:… (more)
Publisher: Adams Media (October 17, 2008)
Format: EPUB
Page count: 224 pages
File size: 308 KB
Protection: DRM
Language: English


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When is the "requesting" allowed in a coaching relationship?
July 7th, 2010
As coaches we understand that the client is the one who is supposed to come with his own "action plan" and decide which steps he wants to follow in order to reach his goal.
However, there are occasions when the whole process could be accelerated by the coach stating a request as oppose to just asking the client for recommended way forward. When is the right time for using this method?
There are situations when the client sees and understands the obvious; however, is reluctant to say it loud for the fear of the commitment required. When the obvious is stated for him by someone else, he is usually quite ready to agree and commit. This situation requires a good relationship between the coach and the coachee as well as a deep knowledge of the client by his coach.
Other possibility includes providing the "assignment" at the end of the coaching session and a request to check it out before the beginning of the next session. From my experience the clients react very positively to their assignments, because they allow them to reflect further on what was being discussed during the previous coaching session. After doing the assignment, they often come with many more ideas or possible solutions and are better prepared for the next session.
The third option is the situation when it becomes clear that the client has difficulties dealing with his gremlin. The sharp request from the coach cuts the client away from his goblin (at least for the time being) and allows him to contemplate a solution that was not obvious to him, due to his pre-occupation with the goblin. Again, good knowledge and understanding of the client are required.
Having said all of the above, client should never be forced into accepting the coach's request. If the coaching relationship has been going for a while, the client is likely to accept and appreciate the request. He can sometimes make a counteroffer, if that feels better for him. Of course, at any time, he has the right to decline the request.
It is very important that coach does not get attached to his request and not take it personally if the client decides to decline it.


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Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
Release Date: October 6th, 2006
R|1 hr. 31 min.
Plot Summary
Chrissie (Jordana Brewster) and her friends (Matthew Bomer, Taylor Handley, Diora Baird) set out on a road trip for a final fling before one is shipped off to Vietnam. Along the way, bikers (Lee Tergesen, Cyia Batten) harass the foursome and cause an accident that throws Chrissie from the vehicle. The lawman who arrives on the scene kills one of the bikers and brings Chrissie's friends to the Hewitt homestead, where young Leatherface (Andrew Bryniarski) is learning the tools of terror.
Cast: Jordana Brewster, Andrew Bryniarski, R. Lee Ermey, Lee Tergesen, Matthew Bomer, Taylor Handley, Diora Baird, Cyia Batten
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Genres: Horror
Distributor: New Line Cinema


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Arizona State women's basketball again fell into a first-half hole against USC, but Sunday, it couldn't dig its way out.
The Trojans, who led 34-23 at halftime, held off ASU 67-60 at Wells Fargo Arena despite a double-double by forward Janae Fulcher in her final home game.
Fulcher, a fifth-year senior, had 17 points and a career high 13 rebounds as the Sun Devils closed within four points on four occasions in the second half. ASU's only other senior, guard Micaela Pickens, was close to a double-double with eight points and nine boards while playing through stomach problems.
"I know the returners (next season) wanted to send the seniors out on a winning note," ASU coach Charli Turner Thorne said. "It seemed almost like we were trying too hard."
The Sun Devils hit just two of 23 3-point attempts, one of those by Pickens with 32 seconds left. Turner Thorne said she counted 11 missed layups in the first half alone. The poor shooting was enough to offset ASU's 44-35 rebounding advantage and a 19-10 edge in points off turnovers.
USC (10-19, 7-11 Pac-12) led 36-20 at halftime when the teams met in Los Angeles on Jan. 25, only to be outscored 40-17 in the second half of a 60-53 ASU win.
That script seemed to be repeating when Fulcher scored six points in a 10-3 run, cutting ASU's deficit to 41-37 with 9:53 remaining. But USC found enough offense from its lone senior, Christina Marinacci, who did not play in the earlier game, and three others to earn a split.
USC led 54-46 when Cassie Harberts converted a three-point play with 2:32 left and was up by 10 at the 36-second mark. ASU managed to close within 64-60 with 19 seconds left on a Pickens follow and free throw, and Arnecia Hawkins missed a pair of 3-point tries that would have cut the deficit to two with about 10 ticks remaining.
"In the huddles at every single possession, we were saying don't give up," Fulcher said. "That was probably the longest two minutes and 13 seconds I've played in my entire life, but I'm so proud of how hard we fought."
Pickens was a two-year starter after playing at Cypress College.
"I tried to make the best of the days I got here," she said. " I'm happy I came to this program. It taught me a lot just in life general. I see a really bright future."
Fulcher, in her first full season as a starter, is ASU's leading scorer.
"I have a true family here," she said. "It's been a very long journey. My role has changed every year, and I was so blessed to have the role I did this year as a leader for this team. I'm so grateful for this team. They're going to do a lot of big things next year."
ASU (13-17, 5-13) is ninth in the Pac-12 and faces eighth-place Washington State (10-19, 6-12) in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament in Seattle on Thursday. The winner of that game faces No.1 seed Stanford (28-2, 17-1) on Friday.
Washington State beat ASU 77-65 in Pullman on Jan. 6, and 54-43 in Tempe on Feb. 1. Stanford won the only meeting vs. the Sun Devils, 69-45 in Palo Alto on Feb. 10.


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With training camp in Owings Mills, MD coming to a close and the Ravens shifting to a more normal practice schedule, John Harbaugh has had the chance to evaluate the talent on his roster and see what he will be working with when the Ravens open their season Monday, Sept. 10 in Cincinnati.
Concerns with the pass-rush have mounted in recent weeks, as both Calvin Johnson and Julio Jones picked up 100-yard receiving games on just a few series against what is thought to be an excellent secondary.
These concerns are justified, and Baltimore is hoping its stable of outside linebacker and defensive end types like Paul Kruger, Courtney Upshaw, Sergio Kindle and Albert McClellan can get after the quarterback without the aid of Terrell Suggs.
Kruger has had an excellent preseason and looks to be the best linebacker on the team outside of Ray Lewis.
Upshaw has been good as well, but is having expected troubles adapting to the speed of the game and making consistent plays.
