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GraphicConverter 10.1 Build 2589 Multilingual MacOSX
GraphicConverter 10.1 Build 2589 Multilingual MacOSX | 115.57 MB
GraphicConverter has more than 1.5 million loyal users worldwide – from amateur photographers to professional designers. The Press has dubbed this program the equivalent of the "Swiss Army Knife" describing it as the "Universal Genius for photo editing on the Mac"
Import and export functions
- Import of approx. 200 & export of approx. 80 graphic formats
- Catalog generation (web, print, picture)
- Picture import direct from the camera (also RAW)
- TWAIN interface for scanners
- direct support of the photo services Google+, Flickr, Locr
Picture organization & workflow management
- Graphical file and picture browser
- Slide show functions
- Batch conversion
- Support for AppleScr
Picture editing
- Express picture enhancement function
- Enhancement and creation of pictures for use in the internet
- Basic functions for editing pictures
- Advanced functions, effects and filters for picture manipulation
- Plug-in architecture
- Color management with ColorSync and ICC profiles
- 3D image support
- Supports the latest technologies of the different MacOS versions
- Support for the JPEG2000 format
- Multilingual – with 12 available languages
System Requirements:
• 64 bit version for Intel Macs
• Requires Mac OS X 10.9 or higher; new features of Maverick, Yosemite and El Capitan are supported
What's New in Version 10.1:
New Features
• Remove XMP Document Ancestors list
• Added dehaze filter
• Save as png option added to alert during saving if image contains an alpha channel
• Sort into subfolder "Date YYYY-MM-DD (flat)" added
• Added preference to hide tool menus
• New function in convert&modify: set C/XMP keywords from folder names
• New function in convert&modify: set c/xmp data from an xmp file
• Added optional display of autofocus points and subject area
• Added Auto Color batch
• Pressed command key during launch clears recent browser and documents list
• Look with LUT (supported LUTs: cube, 3dl, mga, dat, lut, xml, 3dmesh)
• Autoreplace feature during manual rename in browser with autoreplace.txt file stored at ~/Library/Application Support/GraphicConverter/Autoreplace
• New context menu entry in the browser: show in new browser (useful for search results and flat view)
• Import of Image System IG4 added
• Context menu entry to delete old EXIF Window XP metadata tags
Updated Features
• Updated German localization
• Updated Danish localization
• Updated French localization
• Updated Czech localization
• Updated Japanese localization
• Updated Chinese localization
• Xmp:MetadataDate and xmp:ModifyDate will be updated upon saving if properties existing
• GC9 actions will be copied for usage by GC10 at the first launch
• Scale to main desktop size supports with and w/o borders
• Improved display of thumbnails from afphoto files
• Added suppression option to wrong color profile space warning
• Updated ExifTool
• Removed support for OpenStreetView.org because service was closed now
• Improved prefs part browser/edit metadata
• Improved print catalog dialog
• Performance fast preview in browser much improved
• Option to use OpenStreetMap.org for inverse geocoding
• Handling of bad characters during file rename process
• Added note upon saving images with faces with xmp saving disabled
• Add page to pdf for single page pdfs
• Overwrite in place save option (for special server volume permission settings)
• Larger toolbox with all tools directly visible on larger screens
• Pref to force always copy for drag and drop in the browser
• Removed obsolete set creator preference
Bug Fixes
• Wrong display of images with exif rotation value=6 in Photos extension fixed
• Fixed possible numbering issue of some pdf page labels
• Fixed German translation issues
• Fixed crash of edit faces and e-mail dialog on 10.9
• Fixed crash with a special xcf file variant
• Fixed automatic display of toolbar during slideshow of movies
• Fixed issue with some movies
• Fixed XPM import issue with unusual color kind order
• Fixed crash upon opening large Photoshop pat file
• Fixed missing batches in the scr menu
• Fixed possible crash during editing maximum steps in the prefs part general/memory
• Fixed naming issue in Cocooner
• Fixed GPX export issue
• Fixed bug in conversion of rotated live movie to gif animation
• Fixed crash upon opening large CMYK TIF which requires more than 8GB of memory
• Fixed bug with Photos Xe8472 extension during editing RAWs


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Mark Carney has warned that an independent Scotland could experience an exodus of financial companies to England, with a "distinct possibility" that RBS would move south.
The Governor of the Bank of England delivered the prediction to MPs during a marathon evidence session yesterday, in which he also said that a new state would have to commit to joining the euro if it applied for EU membership.
His remarks add weight to statements from leading businesses voicing concern at the risks posed by separation, and will have made uncomfortable listening for Alex Salmond, who has previously praised Mr Carney's approach

subset: commoncrawl


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This group is for you which want to show in your profile you are a single person developing a game, making if not all the game aspects(music, coding, arts), at least most of it, the famous 'lone wolfs' of the indie game world. This group also is supposed to show you respect greatly others which do the same, other 'lone wolfs'. Our games sure take longer to come out and demands much more effort, but you bet they are cool when they do!
Tons of Concrete and a Sledgehammer! Get Smashing!!!
Apologies for not updating for a while! This update will talk in detail about a new feature in the game called activities. Enjoy yourself!
WARNING!!! WARNING!!! In coming never ending DevLog!
DO you like updates and images? How about customizable arena mode, missions? Check it all here!
Following the 1.0 build, I wanted to get some reactions on it .
A first teaser of 3.3.0 version, and various pics of work in progress elements of the month!
Experience open-world physics based arcade action in Spheres by Sense of Place Games. Explore the mountains for one in-game day in this preview demo.
Beta version 6 finishes up a whole new enemy tier as well as adds new achievements and balance changes!
A little bit of painting, a little of bit pixel art, a little of bit code and animation... and on the road to a new build.
Sneak, hide and shoot in this playable top down shooter demo. Includes lots of gameplay gifs!
Meet the newest enemies to be added to Jaggy Battles: The Scorched! These fiery beasts introduce the Stealth mechanic.
Significant amount of changes in the game since the last update. Enjoy yourself reading about it.
The second major alpha of Hoverbike Joust is available now, right here on IndieDB!
Construct is now on Steam Greenlight and voting is underway!
New trailer for 3.2.3, release date, presentation of the new programs, tv, dna manipulations, satelite and power plant attacks, citymap, phone and much...
After 9 months of Early Access, Nomad Fleet is finally ready to make a full release on Steam. Here I tell my "raw" experience as a new developer.
Hello! One month has passed since the first Goddess post and I have found many surprises along the way!
The first CONSTRUCT demo for Windows PC is now available. The demo showcases an early portion of the game where the aim is to reach the game's first 'system...
This status report is not a major one, just a deserved explanation between major updates. I am also attempting to be more personal rather than present...
Presenting the gameplay trailer and new screenshots for CONSTRUCT, a sci-fi platformer currently in development for Windows PC.
3 or more reasons for ol' Tone to grab a sledgehammer and get smashing.
Presenting the first trailer and new screenshots for CONSTRUCT, a sci-fi platformer currently in development for Windows PC.
Hi, this is the first Goddess post here on Indie DB. But what is Goddess?
Alpha 0.0.2 adds secondary weapons, difficulty settings, and a jump-buffer so platforming feels much better. Steam Greenlight is going well but B-12 still...
It's time to enter Beta! With resolution support on Android finished (hopefully) I can now move on to adding content and tweaks.
Introducing Tone, the Hammer Man of the Game. Swinging it like 1974.
Prior to this release STRACO was stuck at 720p resolution (1280x720) BOOO! Now, there is an infinite* number of resolution options, HORAY! You are only...
I talk about the last wave of feedback I got for my game and think of a plan to improve my game based on it. I also show a few new things I'm working on.
The first alpha of B-12 is now available, and the game is up for voting on Steam Greenlight.
A "serious game" that gives a Dam! Made of concrete... Pixels!
No news were found matching the criteria specified. We suggest you try the news list with no filter applied, to browse all available. Post news and help us achieve our mission of showcasing the best content from all developers. Join now to share your own content, we welcome creators and consumers alike and look forward to your comments.


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Apple Sauced Pork Chops
Total Time
Prep 20 mins
Cook 1 hr
This is a wonderful and flavorful meat dish. A definate keeper in my cookbook. Please note: I did not have the meat tenderizer, so used nothing and it was fine.
Ingredients Nutrition
- 5 -6 pork chops
- 1 garlic clove, mined
- 1⁄2 teaspoon meat tenderizer
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup water, boiling
- 1 3⁄4 cups applesauce
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Brown chops.
- Drain off fat and place in casserole.
- Mix minced garic clove, meat tenderizer, flour and salt and pepper.
- Pour boiling water in pan and add flour mixture.
- Mix well and add applesauce and lemon juice.
- Pour over chops.
- Cover and bake one hour at 375 degrees.
Most Helpful
I omitted the meat tenderizer....cooked these in a covered skillet on top of the stove instead of in the oven and they came out very tasty and very tender. Thanks!
Delicious and tender! The entire family enjoyed these chops. I used homemade applesauce. Since my pan drippings were runny, I thickened them with flour and served them over rice along with the chops and steamed broccoli. Thanks for a great fall meal that we'll enjoy again.


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Explora Rainhas, Felicidade e outros!
A rainha branca.
A rainha branca thehopefulheroine.wordpress.com/.../my-.
Anne Hathway,A Rainha Branca
Helena Bonham Carter!
"Never ending Story" kinda freaked me out when I was younger
Colleen Atwood truly is one of the most amazing costume designers around- check out this look from Snow White and the Huntsman.


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Is this restaurant family-friendly?
Is this restaurant wheelchair accessible?
Is this restaurant good for business meetings?
Is this restaurant romantic?
Is this restaurant good for breakfast?
Is this restaurant good for lunch?
Is this a French restaurant?
Is this a Thai restaurant?
Does this restaurant serve alcohol?
Are the prices at this restaurant high or expensive?
Thanks for helping!
The food is simply divine. The dinner menu is small but yum, lunch is just incredible - lots of choice & yummy!!
The menu is pricey but the food is delicious. For the 4 course meal, each dish was presented well & very flavourful. It was a wonderful meal overlooking the Gulf of Thailand as the sun set and well worth the experience.
This is a hidden gem - lovely boutique hotel with cute court yard swimming pool and very stylish decoration all around the place. Lunch is at the wooden beach terrace with a stunning view. Food is good. Drinks are nice (only our cocktail went wrong, but they replaced it without any problems). Suitable for romantic dinner. Or for families. Friendly...
There are not many tables but worth a visit - book in advance. The entrance might not be easy to spot. But as soon as you are inside you will feel like beeing in another world. The restaurant is more or less at the beach. Nice for lunch as well, but nice and romantic with all the candels. The hotel...
Fabulous food, fabulous service and very well priced when comparing to the same standard in Australia.
Eating on the balcony watching the activity in the bay was fantastic.
We enjoyed a delicious meal with very attentive service.
The menu consisted of Thai starters followed by a fantastic seafood basket and dessert.
The cost although somewhat more expensive than in BamgRak or Bophut (990 bhat pp with free glass of wine) it was well worth the ambiance.
We have enjoyed excellent breakfasts at this restaurant as part of our...
This little and quaint restaurant is part of The Scent Hotel and part of Relais & Chateaux association. Small menu with beautiful dishes. Everything as tasteful and beautifully presented. They are a bit cheap on filling up the wine glasses.
Staff could be a bit more service oriented although Jack is amazing and gives great service.
This place is typically special. From a tidy setting right on the beach, just a step above the sea, very polite and professional staff, super delicious dishes and friendly price. I only regret I did not stay here (Scent hotel) this time but I visited the restaurant twice from a 2 nights stay trip to Samui. I will definitely return.
The chef is top of her game. Would find it difficult to get a better meal in Paris. Simply a delightful evening watching the sunset with wine & food. Service excellent at The Scent Hotel. Not the cheapest but worth every baht.
The food was awesome, Pu and Johny our wait person's were very friendly. The location is spot on and the hotel is very boutique. Well worth a visit if you like to spoil yourself.
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.


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Welcome to the Pittsburgh Chapter!
We welcome women and men from every background. If you are just learning to appreciate wine or have been in love with wine all your life....we have something for you! Our group comes from many different backgrounds in the wine world but the one thing we all have in common is a passion for life and wine.
Becoming a part of WWS Pittsburgh Chapter will allow you to be a part of educational and fun events held through out the year in the Pittsburgh area. No question is too simple or silly to ask and that's why we want you to feel comfortable at our events. Our goal is to teach you about wine but with adding some amazing food and down to earth speakers. You will walk away learning something you can use in every day wine consumption.
Executive Chef
Chuck Kerber of the Allegheny HYP Club will teach us insider tips to help in the kitchen. There will be a demonstration with a buffet of the items prepared - all skillfully paired with some of our favorite wines! You don't want to miss this!
Member Fee: $75
Non-Member Fee: $90


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You are a fan of universal gundam ? Come to discover the best forums universal gundam on the internet and share your experience with a community fan of universal gundam . You can also build a forum universal gundam and create your online discussion.
A place for gamers to talk about games and stuff.
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Mythical Giantess
free, forum, giantess, world, mythology, goddess, goddesses, gentle, evil
A fun place for all MLN and the new Lego MMO fans to gather, discuss, and give and receive help.
#universal, lego, network, forum, team, elliwhi, tennisdude, staff, roddy15, twitter, minifigure, community, posting, group, massive, message, boards, elliwhi1008751
Free forum : Where gaming is divine.
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Universal entertainment platform for all people & extension of the conscious community to demonstrate the betterment of society! Hotep.
A forum for the Garrysmod gaming community, specifically for the Universal Union Clockwork HL2rp (Half-Life 2 Roleplay) server.
#universal, union, forum, garrysmod, gaming, community, specifically, clockwork, hl2rp, (half-life, roleplay), server
Formerly Facebook's largest community of hula hoopers, UHH is a tight-knit circle of hoopers, by hoopers, for hoopers.
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A Roleplay forum set in the timeline of the One Year War, 0079 of the Universal Century.
#gundam, roleplay, forum, 0079, story, mobile, suit, #universal, century
Free forum : The Hub of the Universal Realms Project, where players can connect, learn more about the project, and see all the currently existing worlds.
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Gundam Universe in Chaos is a Gundam rpg forum. Players can have a lot of fun playing together and striving for self development.
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An RPG forum based on the Universal Realms template. Delthor is a system of several small worlds, most of which have little to no governmental system.
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Wild Wing is an RPH-centric Rp group.
free forum : Join our movement, Join the revolution!
sdgo, #gundam, forum, online, clan, play, robot, games, wars, wing, char, game
Taking place in the universal century, players shall take part in the federation-Zeon war, free to choose their own side. Who will you fight for?
#gundam, place, #universal, century, players, federation-zeon, free, choose, fight, for?
An RPG forum based on the Universal Realms template. A world ruled by Matthew, the Dark King, that relies heavily on magitech, technology powered by magic.
entherium, #universal, realms, role-play, bastion, darkness, template, world, ruled, matthew, dark, king, relies, heavily, technology, powered, magitech
An Alternate Universe
Do you love the site ROBLOX? Do you love socializing with friends? Want to have a different way to chat to your friends and talk about games? This is the place!
#universal, robloxers, love, site, roblox?, socializing, friends?, chat, friends, talk, games?, place!
This is a fourm dedicated to an open world txt based rpg set in the dragon ball z universe
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The Official English Community for Taiwan SD Gundam Online
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Gunpla Building, Tutorials, How To, Alternative Techniques. Gundam Model Kit Guides.
gunplaguides, gunpla, building, tutorials, alternative, techniques, #gundam, model, guides