McClellan and former second-round pick Sergio Kindle have drawn praise from Coach Harbaugh, but there's one Ravens rookie who is not scared of any of these four guys.
That would be this year's second-round pick by the Ravens, Kelechi Osemele.
Osemele, or KO, as has been his nickname in camp, was taken with the No. 60 overall pick in the 2012 draft out of Iowa State. He has been impressive thus far, and though many believed the college left tackle could only play right tackle in the NFL, his success at the position right off the bat is still a positive.
The most available starting spot on the Ravens O-line is at left guard, so many thought the selection of Osemele was more talent-based than need-based. Nevertheless, Osemele is working at the unoccupied left guard spot as well as right tackle, and in turn, proving his versatility to Harbaugh and the rest of the Ravens' coaching staff.
Outside of the ineffectiveness of the pass-rush and the mental state of Billy Cundiff, durability and cohesiveness along the offensive line is the biggest concern for the Ravens heading into the season.
Here are five things that the strong play of Osemele proves about the team and/or brings to the effectiveness of the Ravens O-line.


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The Saints have agreed to a three-year deal with unrestricted free-agent OLB Chris Chamberlain. Financial terms have not been announced.
Chamberlain played the first four years of his career with the Rams, where he started 19 games, including 13 last season. During that time, he registered 150 tackles along with two sacks, two fumbles forced and an interception.
In New Orleans, Chamberlain will be reunited with Steve Spagnuolo, who was his head coach in St. Louis for three years with the Rams. Spagnuolo is the Saints' defensive coordinator.


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A recent case reminds employers that it's illegal to retaliate against workers who participate in any type of workplace investigation. The case: During an internal investigation, Donny Abbot told his bosses that he'd witnessed racial harassment and offered to testify to that fact. Soon after, the company fired Abbot for insubordination. He sued, claiming his firing was truly in retaliation for supporting his co-worker's charge. An appeals court agreed. (Abbott v. Crown Motor Co., No. 02-3365, 6th Cir., 2003)
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Meanwhile "Arab Spring" stumbles on
In Lybia, the expected – at least for those who paid attention and had a rudimentary understanding of modern Islam – is beginning to happen:
Throughout this country, Libyans are discovering that their hard fought battle to win freedoms is at risk. Puritanical Muslims known as Salafis are applying a rigid form of Islam in more and more communities. They have clamped down on the sale of alcohol and demolished the tombs of saints where many local people worship.
Throughout Libya, Gaddafi's fall has emboldened Salafis, who were persecuted and imprisoned under the now deceased leader. They have increased their public presence, taken over mosques, and even hoisted the flag of al-Qaeda over the courthouse in Benghazi where the revolution began eleven months ago. In the capital of Tripoli, Salafis have destroyed more than six shrines. In one incident, dozens swarmed mausoleums belonging to two Muslim mystics and dug up their bodies so that worshippers could no longer visit their tombs. They also burned the relics around the shrines.
The Salafis are the same group that has done well in the Egyptian elections. Speaking of Egypt, Robert R. Reilly makes some important points about that country and Islam in general, taking apart a Matthew Kaminski article that appeared in the Wall Street Journal entitled "Arab Democracy Is the Best Bet for a Muslim Reformation." He points out the problems associated with the "propensity to project Western conceptions and norms onto the Islamic world, where they are largely irrelevant." It's an interesting read.
For instance:
"The appeal of political Islam… grows when religiosity is repressed." Islamism is a reaction to modernity, not to repression. It would grow regardless. With the shackles off in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia, watch it grow even more. To think that it will diminish because it is not repressed is a dangerous fantasy. Thanks to the Arab Spring, it now has the opportunity to seize control, and most likely will do so. Democratic elections have simply revealed the strength of the view that "Islam is the answer."
And Reilly stomps on the notion that "democracy" will provide the necessary reformation of Islam. Instead, he points out, the Islamists are the reformation:
Kaminski calls for a Reformation in Islam, without seeming to realize that Islamism is that Reformation. Be careful of what you wish for. One reason that the Islamic world became calcified is that the "gates of ijtihad" were closed in the Middle Ages. This meant that the authority for making original interpretations of the Koran or the hadith had been withdrawn because the sharia had, by that time, covered every possible situation in human life with a specific ruling. The Islamists today have reclaimed the authority of individual interpretation in order to wipe out the Islamic jurisprudence that stands in their way, most particularly in their use of indiscriminate violence and terrorism.
As for the Muslim Brotherhood:
"Salafists… practice Osama bin Laden's creed of Islam." No, bin Laden's creed of Islam is not Salafist, but came directly from the Muslim Brotherhood and is infected with its ideology, which was partially obtained from Western totalitarianism. His teacher in Saudi Arabia was Mohammed al Banna, the brother of the founder of the Muslim brotherhood, Hassan al Banna. Salafism, on the other hand, is an ancient and integral part of Islam.
Reilly points out that "[w]ishful thinking can be dangerous when it distorts reality." And that's precisely what many in the West have done – engage in wishful thinking and project "Western conceptions and norms onto the Islamic world" where they simply don't fit.
Engaging in an honest assessment grounded in at least an understanding of Islam and human nature should have disabused a rational person of such wishful thinking. The information was there, the history was there, and the conclusions weren't that hard to reach if objectively put together.
Unfortunately our government apparently prefers to engage in wishful thinking along with many others in the West. The outcome in Libya and Egypt, given who was involved and how that has worked in other countries should have been obvious. But instead many in the West, such as Kaminski chose to believe in fictions like the Muslim Brotherhood's declared "moderation" and their supposed belief in sharing power with secularists. Oh you may see that at least given lip service for a while, at least until they fully consolidate their power, but that's not their plan.
These two "revolutions" made the Middle East a more dangerous and oppressive place. Our government chose to ignore the reality of the Muslim Brotherhood's extremism for a more sanitized and moderate model (which it used to justify its support) and aided and abetted the Islamists in Libya – while pretending they didn't really exist — through direct intervention in a conflict that was simply none of our business.
Now, unfortunately, we have to live with the results.
Somehow both of these will be spun into "foreign policy successes", just watch.