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The Global FlyFisher
Simply the Best Place to go for Online Fly Fishing and Fly Tyinghttp://globalflyfisher.com/video/jimbos-caddis-pupa
Simply the Best Place to go for Online Fly Fishing and Fly Tying
Nov 13. 2016
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Sep 12. 2016
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Jul 12. 2015
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Nov 15. 2016
Moreno, Thanks for sharing. A great and...
Sep 28. 2016
Mike, Your questions are not stupid at...
Apr 17. 2016
Tim, What a good looking style! I love...
Jan 6. 2016
Dear Wiggy & all who just don'...
Published Nov 23. 2012 - 4 years ago
Jimbo's Caddis Pupa
Trout take caddis pupa with a vengeance give this one a try I'm sure you will not be sorry! Thanks Jimbo for this design!
Originator's web site:
Martin Joergensen
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text:
In this interview, shot in the Steampunk demo suite at Jigsaw24 in London's Soho, Pro Tools Expert Technical Editor James Ivey talks to Rich Nevens from Avid. Rich is currently the Director of Strategic Solutions which he explains means he looks after customer focused solutions in mainly the control surface area of the business.
Interview - John Merriman Of Crown Lane Studio
For this interview Technical Editor, James Ivey traveled to Merton in Surrey, south west of London to meet John Merriman of Crown Lane Studio.
Interview - Barry Henderson From iZ Technology
In this Pro Tools Expert Podcast Extra, Technical Editor James Ivey talks via Skype to iZ Technology President Barry Henderson about his path into the music and recording industry right up to is current position at iZ Technology in Canada as head of all things Radar.
Interview - Peter Gregson - Composer And Cellist
In this video interview James Ivey, from Pro Tools Expert sits down to chat with cellist and composer Peter Gregson. The interview takes place in Peter's shared North London studio surrounded by some amazing up to date and vintage gear.
Interview - Sean Genockey At Black Dog Studios
In this video James Ivey from Pro Tools Expert talks to musician, producer and studio owner Sean Genockey. Sean explains about his approach to recording and mixing using his amazing selection of outboard gear to create is ideal hybrid console.
Tour Of Challow Park Studios Part 3
In this the final part of their tour of Challow Park Studios James Ivey from Pro Tools Expert talks with Will Biggs about the main recording space at Challow Park - Their live recital hall with its 3 grand pianos and amazing installed pipe organ.
Tour Of Challow Park Studios - Part 2
In this 2nd video in a series of 3, James Ivey from Pro Tools Expert continues his guided tour of Challow Park Studios with studio owner, designer and builder Will Biggs. In this part of the tour they first look at and talk about the hub of the studio, the server rack and the network system that runs the studio's Dante connected interfaces.
Pro Tools Expert Podcast Extra Interview With Al Schmitt And Steve Genewick
In this Pro Tools Expert Podcast Extra Interview James Ivey talks with recording and mixing engineer Al Schmitt and his assistant of 14 years Steve Genewick. James chats with Al and Steve via a Skype call into Capitol Studio in LA.
Tour Of Challow Park Studios - Part 1
In this video for Pro Tools Expert, James Ivey talks to Will Biggs from Challow Park Studios and gets a tour of the work so far. Challow Park is an almost solo undertaking by owners Will and Amy to build a professional recording facility in the grounds of Challow Park Hall.
Interview - Will Biggs From Challow Park Studios
Challow Park Studios is a new, purpose built recording studio in Oxfordshire which runs entirely using Dante and RedNet I knew this was something we had to follow up...
Interview - Colin McDowell from McDSP
In this in-depth Pro Tools Expert Podcast Extra interview, Technical Editor James Ivey talks to Colin McDowell from McDSP. They go from his beginning playing in bands, to how McDSP got started, the thorny issue of software piracy, software design and what might be coming next from McDSP.
Interview - John Metcalfe From Pop Audio
Paul chats with Pop Audio founder John Metcalfe. Pauls ask John about his start in the in the Music Industry
Interview - Ian Shepherd On Mastering & Dynamic Range Day
Pro Tools Expert team member James Ivey talks to Mastering Engineer Ian Shepherd about his current work, his website Production Advice and the annual Dynamic Range Day.
Interview - Prime Studio On Recording Studio Gear & Online Services
Paul Drew talks to Bjoen and Gerhard from Prime Studio about the fantastic facility and services.
Interview - Bobby Owsinski On Music Production
Paul Drew talks to Bobby Owsinski about the music industry, his work as an author, producer and mix engineer.
Interview & Tour - Dynaudio PRO
James and Sebastian from Dynaudio talk about the history of Dynaudio, the company's product lines and gets a tour of the factory
Interview - Bruno & Conor From Mogees On New Instrument
Interview & Tour - Solid State Logic
Interview - Tom Waterman Technical Director At Audient
Interview - Al Schmitt & Steve Genewick On Music Production
In this video James talks with Al Schmitt and Steve Genewick about music production.


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The Collaborative Family Healthcare Association is considering hosting its first ever Job Fair at this year's conference in Charlotte, NC. The Job Fair is tentatively scheduled for Friday, October 14th 9:30am-5:30pm.
Your organization's participation in the Job Fair allows you to:
We're looking to gauge the interest of our membership and request your assistance by completing the survey below. If you have any questions please contact CFHA staff at firstname.lastname@example.com
We appreciate your input!
Remember Me
Forgot your password?
Haven't registered yet?
1/5/2017Research and Evaluation Committee Meeting
10/19/2017 » 10/21/2017CFHA 19th Annual Conference - Houston, Texas
Collaborative Family Healthcare Association, P. O. Box 23980, Rochester, New York 14692-3980 USAPhone (585) 482-8210 Fax (585) 482-2901 email@example.com


text: Zach_Porto_Lindo620_412037111.jpeg On a long journey along Pan-American Highway, 50-mile gap proves arduous PRI's The World June 20, 2012 Reporter Zachary Slobig took a long road trip along the Pan-American Highway, which stretches all the way from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to the tip of Argentina. But along the way, he had to ditch his car in favor of a boat and a plane. That's because the 30,000 mile road has a 50 mile gap, between Panama and Colombia.


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08/12/2016The hip fracture risk factors are generally similar among those with and without Alzheimer's disease, according to a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland. However, the incidence of hip fracture is higher among those with Alzheimer's disease, regardless of other characteristics.
25/11/2016Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital have developed a new drug capsule that remains in the stomach for up to two weeks after being swallowed, gradually releasing its drug payload.
31/10/2016The distinct structures of toxic protein aggregates that form in degenerating brains determine which type of dementia will occur, which regions of brain will be affected, and how quickly the disease will spread, according to a study from the Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute.
28/10/2016International experts are concerned about WHO moves in classification process. "The medical rationale for stroke being a disease of the brain is overwhelming." This is the key message of an urgent appeal launched by leading neurology experts in The Lancet.
28/10/2016University of Adelaide researchers have developed a world-first optical sensor that can detect vitamin B12 in diluted human blood - a first step towards a low-cost, portable, broadscale vitamin B12 deficiency test. Vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
13/10/2016Certain symptoms associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease, including agitation and depression, affect Hispanics more frequently and severely than other ethnicities. The findings, published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience (JNCN), suggest that Alzheimer's disease manifests itself differently in Hispanic populations.
12/10/2016Researchers have prevented the development of Alzheimer's disease in mice by using a virus to deliver a specific gene into the brain.
11/10/2016Incorporating laughter into a physical activity program that is focused on strength, balance and flexibility could improve older adults' mental health, aerobic endurance and confidence in their ability to exercise, according to a study led by Georgia State University.
10/10/2016New Berkeley Lab tool could shed light on how neurological diseases spread.
05/10/2016Diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) may manifest as pathological changes in the retina of the eye. Research from the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) shows that retinal changes may be detected earlier than brain changes. Findings from mouse models suggest that eye examination could be used as a noninvasive screening tool for human brain diseases.
16/09/2016The following factors facilitate the formation of putatively toxic structures in the neuronal nuclei of Alzheimer's patients. Spherical structures in the nucleus of nerve cells, so-called nuclear spheres, are suspected to trigger Alzheimer's disease.


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Give us a call to get our secret deals 800-468-3578
Property Location
With a stay at Residence Inn by Marriott Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile, you'll be centrally located in Chicago, minutes from John Hancock Center and John Hancock Center. This hotel is close to Millennium Park and Art Institute of Chicago.
Make yourself at home in one of the 221 air-conditioned rooms featuring kitchens with refrigerators and stovetops. Complimentary wired and wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming provides entertainment. Conveniences include phones, as well as safes and desks.
Take advantage of recreation opportunities such as a fitness center, or other amenities including complimentary wireless Internet access and gift shops/newsstands.
Grab a bite from a snack bar/deli serving guests of Residence Inn by Marriott Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include a business center, express check-in, and express check-out. Planning an event in Chicago? This hotel has facilities measuring 496 square feet (46 square meters), including a meeting room.
You must present a photo ID when checking in. Your credit card is charged at the time you book. Bed type and smoking preferences are not guaranteed.Your reservation is prepaid and is guaranteed for late arrival. The total charge includes all room charges and taxes, as well as fees for access and booking. Any incidental charges such as parking, phone calls, and room service will be handled directly between you and the property.


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Every day I speak to business owners from around the world and help them to achieve their marketing objectives by simplifying their approach, developing sound strategies and systems and by making sure that "Technology Works" - Infact I have three simple principles that can be applied to ANY business, they are:
Have you cracked the Internet Marketing Code yet?
Did you know there was such a thing?
Well, unless you have enough money coming in from your business to pay for all of your expenses AND live the life you want (and dream about) then I would suggest you have not cracked the Internet Marketing Code.
I am here to help you with that!
You see there are many different ways to market yourself (on and off line) and all of these ways have associated costs. So you spend a bit, hope for the best and try to see how well things work, you do what you are confident in, and you only put money into things you are sure will produce a return, the whole internet marketing thing just seems, well, "spammy"??
Am I right?
If so you are probably thinking that I am the next guy coming along trying to sign you up for some BS scheme that will never work in a month of Sundays.
But wait a second,
What if I told you (without sounding like something from the Matrix) that some of this "spammy" stuff actually works, and that it is not actually "spammy" if you apply my three principles, infact there are marketing techniques that I can show you, teach you and implement for you that will leave you upset that you had not done something like this sooner.
The latest Facebook Ads Course or Flashy Webinar may scratch a particular itch for about five minutes but you also need structure and in order to uphold our three principles we need to build a marketing strategy, you know to go with that business plan you never wrote...
From a strategy comes the ability to measure and monitor results, we can literally see how much it costs to "buy" a new customer or lead.
Then we can see how many clicks we need (and how much they cost) in order to generate our sale / lead...
If you could have a Funnel in place within 8 weeks that not only captures your customers info, it sells to them without really selling, AND lets you know that if you put $1 in you get $2 out, how many times would you put that dollar in?
Unlimited times right?
Not only would you be covering the cost of your advertising and making potential profit you would also be in a position to retarget and remarket those hot leads for months, years to come.... Add the relationship building element and you literally are GOLDEN...
Now which way sounds better?
Your current way.
Or my way?
I will leave that up to you. What I can tell you is that your business could be a sharpened blade with the systems and structures in place to scaled enormously within 8 weeks or so, of course there will be things to do to get there, and of course there will be investment, but I guess you are searching for something to help your business?
In my view, I think you have just found it.
Let's talk about your business sometime, schedule a call with me below.
and don't forget to join my mailing list, I promise that I will share so much goodness with you for FREE that you will want to tell all your friends (or maybe not)
Thanks again for reading, see below for the next steps.
All success
Danny Walsh