Twitter: @McQandO
Meanwhile, in Egypt
Don't worry, be happy – It will soon be a bright and happy day in that benighted land:
Relations between Egypt's military rulers and the United States threatened to hit a new low after Egyptian security forces launched unprecedented armed raids on a series of high profile human rights and pro-democracy organisations.
The raids included targeting the US-government funded National Democratic Institute – founded by former secretary of state Madeleine Albright – and the International Republican Institute, whose chairman is Republican senator John McCain. Both organisations are affiliated with the two major US political parties.
The orchestrated move by Egypt's generals, apparently keen to play up to anti-US and nationalist feelings in the country, will be seen as highly provocative in Washington, which underwrites military aid to Egypt to the sum of $1.3bn (£843m) annually.
"We are deeply concerned," a State Department official told the Guardian.
Are we? So no more applauding the "revolution" in Egypt and what it has brought?
Or are we still breaking eggs so the omelet of freedom can be made?
Uh huh.
Twitter: @McQandO
Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood: "Hamas is our role model"
I guess some people have to have a whack over the head with a clue bat before they begin to realize that Egypt is headed down an Islamist path with a military twist:
Gaza's Hamas premier was in Egypt Monday on his first trip outside the blockaded territory since the Islamists overran it in 2007, saying his meeting with his Islamic ideological mentors threatens Israel.
Ismail Haniyeh discussed Mideast politics with the leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, which has emerged as the biggest winner in the first parliamentary elections in post-uprising Egypt, capturing nearly half of the seats so far.
Hamas is considered an offshoot of the Brotherhood.
Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badie met Haniyeh at the group's newly inaugurated headquarters in a Cairo suburb.
But, but … the Muslim Brotherhood is a "moderate" organization. Why? Uh, because they said so.
I don't know about you but I've always believed that actions speak louder than words.
The Brotherhood center has always embraced issues of liberation, foremost the Palestinian issue," Badie said, according to Egypt's state Middle East News Agency.
He added that Hamas has served as a role model to the Brotherhood in its reconciliation with the Fatah movement and in closing the recent prisoner swap deal with Israel.
The Brotherhood renounced violence in the 1970s, but it supports Hamas in its "resistance" against Israel.
That's how the "Brotherhood" can continue to claim it is a "moderate" organization while still remaining a radical terrorist organization … simply do the terrorism by proxy. Hamas is their terror organization and it is fully funded and supported by the "moderate" Muslim Brotherhood. Oh, and by the way, don't be surprised if you see a Hamas presence established in Egypt now. The "moderate" Brotherhood will need a means of plausible deniability when acts of terror are perpetrated on enemies of the Brotherhood in days to come. And of course Hamas will provide that means and, of course, the Brotherhood can then condemn its actions in public for the Western press even while giving it the next mission.
That way the can keep the façade of moderation alive among those gullible enough in the West to still believe that.
Twitter: @McQandO
Islamists tighten grip in Egypt with 2nd round of elections, violence flairs
Well "Arab spring" is going swimmingly in Egypt. The second round of elections were just completed and guess who has taken even more control?
The Muslim Brotherhood party secured 39 percent of the vote, while the Salafi Al Nour party won 31 percent of the vote in the second stage of Egypt's landmark post-Mubarak elections, according to unofficial results published on the website of Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper on Sunday.
The unofficial results for the second stage of elections for the lower house of the Egyptian parliament also showed that the secular, liberal Wafd party won 22 percent of the vote.
Islamist parties won some 70 percent of the total vote, a similar result to the first stage of elections, which took place on November 28.
Of course this wasn't supposed to happen this way and apologists for it are left with trying to pretend that the Muslim Brotherhood is a "moderate" organization. It's history tells a completely different story. The classic wolf in sheep's clothing in this situation. With over 70% control, the Islamists will easily control any legislative body with very little need to compromise with the secular side of the house.
Meanwhile what had begun as peaceful protests in Tahrir Square have turned violent:
Egyptian security forces fought opponents of army rule in Cairo for a fourth day on Monday and the United States, worried by the violence, urged the generals to respect human rights.
Medical sources said the death toll had risen to 13 since Friday. Hundreds have been wounded and scores detained.
Police and soldiers using batons and teargas drove stone-throwing protesters out of Cairo's Tahrir Square, hub of the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak in February, overnight.
Hundreds had returned to the square by morning after security forces retreated behind barricades in streets leading to parliament, the cabinet office and the Interior Ministry.
The photos of the violence are shocking. But they give good evidence of the fact that any "spring like" feeling is gone from this revolution. It has, as expected, turned toward a military/Islamist takeover as expected and the Egyptian military is now showing its true colors as its powerbase is challenged. This link from the UK's Daily Mail contains photos and a video that show the results. The photo I've included is just an example.
Perhaps now, instead of apologizing for the outcome, those who've tried to blind themselves to its reality will face it square on. Egypt is going to end up worse off than it was before Mubarak was deposed. That doesn't mean Mubarak was someone to support, it is simply a statement of fact. Oppression is likely to be followed by even more oppression. And, as the picture above demonstrates, one of the greatest losers in this particular mess is likely to be women.
Twitter: @McQandO
Egypt: How many times did I say this?
What, you ask? How many times did I say the most organized and ruthless would win in Egypt? Anyone?
Well, here's the post-mortem for the Egyptian election I could have written a months ago:
The Islamists' victory has been foreshadowed by preelection polls as well as by early unofficial reports about the elections' outcome. But the official results showed just how thoroughly the young revolutionaries who plugged into social media to ignite a revolution that brought down President Hosni Mubarak in February had failed to excite voters. They won no more than 336,000 votes.
336,000 votes out of 9.7 million cast. 336,000!
Hampered by political naivete, egos and lack of funding, the young activists were overwhelmed at the polls by better organized Islamists. The multiphase elections, which end in January, have so far indicated that activists in the Continuing Revolution party have been unable to turn the passion they inspired last winter in Tahrir Square into political capital.
Emphasis mine. Organized and ruthless vs. naïve and clueless. Gee wonder who's going to win. Of course they were no more naïve than those here who thought their triumph was pre-ordained.
"Young revolutionaries have struggled with political inexperience at some points and suffered from lack of funds and organization at others," said Emad Gad, a political analyst with Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies. "This didn't enable them to reach voters or carry out strong campaigns like those of the Muslim Brotherhood or the Egyptian Bloc."