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July 17, 1956
MADERA ET UX., APPELLANTS,v.KESTER.
Appeal, No. 14, Oct. T., 1956, from order of Court of Common Pleas of Clearfield County, Feb. T., 1955, No. 249, in case of Gust Madera, et ux. v. Lex Kester. Order affirmed.
Carl A. Belin, for appellants.
Dan P. Arnold, D. Edward Chaplin and Chaplin & Arnold, for appellee.
Before Rhodes, P.j., Hirt, Gunther, Wright, Woodside, Ervin, and Carr, JJ.
[ 181 Pa. Super. Page 161]
On October 16, 1953, Julia Madera accompanied her seven year old daughter, an elementary school pupil in Penn Township, Clearfield County, on a trip to and from the nearby Borough of Curwensville. The means of transportation was a school bus, in which other pupils and their mothers were also conveyed. The purpose of the journey was to have the pupils in question receive their regular school medical examinations. When she attempted to alight from the bus at the conclusion of the return trip, Mrs. Madera tripped and fell to the ground. She and her husband, Gust Madera, instituted a trespass action against the bus owner, Lex Kester, alleging that the steps of the bus had, by long usage, become dangerously worn. After trial, the jury returned a verdict for the defendant. The lower court refused to grant a new trial, and this appeal followed.
There were two steps with metal treads at the front right side of the bus. Appellants attempted to show that the front edges of these steps protruded sharply upward and inward, and that Mrs. Madera's toe caught in the protruding edge of the upper step.On the other hand, the defense was that the steps were not negligently maintained, that the bus had passed the customary police inspection two months earlier, that Mrs. Madera and other mothers originally entered the bus, got off at Curwensville, and re-entered the bus all without difficulty, and that no one had difficulty getting off the bus on the return trip except Mrs. Madera. Photographs of the steps, taken six months after the accident, were introduced into evidence. We have examined
[ 181 Pa. Super. Page 162]
these photographs and they do not appear to be helpful to appellants' contention. In our view, the verdict of the jury properly disposed of all controlling questions.
Present counsel for appellants contends that there were a number of errors in the charge of the trial judge. At the conclusion of the charge, an opportunity was afforded trial counsel to call attention to any errors or omissions. There was no response. Not only were there no special exceptions, but also there was not even a general exception. Furthermore, none of the reasons now advanced were raised before the lower court in the motion for a new trial. See Pryor v. Graff, 179 Pa. Superior Ct. 622, 117 A.2d 818. We have carefully reviewed the charge and find no fundamental error. See Koenig v. Flaherty, 383 Pa. 187, 117 A.2d 719; Palmer v. Sunshine Family Laundry Service Co., 177 Pa. Superior Ct. 595, 112 A.2d 449. Under the circumstances we deem it unnecessary to further extend this opinion.
The order of the lower court is affirmed.
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Trainee Project Manager Internship at hÅb
Trainee Project Manager Internship at hÅb
Thu 6 Oct, 6-10pm tickets tbc
From the earth beneath our feet to the stars in our skies, an evening of emerging works by a group of artists as diverse as their subject matter. Quantum mechanics, homelessness, food and sex brought together in a series of tabletop performances, installations and sit-down shows.
Divergency is an ongoing project - contributing artists include Maya Chowdhry, Jamil Keating, Chanje Kunda, Afreena Islam, Cheryl Martin, Chelsea Morgan, Toni-Dee Paul plus guest Yvonne Shelton.
Please note this is primarily an adult event and may contain content not suitable for the under 18s, details online from 19 Sep.
image: Chanje Kunda
The dust has finally settled following Ria's beautiful and compelling sell-out show 'Matilda and me', closing Word of Warning's Spring/Summer season on a real high! Before I go on, have a read of some of the comments left by our wonderfully generous audience:
"Ria was mesmerizing. A history lesson - personal, political and beautiful all in one."
"Brilliant, thought-provoking message, well written and captivating."
"Really grateful to have had this story shared with me. Elegant performance. Thank you."
Planning to be up in Edinburgh to scout out who we should be keeping our eyes on next!! Watch space and all of that…
The day after the show Ria took 6 of us on an afternoon amble around Manchester city centre, where we explored our environment with a different lens, considering our bodies' impact on the space we inhabit… Or in my words: all of us standing in the middle of Manchester Arndale and looking up at the ceiling or walking around the Arndale on our own and holding eye contact with random strangers… Unbeknownst to us, we'd garnered a small (and just as stealthy!) audience, who gave us a small knowing clap as we left… it's the little things…
We are really chuffed to welcome Bristol-based artist Ria Hartley into the STUN Studio on the 25th June, to present our FIRST EVER programmed show, Matilda and Me.
Word of Warning, Divergency and Sustained Theatre Up North present
Ria Hartley - Matilda and Me
Thursday 25 June 2015, 7.30pm
STUN Studio at Z-Arts, 335 Stretford Road, Manchester, M15 5ZA
Price: £5/3
Book here or call 0161 232 6089
More information: www.wordofwarning.org/current/2015-springsummer/hartley/
"Matilda is my Grandma.
She migrated from Jamaica to England in 1962.
Now all of her memories have faded.
I need to remember for her, for me, for us…"
Weaving together storytelling, spoken word, dubpoetry, live art, autobiography, and reggae music, this colourful and challenging performance offers a political viewpoint surrounding the lived experience of migration, colonialism, racism, and the current perception of British cultural identity. Performed solo, the piece is presented as a biographical mythology of Ria's lived experiences, reflecting poetically on the story of her and her Grandma, and the 2 islands they are from.
An interdisciplinary performance artist, Ria works within the mediums of devised theatre, performance, live art, video installation, photography, spoken word, site-specific + durational performance; often autobiographical, her work is concerned with memory, identity, communication and human relationships. She has been an associate lecturer at Falmouth University since 2010.
Age advisory: 14+, the show lasts approximately 1 hour with no interval. For specific age and access information please email firstname.lastname@example.com or call 0161 232 6086.
Artists' Workshop: THE CITY IS OUR PLAYGROUND
Friday 26 June 2015, 1 - 5pm
Around Manchester city centre - starting point - The Yard
(41 Old Birley Street, Manchester, M15 5RF)
Free to professional artists with show ticket - limited capacity first come first served.
Book here or call 0161 232 6086
"What does freedom mean to you? Walking in your own shoes, are there places you don't go? Have you found yourself in places you're forced to feel you don't belong? Places you have no reason to go? Do you ever question why? Have you ever stood still in a busy shopping centre, just to experience the movement of others, like a shoal of fish? Have you ever occupied the invisible spaces, cut-offs and leftovers? What is the highest point in the city we can reach? Have you ever broken through the invisible boundaries dividing social class, gender, race, age and ability? Have you ever considered that your body, identity and voice are powerful revolutionary tools? That your body is always performing and making meaning in the world?"
This site-based workshop is an invitation to professional artists to explore the city with our senses; spend time to interrogate its functions and how that impacts upon our bodies, and how our bodies impact on it. Together we will explore the city in new ways, peeling back layers to reveal more about our bodies in relation to site. We will play with structures, break invisible rules and perform for accidental audiences.
This workshop invites artists to creatively and critically explore how their bodies relate to the wider context of the city, and how this knowledge can be applied to creative making processes for both site and studio-based practices.
N.B. Please wear Manchester-weatherproof clothing, and comfortable footwear as we will be outdoors for most of the workshop.
www.riahartley.com | @RiaJadeHartley
For more information please email email@example.com or call 0161 232 6086.
We were very lucky to have (self-described) 'Hawaiian transplant' and performance maker Stacy Makishi kick off our 2015 with a workshop, where we each had a stab at making the worst performance we have ever made… meet the alternative seven dwarfs - Dull, Token, Meaningless, Unhinged, Self-Absorbed, Mainstream, and Unethical! The workshop inspired us to start thinking about making some sort of public performance, the how, the when, and the practicalities are all up in the air(!) but watch this space!
Celebrating our successful Grants for the Arts application (hooray!) we kicked off the project with a workshop from our friend and Divergency 'regular', Selina Thompson. What may have looked like a huge food fight to the untrained eye, was actually a workshop about using food as a stimulus to create work! Following which, we went to see Selina's aptly named show, Chewing The Fat, at The Lowry.
After working with food and watching a show about food, we went and ate some food! We broke (naan) bread and discussed as artists: who we wanted to work with, what we wanted to get out of the project, and how we wanted to do it. Food being a focal point - we decided we would meet and eat one month, and workshop the next... which leads me on to our latest excursion to Artwork in Salford - a huge art space where Jamil hosted us and Chanje set the workshop exercises!
Great minds and all, we all responded to the same brief, which was:
No speech in the performance at all. Narrative and/or concept being explored must be communicated without speaking. The performer(s) are at the heart of the piece.
See below a selection of photos of what came out of the workshop.
Plans are afoot for Divergency in the new year, watch this space!
STUN and hÅb are pleased to be hosting (once again!) Leeds-based artist and performer Selina Thompson, and she's bringing with her a delicious (!) workshop and show combo...
Over the past couple of years she's been developing a body of works, Edible Women, exploring the fat body, dieting, and control around food (and just how much of a mess she can get away with creating with an audience!). So far, she's made a theatre show, built a dress out of cake, spent quite a lot of time listening to people confess their food sins and shared many of her own…
The Workshop: That's what you get for being food...
Monday 3 November 2014, 5.30 - 9pm
In her own words, this is what it's all about:
"I'm a firm believer that a performance with food in it makes the brain and the heart salivate just as much as the mouth. So for this workshop, I want to spend a little time exploring how our physical and sensory responses to food can be used to transform food into a visceral, powerful way of connecting with a peckish audience.
We'll be working with stolen words, our autobiographies and of course — food! — to create some positively delicious moments of performance.
This workshop is for artists, but more than anything, it's for people that love food/cooking/eating/making a mess. Come armed with a strong anecdote — a story you love telling — and a food that you would like to use to tell it. Be as abstract or literal as you like, and bring as little or as much of that food as you need. See you soon!"
There are discounted show tickets (£5) available to workshop participants, for details on how to book them and any other workshop enquiries please email firstname.lastname@example.com
The Show: Chewing the Fat
Friday 7 November 2014, 8pm
"FAT! That's what I'm making a show about. My fat. Your fat, maybe. Fat. I've been fat for a long time now, and I thought I was fat, even when I wasn't, and as such, I've been thinking about fat for even longer. So I made a show about it. Our bodies and egos are fragile, our ways of talking about them inadequate, so I can understand that you might not be up for talking about fat for an hour."
Glitter, chicken legs and a rice pudding piñata: Selina invites you to her own version of a midnight feast, a cross between the confessions made over coffee at Weight Watchers, and sloppy drunken story-telling over a 3am kebab. Sitting somewhere between story-telling, stand-up, live art and theatre, Chewing The Fat is a powerful portrayal of how we live with our bodies.
Click here for a 5* review of the show in the Yorkshire Post.
Chewing the Fat is presented by The Lowry and Word of Warning.
Due to illness, we had to postpone the Selina Thompson workshop - and are delighted to announce the new date is:
Following dinner was a very rapid overnight work bash - to create a "pecha kucha" style presentation (20 slides in 20 seconds - absolutely terrifying and breathless to do) to bring to the Creative Case NORTH celebration at the Tetley in Leeds, yesterday, Thursday 15 May.
This marked the end of the residency project - a full day of round table evaluation, presentations from all four residency partnerships and a 'long table' public forum to discuss what next.
A really positive and thorough day - and just the breadth of residency projects showed the huge diversity in the subject we are all trying to deal with... plus the huge energy and commitment that exists to make a meaningful contribution now and into the future.
STUN and hÅb would like to thank the Creative Case NORTH consortium for the opportunity this residency has offered us to make a start - just a start - on something that we hope will grow into the future.


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shadow83 Review
Barely OK
The mattress is fairly comfortable, but has never completely recovered it's intended shape. I put it in my RV to replace an old innerspring mattress. There is a crevice in the center where it hasn't completely come back into shape and the corner is turned up about an inch.. It has been twelve days since I unfolded it and has been in use since that day. Time may cure the remaining problem. Turning it over when not in use when I return home may also cure this. I would rate the mattress 4 stars if it had recovered it's original shape. There was no unpleasant odor when unpacked.
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Blog Archives
Our culture has lost a great treasure. It did not happen quickly – in fact it has taken a couple of generations to completely disappear. Sadly, although the church should have been the caretaker of this precious commodity, we are complicit in its disappearance. What is it that has become for the majority of Americans a distant memory? Silence – the gift of utter and complete emptiness. The ability to be filled with the glorious sense of quiet.
Our world is dominated with noise – but not just any kind of noise. Our world is filled with the noise of words. From the time our alarm clock goes off in the morning until we finally collapse exhausted in our beds at night we are drowning in a toxic quagmire of words. Many of these words are verbalized, either in the form of speech or songs. Perhaps even a greater number of these words are printed – showing up on billboards, on posters, in newspapers and magazines, and always present on our computers, tablets and phones. We exist in a stagnant, putrefying, poisonous ocean of words.
The irony is that as you read this, you are reading . . . words! Christians gather on Sunday mornings to sing songs of praise to our God. We collectively lift up prayers to God. We expect, even crave, to hear words of encouragement from the eternal Word of God. I want to suggest, however, that none of these words will have any significance at all if we do not enter into our worship (either solitary or collective) out of the purifying quality of silence.
Before there was anything, before there was even time, there was God, and – silence. God spoke his first creative word out of the creative silence. In John's mystifying vision of the future, amidst all the praise and worship that constantly surrounds the throne of God, there is the sound of awe inspiring silence. In order to hear God's voice, there must first be silence!
Most westerners (Europe, England, the Americas) are terrified of silence. We do not understand those "mystical" people from the East who can sit for hours – alone or in a group – and do or say nothing. We even shy away from enclaves of silence within our own noisy culture, the Amish and the Mennonites and the Quakers, and those weird monastics. We may admire them from a distance, but we hope that we never catch their disease of quietness. Sad thing, really. Why are we so afraid to be silent, unless we are afraid to hear . . . God?
One question I hear almost constantly today is, "How could the United States fall so far from its founding principles is such a short period of time?" I'm sure that many answers could be given. I think, however, all the answers have a common root. I believe we have lost that fundamental ability – and necessity – to "Be still (silent) and know that I am God." (Ps. 46:10)
Here is a crazy idea: inoculate yourself with 30 minutes of silence every day, and see how much more clearly you can hear the voice of your God.
Boundaries of Brotherhood
I venture forth into troubling waters today – or, to follow the theme of this blog, into foggy skies. I've been wrestling for the past few days with a question that recurs frequently in conversations among brothers and sisters in Christ. That question is, "Who is my brother or sister in Christ?" At the center of the discussion is the frequently repeated and much discussed phrase, "in necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus charitas." (in matters of necessity, unity; in matters of doubt, liberty; in all things love) Confusion and ignorance reign.
There are two extremes. On the one hand there are the full, or near, universalists who will accept all or almost all who mouth the words, "Jesus is Lord." For them everything is a matter of doubt or opinion, because if you make anything a matter of necessity or faith there would be some who would disagree and therefore be "outside" the circle of fellowship.
On the other extreme are those who come close (or who clearly demonstrate) Phariseeism. For them everything is a matter of necessity (or faith) and nothing is a matter of opinion. For them identifying those who are in the Kingdom is easy – because they are on a first-name basis with most of those they consider to be a part of that circle.
I find myself in an uneasy middle position. I say uneasy because intellectually I believe the number of the citizens of God's Kingdom to be much bigger than my own understanding of God's truth. However, my personality type and nature tends to push me into the second group. My tendency is toward Phariseeism. Intellectually I know God's grace must exceed my own human limits – otherwise I would be God! – but emotionally I have a hard time welcoming those who disagree with me. After all, I am always right (c'mon – my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek).
I must reject out-of-hand the growing chorus of the "easy believeism" that is sweeping through the Churches of Christ. That is nothing other than the "Cheap Grace" identified by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. We cannot accept that two diametrically opposite views of Holy Scripture can both be correct. We cannot accept that two diametrically opposed views of worship – or especially of the requirements of Kingdom membership – can both be correct. We must allow for differences of opinion and conscience, but at some point there must be a determination of wrong and right, of heresy and of sound doctrine. Likewise, we must be careful that we do not elevate our own intellectual prowess to the level of God's judgment. We do not tell God who is a part of his Kingdom, God does that. Refer to my Undeniable Truth for Theological Reflection #1, the foundation for theology must be humility. Our greatest error is in proclaiming that we are beyond making errors. If universalism is wrong, so is Phariseeism.
This is not an easy subject to discuss – as emotions invariably run high and convictions run deep. As long as we are in these "earthen vessels" we are going to see things "darkly." However, that does not mean we have to abandon all discussion and inquiry into the matter.
We must, however, pray for God's Spirit to guide us into the healthy truth – the truth that sets proper boundaries where God has placed them, and not where fallible humans have placed them.
It Really Is Not About Us
Worship is not about us. Worship is about the One who created us, suffered for us, and redeemed us. Worship is not about style or place or who stands behind the podium. Worship is certainly not about the podium. Worship is about submitting ourselves to the one who is worthy of our worship. When we measure worship by human standards, we remove God from the center and place ourselves on His throne. Worship can never be about us.
Prayer is not about us. Prayer is not trying to get God to align with our wants, wishes, and goals. Prayer is about aligning our hearts and bodies with God's designs and goals. Prayer is about transforming our mind into the mind of Christ. Prayer is the path to sanctification. Prayer is not about us.
Evangelism is not about us. Evangelism is about the God who calls all of us to be reconciled to him. When we decide that we have to have a "method" or a "style" of evangelism, we make evangelism to be about us. When we are more focused on the "unchurched" or the "unsaved" rather than the God who calls all people into community and salvation, we have made evangelism about us. When we can list exactly how many people have been baptized but we cannot name a single person who has been discipled we have made evangelism about us. We can never make evangelism about us.
Bible study is not about us. We do not study the Bible to confirm our prejudices or certify our phobias. Bible study is about learning the mind of God – through the mind of Christ. We do not worship the Bible, but we use the truths found in the Bible to lead us to worship the God revealed in those truths. We must never make Bible study about us.