Result? The better organized and more ruthless organizations – the Islamists — won.
And there are people who think they're very plugged in who are absolutely shocked, shocked I tell you, that there's an outcome other than that for which they hoped.
Faith is a wonderful thing except when it is confronted by reality and facts. And the realty of this particular situation should have been evident to any keen observer of the area (and of human nature) from the start.
Yet the moon pony and unicorn crowd remain shocked it didn't turn out to be a triumph of secular democracy with the Twitter crowd installed in a new and enlightened Middle East democracy.
Go figure.
Twitter: @McQandO
Observations: The QandO Podcast for 04 Dec 11
This week, Bruce Michael, and Dale record talk about China, illegal immigration, and Egypt.
The direct link to the podcast can be found here.
As a reminder, if you are an iTunes user, don't forget to subscribe to the QandO podcast, Observations, through iTunes. For those of you who don't have iTunes, you can subscribe at Podcast Alley. And, of course, for you newsreader subscriber types, our podcast RSS Feed is here. For podcasts from 2005 to 2010, they can be accessed through the RSS Archive Feed.
Egypt: Here's a surprise
Ok not really, at least if you're from this planet and have observed the Middle East for more than a day:
Islamists claimed a decisive victory on Wednesday as early election results put them on track to win a dominant majority in Egypt's first Parliament since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, the most significant step yet in the religious movement's rise since the start of the Arab Spring.
The party formed by the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's mainstream Islamist group, appeared to have taken about 40 percent of the vote, as expected. But a big surprise was the strong showing of ultraconservative Islamists, called Salafis, many of whom see most popular entertainment as sinful and reject women's participation in voting or public life.
Analysts in the state-run news media said early returns indicated that Salafi groups could take as much as a quarter of the vote, giving the two groups of Islamists combined control of nearly 65 percent of the parliamentary seats.
What does that mean?
The unexpected rise of a strong ultraconservative Islamist faction to the right of the Brotherhood is likely to shift Egypt's cultural and political center of gravity to the right as well. Leaders of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party will likely feel obliged to compete with the ultraconservatives for Islamist voters, and at the same time will not feel the same need to compromise with liberals to form a government.
"It means that, if the Brotherhood chooses, Parliament can be an Islamists affair — a debate between liberal Islamists, moderate Islamists and conservatives Islamists, and that is it," Michael Wahid Hanna, an Egyptian-born researcher at the Century Foundation in Cairo, said this week.
Sorry, got to laugh at the use of "unexpected" in this case. Unexpected by whom? Oh yeah, those who thought "Arab Spring" would mean secular democracy would suddenly pop up in a place that had never seen it before. Yup, naturally Islamists, one of the best organized and most ruthless blocs in the region, were going to roll over and cede the field to secular types.
And what does this portend?
The Brotherhood has pledged to respect basic individual freedoms while using the influence of the state to nudge the culture in a more traditional direction. But the Salafis often talk openly of laws mandating a shift to Islamic banking, restricting the sale of alcohol, providing special curriculums for boys and girls in public schools, and censoring the content of the arts and entertainment.
Their leaders have sometimes proposed that a special council of religious scholars advise Parliament or the top courts on legislation's compliance with Islamic law. Egyptian election laws required the Salafi parties to put at least one woman on their electoral roster for each district, but they put the women last on their lists to ensure they would not be elected, and some appear with pictures of flowers in place of their faces on campaign posters.
Sheik Hazem Shouman, an important Salafi leader, recently rushed into a public concert on the campus of Mansoura University to try to persuade the crowd to turn away from the "sinful" performance and go home. He defended his actions on a television talk show, saying he had felt like a doctor making an emergency intervention to save a patient dying of cancer.
Note his "intervention" was an attempt at persuasion. Now that's not going to be necessary, is it? Persuasion will eventually turn to coercion – see "censoring the content of the arts and entertainment" above.
Back to the 12th century.
Let freedom ring.
Twitter: @McQandO
Has"Arab spring" skipped summer and fall and headed into winter?
Probably. I assume, to some (and they will know who they are) this will come as an "unexpected" turn of events:
Six months after young, liberal activists helped lead the popular movement that ousted President Hosni Mubarak, the hard core of these protesters was forcibly dispersed by the troops. Some Egyptians lined the street to applaud the army. Others ganged up on the activists as they retreated from the square that has come to symbolize the Arab Spring.
Squeezed between an assertive military and the country's resurgent Islamist movement, many Internet-savvy, pro-democracy activists are finding it increasingly hard to remain relevant in a post-revolutionary Egypt that is struggling to overcome an economic crisis and restore law and order.
"The liberal and leftist groups that were at the forefront of the revolution have lost touch with the Egyptian people," says Shadi Hamid, director of research at the Brookings Institution's Doha Center. "These protesters have alienated much of Egypt. For some time they've been deceiving themselves by saying that the silent majority is on their side—but all evidence points to the contrary, and Monday's events confirm that."
Rather predictable, at least among those who objectively observe how the world usually works. As I said early on, the most ruthless and best organized will win this little bout and it was obvious it was the army and the Muslim Brotherhood that shared those attributes. They also came to an early agreement/alliance between themselves. At that point, you knew the movement started by the "young, liberal activists" variously described as "Arab Spring" and the "Twitter Revolution" was doomed.
The backlash among rank-and-file Egyptians became evident on July 23, when a march by revolutionary activists heading to the defense ministry was assaulted by residents of Cairo's Abassiya neighborhood. More than a hundred people were injured.
Egypt's secular and liberal activists have been campaigning for postponing parliamentary elections, initially planned for as early as June, so that they could better organize themselves and compete against the more established Islamists.
Elections have been pushed to November, but the liberals and the secularists appear not to have taken advantage of the delay. Instead of organizing themselves into a coherent bloc, they have set up minuscule rival parties and feuded among themselves, say analysts and diplomats.
"There is a power game going on—and the liberals and the entire secular movement are the weaker element, while the Islamists and the army are strong," said Laila Soueif, a liberal activist and human-rights campaigner who teaches at Cairo University.