When we make anything about us, everything disintegrates, because we are broken, fallible, human beings. All division, all sectarianism, all animosity of any sort has its roots in the fact that some person or group made some aspect of the church all about them. From the most arcane and virtually incoherent arguments about the nature of the trinity down to the whether women can preach or pass the communion trays, sectarianism boils down to one ugly little proposition: we are like God, knowing right from wrong, and we don't have to pay attention to what God said, because we are at the very least as smart as God, and therefore we can direct our own paths. When everything is about us there is no room left for the Creator, and certainly not for the Crucified One.
What we see in far too many congregations today is tragically the result of making the church about us. We have put ourselves front and center, and worshipped our reflection in the mirror. As the culture around us becomes even more narcissistic, I fear the situation in the church will only get worse.
There is a solution – there is a remedy for this malaise. But we have to get one thing straight first.
It really is not about us, at all.
Gays, Guns, Flags . . . and Faith
I started out my devotional time this morning with a prayer. Funny for me to admit this, but I usually do not – I usually pray to conclude my Bible reading time, but only infrequently will I pray before. That is something I need to change, but I digress.
I guess I felt a special need to pray this morning. This is not a happy time for me right now. For the second time in 12 months my wife and daughter are going through a significant period of loss. A year ago it was the death of a precious friend and mother of my daughter's friend. This year it is a loss by relocation – but a significant and painful loss nevertheless. I'm also struggling with a number of other things – nothing major, yet nothing trivial either. Just life.
So, I prayed. I asked God for help. I asked Him to speak to me through his word. I wanted some comfort, if not some specific answers.
Then, I turned, as I always do, to my first section of reading, from the Psalms. This is what I read –
Don't put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the LORD their God. (Psalm 146:3-5, NLT)
I could quote the entire Psalm, and if you are interested you can read it. It is a powerful message of faith, and quiet confidence.
I am sick to death with our "government" in the United States. The Supreme Court just ruled that individuals who pervert the most sacred gift God has given human beings now have the right to "marry" each other in all 50 states. It is sickening. But what is just as sickening is that the Chief Justice, John Roberts, flapped his jaws about how the ruling was all about imposing the will of the Supreme Court instead of upholding the Constitution, when it was HIS pathetic and inexcusable imposing of HIS will that permitted the greatest rape of the Constitution in decades with the Affordable Care Act. The man must have no conscience at all.
Yea, I know – inflammatory rhetoric and all that hogwash. Well, like I said, I am not in a happy place right now, and I tend to be a little blunt at times. But, as angry as I am with the entire miscreant government that we now have, I am only too aware that human governments are human governments, and human governments are steeped in sin and perpetuate sin. So, the ruling by the SCOTUS this morning was sickening, but fully expected. I would have been shocked had the decision gone the other way. When sinful people are given that much power, it is folly to expect a Godly outcome.
What really, really upsets me (and here I WILL bite my tongue – er, keyboard) is that the CHURCH is just as culpable. Yes, you read that – We, the people of God, share absolutely in this decision. For years, decades, and now going on centuries, we have put our faith, our trust, our hope, in the fallible minds and hands of the congress, the president, and the constitution. We have given what is holy to the dogs and we have cast our pearls before swine. We have sown the wind, and we are reaping the whirlwind (tornados, for those of you in West Texas). So, before we go marching off to some rally and demand that we elect more sinful, fallible, broken human beings to a sinful, fallible and broken system of government, maybe we should get down on our knees and profess our faith and submit our heartfelt repentance before a Holy and Transcendent God.
It sickens me to see what our country has lost. It sickens me far more to see the church, God's people, become so compliant by trusting in the human system that created this cesspool. We can pray all we want, and say "In God We Trust" all we want, but if our initial reaction to today's ruling is, "We have to elect more Republican (read, "God Fearing") Senators, Representatives, and a Republican President" then we deserve every single one of the Godless rulings this SCOTUS has handed down over the past decade or more.
No, dear Christian friend. Electing sinful, broken and power-hungry Republicans will not solve any of our problems.
We need to start acting like we actually believe Philippians 3:20 and Hebrews 13:14. We need to start acting like our hope is in the LORD our God, and not some empty suit in Washington D.C.
The early Christians turned the world upside down, and basically converted most of the known world, when the ruling government actively sought to destroy them. Homosexuality and other sexual perversions were rampant. Violence was systemic, not occasional. And, yet, the Christians prevailed, because they believed their LORD was in heaven, not in Rome.
Get it?
Apocalyptic Surrender
A word about surrender. Surrender does not mean that you fight to the last drop of blood of the last man and then call it quits. That is called, "being defeated." The only way surrender can actually be defined as surrender is when the person, or persons, doing the surrendering actually have the capacity to keep on fighting, and possibly of even overcoming, their enemy. Surrender is taking your entirely healthy team and walking off the field in the third quarter when you are only down by a field goal. Walking off the field when you are down by 7 touchdowns, there is only three seconds left in the game and you are down to 8 players is not surrender. Let's be honest about our terms.
A word about apocalyptic. An apocalypse is a written account of a special vision given to a messenger of God relating to an explanation of the reality of human events as seen from heaven's perspective. It also contains a message about future judgment – of reward for the obedient faithful and punishment for the rebellious guilty. Apocalypses were written to encourage the faithful to keep the faith, to look at things from heaven's perspective and not from the perspective of the world. Apocalypses are ultimately about victory. God is in control, even death cannot change the eventual outcome of the game.
So, why speak of an apocalyptic surrender? Simply this – the only way to achieve victory from the point of view of heaven is to quit playing the game from the world's point of view.
In other words, surrender whether it looks like you might still win or you are hopelessly overmatched. Because, ultimately, if you win according to the world's rules you will lose according to God's rules.
I think the church needs to learn this. I think the church needs to learn how to surrender. We need one huge, global act of apocalyptic surrender.
We need to quit playing the game according to the rules of the world. We need to quit trying to make the church more pleasant, more attractive, more relevant, more beneficial, more consumer friendly. The one who established the church died on a cross, for crying out loud. And we are trying to "attract" people by making that cross – more attractive??
We need to quit playing power games. The world will not be transformed by political machinations. We can legislate until we are blue in the face and all we will accomplish is a deeper shade of blue. Jesus surrendered every form of power except the power of selfless surrender. In other words, Jesus embodied apocalyptic surrender. He looked at victory from God's point of view, and transformed the concept of power to the idea of submission.
We need to quit playing public relations games. We need to regain the moral capacity to call sin, sin. We need to realize, and confess, that we are sinners – every stinking wretched one of us. We cannot be forgiven until we are condemned, and we cannot be condemned if we have eliminated the concept of guilt. But, when we say that sin exists and that we are guilty of sins as well as every other person is guilty of sins we violate every principle of public relations. Public relations demands that we whitewash over our own sins (to create and maintain a healthy "self-esteem") and to whitewash over the sins of others (to create and maintain healthy inter-personal relationships.)