The secular and liberal activists let the revolution pass them by while they feuded and fought among themselves. Meanwhile the army and Brotherhood took advantage of the situation and are now poised to take control of the country – "democratically" of course. And they're certainly not going to agree to a delay in elections to allow their rivals for power any chance of better organizing themselves.
I think it is probably pretty clear what the outcome of elections will be and who will end up being squeezed out. The secular and liberal activists have missed their moment. Meet the new boss – same as the old boss.
Twitter: @McQandO
Hold up the tank sale until after Egyptian elections
This is just not very smart politics or foreign policy:
While everyone in Washington was concentrating on the debt crisis this week, the Obama administration attempted to slip through a questionable arms deal that requires serious scrutiny. Though it got little attention, the Defense Department officially notified Congress on Friday that it was authorizing the sale of 125 M1A1 tanks to Egypt as well as other weapons, equipment, parts, training and logistical support. While most of the military sales to Egypt have sailed through without objection in the more than 30 years since it signed a peace deal with Israel, this is the first such sale since the fall of the Mubarak regime earlier this year. Which is exactly why the sale ought to be held up until the unsettled situation in the most populous country in the Arab world is better understood.
In the wake of Mubarak's fall from power, the Egyptian military seems to have retained a firm grip on power. But the army seems intent on sharing power with a resurgent Muslim Brotherhood movement that threatens the foundation of the relationship between the United States and Egypt. Since the 1979 Camp David Accords, the Egyptian military has gotten all the high-tech and expensive equipment it wanted so long as it was clear their new toys would not be used to threaten or attack Israel. But as Egypt lurches toward the election of a new government that will probably be made up of Islamist elements, that peace is in jeopardy.
Emphasis mine. We have no assurance or reason to believe that won't happen given the direction of the country and the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood, an avowed enemy of Israel whose representatives have repeatedly said the treaty Egypt has with that country must be voided.
So here we are going along as though nothing has happened and preparing to sell 125 of the world's most advanced battle tank to a country which could conceivably turn around and use them against Israel. Since, as I noted in another post, we seem to have little if any leverage there and it appears the Muslim Brotherhood has little desire to talk with us, I would think we'd be leery of such a deal and perhaps use it as a method of gaining some leverage. No?
Yes, I know we might see another country try to fill the gap by offering their tanks and equipment, but such a switch (Egypt is presently equipped with US military equipment) isn't as easy as it sounds and it would be quite expensive. It may be worth it to a Russia or a China (given the Suez Canal, etc.) to do that.
But at the moment this sale makes no sense – at least until the political situation is much more settled than it is at the moment. 125 tanks may not be enough to get the Brotherhood to change it's mind, but it does represent more leverage than we currently have with their military – the institution that may be able to moderate the Brotherhood's stance on Israel. Why give away that sort of leverage for nothing?
Twitter: @McQandO
About the "Twitter" revolution in Egypt
Things have certainly gotten better there – especially for US interests in the area – haven't they?
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently announced the U.S. administration's intention to officially renew dialogue with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. She said the move came as part of the administration's readiness to talk with any peaceful group wishing to participate in the Egyptian elections, and that this dialogue would be a continuation of limited and intermittent contact that had existed between the U.S. and the Muslim Brotherhood over the past six years.
Responding to Clinton's statements in an article published on the official website of the Muslim Brotherhood, its secretary general in Cairo, Dr. Muhammad Al-Biltagi, wrote that the movement had no personal interest in engaging in dialogue with the U.S., except as part of dialogue between the U.S. and Egypt as a whole. He added that the U.S.'s supportive stance toward Israel, its aggressive policies in Iraq and Afghanistan, and its support of Mubarak's anti-Muslim Brotherhood policies could not be ignored.
Or, "once we take over we have no intention of having the close relationship with the US that it had under Mubarak. Oh, and as long as you support Israel and are in other Muslim countries, we're not particularly interested in "dialogue" either."
Sounds pretty much what we all warned those enthralled with the "Twitter" revolution, as well as the "benign" Brotherhood about.
Tiger. Stripes.
Twitter: @McQandO


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Judge Douglas Kovatch could not be convinced to release Amber Ward on bail.
Provincial court
Ward, 18, is facing charges including break, enter and robbery; masked while committing an indictable offence; threatening and several firearms possession charges.
She appeared in Moose Jaw provincial court Wednesday for her show cause hearing.
The details of the hearing are protected by a publication ban.
The charges stem from a home invasion that occurred on March 19.
Two others — Ryan Tatum, 29, and Nicole Bouchard, 21 — have also been charged in connection to the incident.
According to the Moose Jaw Police Service, a homeowner on Ninth Avenue Northwest called police on the morning of March 19 and told them two people had forced their way into the residence and demanded cash.
At that time, police said, a handgun was allegedly produced, the suspects obtained cash and then left the residence.
Police arrested and charged an adult male and an adult female — identified as Ryan Tatum and Nicole Bouchard — that day.
Amber Ward was arrested the following weekend.
Tatum and Bouchard appeared in court Tuesday. Tatum was held in remand. Bouchard was released on conditions.
Ward has been remanded into custody until April 8.
The Crown and defence counsel are still awaiting further disclosure from police.
You can follow Justin Crann on Twitter or like him on Facebook.


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Ramayana is an epic narrated by Maharishi Valmiki. It follows the adventures of Lord Ram and his family in his conquest to defeat the Asura King Raavana to get his wife back and the creation of his ideal society. Ramayana depicts idealism. Every character, every incident is ideal. It has tried to sh..
Posted on 01/10/2016 06:06:59 AM
I used to be a railway I used to be a railway... Down my gleaming silver ribbons Dashed carriages and steamy, gleamy engines Carrying dainty painted crockery Sacks of sweetheart's kisses on envelopes Crates of polished apples And sons off to war. I used to be a railway Past my gleaming si..
Fairy Tales Disturbingly Unmasked
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Fairy tales are the stuff of childhood and parents all over the country, possibly all over the world, have used them to soothe children's fevered brows or help them ease into dreamland each evening. The stories have simple, straight forward themes of good triumphing over incredible evil and they're ..
Careless Flirt Series - Chance 911
Posted on 02/01/2015 08:08:33 AM
www.uink.ca She had always wanted to be mom. Embrace moments of picture perfect perfectionneatly collaged, the way family books come, andhung on walls to display snapshot happiness.How desperately was she to want this? For this soccer mom, corralling her young flock, typical ..
Posted on 01/31/2015 01:36:35 PM
A silent weightlessness surrounding naked skin Sexual wetness is noticed even in the pool of wetnessPassion is pursued with pressed lips over that naked skinArching feminine lines architect her beautiful devineSo sublime that he is lost to her key stone of lovelinessWaves upon waves, crashing, ..
The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies – Conclusion to an Epic Tale
Posted on 01/05/2015 02:57:42 PM
I don't know about you, but one of the things I was most looking forward to this past Christmas was the conclusion to The Hobbit movie series. Unlike the first two movies, I was sure that director Peter Jackson was leaving enough material for the final movie plot. Below is my review of the mov..
Review: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt – A example of modern-day idolatry
Posted on 12/22/2014 02:42:51 PM
Not long ago I was having a philosophical conversation with a friend about the existence of idolatry for today's Christians. (I know, pretty deep.) She stated that most Christians in the U.S. today do practice some type of idolatry, though not necessarily consciously. When pushed, she explaine..
What kind of Panem survivor are you? Take the Quiz and find out.
Posted on 12/22/2014 02:39:05 PM
Are you the one who needs all the help? The leader? The good soldier? Or may you're the rebel? Take the quiz on www.thehippiebookworm.com and find out. Take the Quiz Now See if you're the reluctant hero like Katniss. The good soldier life Gale or the opportunist like Heavensbee. Do you h..
Review: Love & Haight by Tracey Madeley – A social experiment in youth
Posted on 09/21/2014 11:54:31 AM
Do you remember what it was like when you were 18 years old? Just graduated from high school and on my way to college, I'm afraid I was a little arrogant. I thought I knew all that life had to teach me. I was fearless because it felt I would live forever and so I was unafraid to do things like..
Posted on 06/07/2014 04:59:07 PM
Eighty-six doesn't seem like enough years for anyone to live these days, at least, to me. There are those who I wish would live forever and I can imagine that the friends, family and delighted readers of her books, would feel that way about Maya Angelou. Her passing means that she is no longer with ..


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CLOVIS, N.M. - A Clovis man wanted for murder was in the custody of Clovis Police Department on Thursday, one day after he was captured in Albuquerque.
Albuquerque police captured Steve Duran, 34, at an undisclosed location after receiving a tip of his whereabouts, according to a Clovis Police Department news release.
Duran had been wanted since Jan. 14 in connection with the Jan. 13 shooting death of Ricardo Gallegos, 48.
Gallegos was found dead in his home after officers responded to reports of shots fired at Sunrise and Mercury streets.
Clovis police detectives and officers went to Albuquerque on Wednesday and brought Duran to Clovis.
He remained at the Curry County Detention Center on Thursday on a $200,000 bond on an open murder count, and a $21,000 bond on a robbery charge, jail officials said.
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Costume Information
|There wasnt too much work to do on this costume. Sew the jacket, make the swords, and then I store bought items that only needed minor to zero modification. I am not much of a Hellsing fan, but a good friend and I have been wanting to cosplay together for a while and we figured to start out with this!


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Inside the Al-Azza Refugee Camp in Bethlehem
"Ive been shot at every day," says Kristen Schurr, a 33-year-old freelance journalist from Harlem, speaking via cellphone from the Al-Azza refugee camp in Bethlehem. Schurr is one of 10 New Yorkers who traveled to the West Bank with the International Solidarity Movement, a group of peace activists who have vowed to act as human shields to protect Palestinian civilians.
Since March 29, she and five of the New Yorkers have been holed up with families in the Al-Azza camp as Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) besiege Bethlehem.
Conditions there are "grim," Schurr says. While electricity was restored to the camp this week, residents are largely prevented from leaving for food or medical supplies for fear of being arrested or shot at by Israeli snipers posted at the entrances to the camp and surrounding rooftops. "They mostly fire into the main alley that runs through the camp, so to get across it you have to duck and run very fast or youll be hit," Schurr says. "There are F16s and Apache helicopters flying overhead and tanks constantly circling the camp. Occasionally they fire shells at the perimeter, just to remind people that theyre always under threat," she adds.
Though Schurr believes the growing number of internationals arriving on the West Bank is helping to save Palestinian lives, she and the other New Yorkers have found little safety behind their American passports.
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On April 1, Schurr was among the 150 peace activists who were fired upon by Israeli Defense Forces when they attempted to march to the neighboring town of Beit Jala in support of Palestinians who were facing house-to-house arrests. A Palestinian camerman and seven activists were wounded, including Zaid Khalil, an Upper East Side resident, who suffered shrapnel wounds to his leg, and an Australian woman, who was seriously wounded when a bullet fragmented in her stomach.
Although the U.S. embassy offered to evacuate the Americans, Schurr and the other ISM activists refused. "We dont want to leave until the Israeli troops withdraw from this offensive," she says.
Schurr says most of the New Yorkers are members of the Direct Action Network. When they first set off for the West Bank, they had hoped to stage nonviolent civil disobedience protests outside Israeli checkpoints and escort Palestinian farmers to their fields, protecting them from attacks by Israeli settlers.
But that was before Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared Israel to be "in a state of war."
The groups focus has since shifted to bearing witness and providing humanitarian aid. "We go out in pairs at the very least, carrying white flags," Schurr says. "We spend most of the day escorting Palestinians who have been detained home from prison or getting supplies and food and filling prescriptions for people at the hospital in Bethlehem, because no one can get out of the camp," Schurr says. "We also ride with the ambulances because if there are internationals with them, they get shot at less, though today and yesterday the ambulances were getting shot at here."
On Sunday, Schurr accompanied several Red Crescent medics in an ambulance who were attempting to deliver food, water, and medical supplies to the more than than 200 Palestinians and Christian clergy who have taken refuge inside the Church of the Nativity. But they were turned back by an Israeli tank, which fired a warning shot at the ambulance and the group of internationals who marched behind it bearing signs printed with sections of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which guarantee the right to treat the sick and wounded. Schurr, who said she has been communicating via cell phone with Palestinians inside the Church, says that as of Tuesday there were nine people dead and 13 wounded and very little food. Contrary to news reports and claims by the Israeli military, Schurr and other international observers insist there have been no shots fired by Palestinians inside the church at the Israeli forces surrounding them.
On Tuesday, Schurr and four other ISM activists faced off with a group of Israeli soldiers riding in a tank and armored personnel carrier through the streets of Bethlehem. "The Israeli soldiers got out of the APC and grabbed this Palestinian guy and shoved him to the ground, with their rifles pointed at him," Schurr says. "We walked towards them with our hands in the air. The soldiers told us to go back but we didnt, because it looked like they were going to shoot the guy. After about 20 minutes, they let him go. He said they were going to kill him because he didnt have his ID card with him."
Despite the spiraling conflict in the region, Schurr and her fellow internationals seem undeterred. On Wednesday, she and three other New Yorkers left Bethlehem for the ruins of the Jenin refugee camp, the site of the fiercest fighting between Israelis and Palestinian gunmen. (More than 14 Israeli soldiers have been killed there and at least 150 Palestinians, according to CNN and other news sources.)
While Schurr and the other internationals may get nowhere near the campfor the past week, Israeli forces have denied entry to both media and aid workersthey hope to bear witness to reports of severe human rights violations there, including an as yet unconfirmed account that some Palestinian families had been bulldozed inside their homes by the Israeli Army, which is now systematically flattening the camp. Israeli officials say civilians were given the opportunity to leave their houses, but on Wednesday, even Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres was referring to the situation in Jenin as "a massacre." The city is reportedly littered with bodies, and residents are said to be without food and drinking waste water.
"Were not worried about ourselves." Schurr told the Voice early Wednesday morning. "Were worried about the Palestinians. We have the choice to leave at any time. They dont."
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Amarillo novelist Jodi Thomas, one of 83 finalists for the romance novel industry's highest honor, will have to be satisfied with two RITA Awards for now.
Thomas's 2002 historical romance, "The Texan's Wager," had been among 850 novels nominated for the Romance Writers of America RITA Award, which was announced Saturday at the RWA 2003 National Conference in New York City.
RWA sponsors the RITA, the top award for excellence in the romance novel industry. Thomas has been nominated for the honor four times and has won twice.
"I didn't win this time," Thomas said. "A better book beat me, but I'll try again next year."
While in New York for the RWA conference, Thomas participated in a book signing for her soon-to-be-out first mainstream novel, "The Widows of Wichita County." She will have a book signing for it in Amarillo on Aug. 17 at Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 2415 Soncy Road, she said.
Thomas did get some satisfaction from the trip. She said "The Widows of Wichita County," was given a 412-star review by Romantic Times magazine, which reviews all women's fiction.
"So I'll have two categories to compete in next year," she said.
A 30-year Amarillo resident, Thomas has been writing for 14 years, with 16 published books to her credit.
RWA is the national trade association for authors of romance fiction.
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Sunday, November 24, 2013
This One's Just for Me
I also wanted to use up some oils that I had a little bit left of. Additonally I wanted to make soap just for myself. Something luxurious and pretty. A soap that I would use on my face, and therefore I wanted all those exotic oils that I normally would use in face creams rather than soap.
So it became quite a cocktail. I'm still waiting to see how it will turn out. It just might be an almighty flop. But it could also become my new favorite soap.
I know this is a crazy recipe. It's not supposed to be very conditioning, but since I used both jojoba oil and lanolin, both of which really are waxes rather that oils, I'm counting on them to do the job. Plus this is more superfatted than I usually do.
The thought with this soap (if there was any, I did this pretty instinctively) was to make something similar to my old facial soap that I did ages ago. That soap seemed to take forever to cure, but turned out to be one of my all time favorite soaps. And that one aged quite well too.
Coconut Oil - 36% - 5 oz / 160 g
Lard - 30% - 4.7 oz / 134g
Almond Oil - 17% - 2.6oz / 73g
Avocado Oil - 10% - 1.6oz - 45g
Olive oil (Rubarb root infused) - 3.5% - 0.5oz / 15g
Castor Oil - 1.8% - 0.3oz / 8g
Jojoba Oil - 1.6%% - 0.25oz / 7g
Lanoline - 0.5% - 0.1oz / 2g
Water - 5.2oz / 66g
Lye - 2oz / 58g which makes it 15% super fatted, but always check a lye calculator (I always use Soapcalc myself).
For fragrance I used Neroli, Ylang Ylang and Benzoin, with a dash of Rosewood, Sweet Orange and a dash of Geranium, Vetiver, Sandalwood Amyris and Cubea Litsea. I put it in this silicone cake form that I got in a thrift store (and have never used for cake) as well as my heart shaped ice cube mold from Ikea. I like to have small soaps for the bathrooms.
The scent is nice and fresh and the colour also turned out to be a very nicely pink. But this soap is also going to take a lot of curing. Oh, well. Patience is the mother of all virtues, as they say. I need more of that, and as they also say: Practice makes perfect. So it's all good.
Update: Like I expected, this soap took some time to cure, but once it did it does make for a nice very creamy lathered soap that feels quite gentle on my skin. I have also used it as a shampoo bar and my hair likes it. The fragrance didn't hold up as well as I hoped. It turned into a kind of indistinct something. So even if I like that Neroli, Ylang Ylang and Benzoin combination I should probably have skipped the others or made one of them dominant.
6 comments:
- Moj sapun... said...
This is for sure really interesting recipe. I don't use lard but now I am really inspired. What also impressed me is the color of the soap which perfectly suites it's design.
- November 24, 2013 at 7:00 AM
- Casadapaulina♥Jabones said...
El jabón tienen muy buena pinta
y tiene que olor estupendamente.
- November 24, 2013 at 10:12 AM
- Jessie Y said...
Whoa the oil ingredients sound very nutritious. I should give it try and see how it comes. Love the shape as well.
- November 25, 2013 at 11:12 PM
- Rosella said...
So pretty!!!
- November 28, 2013 at 8:58 PM
- Rosella said...
For some reason I was unable to leave a comment on your "Making Soap My Way" post but just wanted to thank you for this great tutorial on how to make this stunning soap. I'm a Rhubarb "nut" and found you by searching Rhubarb Soap - and as a newbee/wannabee soap maker I simply can't wait to try this! All your soap posts are absolutely brilliant - love them all! I have so much to learn ....
- November 29, 2013 at 2:41 PM
- Ambra said...
Thank you all for your nice comments. I look forward to trying this soap out. It will need a longer curing time than most of my regular soaps, but it should turn out good in the end. I'll add comments to that post once I find out how good/bad it is. Rosella - I do also like the Rhubarb a lot. Never get tired of that colour :)
- November 30, 2013 at 1:57 PM
- Ambra
- I'm a fun loving person who loves to do things, make things, grow things, repair things. I love it when my husband gives me power tools as presents! The next best thing is getting ingredients. Any type of ingredients, oils, pigments, building materials, old pieces of wood or used textiles, especially. I love the fact that anything can be made. Need glue? Well, go to the kitchen and make some! Don't have a recipe for glue? Google it! (Isn't the internet a fantastic invention) Need lettuce? Grow it! On a window sill if you don't have a garden . I have two daughters, two dogs, one son in law and one husband. Born and bred in Iceland (I think that was a horrible mistake, I like warm weather and sun). Still live there though and of course I like it, really. But the weather could be better. I read a lot. Some fiction, but mostly factual books. I have an oppinion about most things. They may not be the right opinions, but I'll stick to them unless you convince me otherwise. And I will change my mind give new facts and strong logic! I generally like my life. I like most people and love the fact that nothing that really matters to me can be taken away.


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Released: May 31, 2013.
Genre: Melodic Death Metal, Eastern Folk Black Metal.
Label: Spinefarm Records.
Number Of Tracks: 10.
Chthonic is becoming the voice of Taiwan to the metal world, but listeners should be aware: this is not a voice that speaks softly.
POSTED: 12/13/2013 - 08:08 am
Released: Jul 6, 2011.
Genre: Melodic Black Metal.
Label: Spinefarm Records.
Number Of Tracks: 10.
As an album, "Takasago Army" just gives you more of everything from Chthonic. If you want something different from the Children Of Bodoms and Cradle Of Filths's then you should most definitely check this out.
POSTED: 07/11/2011 - 05:02 am
Released: 2009.
Genre: Melodic Black Metal.
Label: Spinefarm.
Number Of Tracks: 12.
Chthonic are a band from Taiwan. They've been around for 15 years or so, and have remained an underground act for most fo that time.
POSTED: 04/07/2010 - 03:05 am


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Depression-Era Unemployment Looms
Since the Great Depression, the peak unemployment rate was 10.8% in November, 1982. We will, in all likelihood, set a significantly higher record for the unemployment rate in the next 12 months. Here are 12 reasons why the unemployment rate will reach at least 12%.
I would also remind you that if we currently reported the unemployment rate as they did in the 1930's, our current rate of unemployment would be around 17.2% In any event, here are just two of the most compelling reasons why the job picture is going to remain very cloudy:
For the first time in at least six decades, private sector employment is negative on a 10-year basis (first turned negative in August). Hence, the changes are not merely cyclical or short-term in nature. Many of the jobs created between the 2001 and 2008 recessions were related either directly or indirectly to the parabolic extension of credit…
But when we do start to see the economic clouds part in a more decisive fashion, what are employers likely to do first? Well, naturally they will begin to boost the workweek and just getting back to pre-recession levels would be the same as hiring more than two million people. Then there are the record number of people who got furloughed into part-time work and again, they total over nine million, and these folks are not counted as unemployed even if they are working considerably fewer days than they were before the credit crunch began…So the business sector has a vast pool of resources to draw from before they start tapping into the ranks of the unemployed or the typical 100,000-125,000 new entrants into the labour force when the economy turns the corner. Hence the unemployment rate is going to very likely be making new highs long after the recession is over — perhaps even years.
There are other compelling reasons at the link, but the two above are enough to ensure that the unemployment rate will remain high for quite some time.
11 Responses to Depression-Era Unemployment Looms
Pingback: uberVU - social comments
if we currently reported the unemployment rate as they did in the 1930's, our current rate of unemployment would be around 17.2%
What was the highest rate during the Great Depression, 25%? Doesn't that mean that we're going to come pretty close to those levels before this is all over? That is staggering to consider.
But… but… but…
President Imeme tells us that he's created or saved a million jobs in the past nine months or so!
And… and… and…
GDP grew a bit last quarter. The recession is over!
And… and… and…
The AP assures us (categorically, comrades, categorically!) just this morning that the job market is healing because jobless claims fell more than expected!
Jobless claims fall more than expected to 502K
New claims for unemployment insurance fell more than expected last week, evidence the job market is slowly healing as the economy recovers. [emphasis mine – dj505]
Are you saying that these people are not telling the truth???
Green shoots, baby. Green shoots.
Hmph. More like mushrooms, if you know what I mean!
Our President, who is in Washington
Imeme is his name.
His will be done, his Presidency come,
soon earth will be as heaven.
He gives us each day, our daily rent, and money for gas
and forgives those who speak harshly against him
and leads us to service and delivers us from the temptations of market capitalism
for his is the Presidency, the power, and the glory
and he may do whatever he needs to in order to save our land, no matter what the Constitution says.
I went to see Paul Krugman speak in Manchester, Vermont in October. After speaking for an hour, he started taking questions from the audience. A man a few feet away from me stood up and asked him where the jobs were going to come from for his children and grandchildren.
Paul answered that he didn't know, but green jobs might be an answer. He also said that something might come along that we haven't invented yet, that will revolutionize things
similar to computing and the internet. But, in the end, he just didn't know from where the jobs were going to come.
I don't think we can sit around and wait for something to be invented that doesn't exist yet and green jobs could put people to work now. Why, as far as I can see, is nothing being done to create green jobs? What about all of the crumbling infrastructure in this country? Roads, bridges, water pipes that are 100 years old and leaking? We spent billions of dollars to save the casinos on wall street. Can't we spend a few billion to put some people back to work?
I am extremely disappointed that President Obama is not addressing the unemployment problem.
As Paul Krugman said, "We need a better government than we've got."