Apocalyptic surrender demands that we have a complete reevaluation of our behavior. We, as disciples of Christ, need to change not only the way we act, but even the way we think. In apocalyptic thinking losing is winning and winning is losing. We become victorious through surrender. The Lion of the tribe of Judah is the Lamb who, though slain, stands as conqueror.
I must admit, I'm not exactly sure how to do this. I am far too much a creature of the modern world. I just know that I need to quit. I need to surrender.
And at the end of the journey
We shall bow down on bended knee,
And with the angels up in heaven
We'll sing the song of victory.
(from the song, "We Shall Assemble")
It's funny to me how some people will trip over themselves to prove they are the most dedicated Bible believing, scripture quoting people and yet carve out significant chunks of the Bible that they believe no longer applies to them. In reality, what they are is the most selective Bible believing, scripture quoting people around.
I have in mind 1/10, that is, 10% of the 10 Commandments – "You shall remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."
"Oh, but that does not apply to us today, because we are New Testament Christians, and that only applied to the Old Law."
It's pretty hard to say you follow the teachings of the Bible if you only start with a 90% standard of completion to begin with. Or, make the less that 50% if you remove the entire Old Testament. Who want to boast about following 40% of the Bible? "Yes, I'm a 40% Christian." Sounds kind of lukewarm to me.
Speaking only of the United States, but I believe we have to be the most neurotic, psychotic, and paranoid culture to have ever lived – or at the very least we are in a tie with a long lost civilization.
We rush, push, hurry, manipulate, worry, fret, drink, consume volumes of pharmaceuticals, drive ourselves to ulcers and destroy our mental and physical bodies in a 24/7/365 cycle of narcissism and compulsion. All for what result? More money, more prestige, more opportunities to regret doing what was most important to begin with.
And way back yonder on Mount Sinai God told Moses, "Rest one day in seven – oh, you can do your chores – milk the cows and feed the chickens, but take the day off. Rest. Sleep. Play with the kids. Let your servants rest and sleep and play with their kids. Call off the planting and the harvesting and the committee meetings and the hustle and the bustle. If you have nothing to do for 24 hours you can think about Me. Think about creation and how I take care of the whole world and yet I found time to take a day off for some rest and relaxation. Now, if I, your God, can take a day off and things work out okay then certainly you can take a day off and let the world run itself for a while."
But we refuse to take God's word for it. Why, if we stopped worrying and fussing and having our committee meetings and working 24/7/365 then the whole world would just go spinning off its axis into the great abyss.
I'm exhausted. I am just mentally and physically fried. I can remember being this spent only one other time in my life. It was not pretty. But God did not put me in this place. My supervisors did not put me in this place. My family or my friends did not put me in this place. I put myself in this place. I have not practiced Sabbath in a long, long time. The human body is just not designed for this kind of wear and tear. I'm not a doctor nor a psychiatrist, but I read the Bible. God designed me and he said "Sabbath – that is what my people need, Sabbath."
Rest. Relax. Recreate. Refocus on God. Watch the world go around and realize that it will continue to go around whether I meet my next deadline or not.
I want to restore that 10% of my Bible that I have been cutting out for far too long.
The Sabbath was God's gift to his people, not a law to bind and trap them into legalism.
I want to claim that gift. I want my Sabbath back.
9.11.01 – 12 Years Later
9.11 is always a tough day for me. A dozen years ago I was a pilot. I was flying an FAA mandated check ride, flying between Albuquerque and Las Cruces, NM. We, my check pilot and I, had overheard some chatter about some planes hitting some towers, but with only one ear on the radio and never once considering that the "towers" were anything more than some radio towers we never even turned the radio up.
What a difference 15 minutes can make.
I've blogged about this before, and probably will every year. 9.11 changed everything – the way we navigated, the way we identified ourselves in the air, the way we thought about airplanes. It even changed what we as pilots could carry onto our airplanes.
You would think, if you were a sober person and not intoxicated with the wine of global superiority, that in the dozen years since 9.11.01 we would have learned a thing or two about making and keeping peace. But you would be wrong. We are just as war mongering today, if not more so, than we were 12 years and 1 day ago.
Even as I type this our "Nobel Peace Prize" winning president, the Grand Poobah of stupidity, is preparing to throw the United States headlong into another senseless civil/religious war that we have no business getting involved with. Adolf Hitler was wrong on so many things, but on one thing he is reported to have said he was absolutely correct. Every generation needs its own war. It seems even winning a Nobel Peace Prize does not keep a power hungry maniac from starting his own war.
So, every 12 months America will pause to remember the tragedy of 9.11.01, and every year hundreds, if not thousands, of young men and women will put on the uniform of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and National Guard. They will train relentlessly with the most up-to-date methods for exterminating entire nations of people. Our politicians will strut like a bunch of little Bantam Roosters and throw around empty phrases like, "preserve the peace" and "defend our nation's honor," all the while being complicit in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians a half a world away whose only crime is that they live in a different country and speak a different language.
There is no national honor in killing children and old people with guided missiles shot from unmanned arial drones.
We live in a schizophrenic country. We claim to follow the Prince of Peace, the crucified Lord of life, and yet our most fervent prayers and most solemn national holidays all revolve around our ability to kill soldiers of other nations. The closest holidays we have that might possibly relate to spiritual thoughts are now all about football and "Black Friday" and greed and consumerism. There is not enough Christianity in modern day celebrations of Thanksgiving and Christmas combined to fill up a decent sized worship service. And that is being generous.
So, to make a too-long post even longer, every year I remember 9.11.01 – but not in the way that most people do. I observe it with regret; regret that we have not learned any valuable lessons from that horrible day. Regret that I, too, was sucked into a poisonous nationalism. Regret that our civil leaders will still send young men and women to their deaths for no other purpose but to buttress a "national honor" that has become tarnished. Regret that after 12 years we still have to carry bright young men and women home in stainless steel coffins covered with an American flag.
We need those young people at home. We need them to be safe. We need them to be working on principles of peace rather than strategies of death.
9.11.13 – God, in your infinite wisdom and your immeasurable patience, please give us the courage to follow your Son and his way of the cross. We need that message today more than at any time in history. We are so close to destroying not only ourselves, but this incredible world you have given us. Lord, as in the days of your servant Jeremiah, please bless us with a humiliating defeat so that we may once again learn to trust only in you. Humble us, strip us, starve us until our bodies and our souls long only after you. And then, having chastened us with a pure and holy love, please restore us to your healing presence, for it is only in you that we live, and move, and have our very being.
Can Christians Force Homosexuals to Change Their Behavior?
If you have not already guessed, today's post is the bookend to yesterday's post. In it I discussed the possibility, and in some people's minds (mine among them) the growing probability that at some point there will be a direct conflict between an aggressive LGBT proponent and a church or religious figure who refuses to perform a same-sex marriage or allow that the same-sex marriage be performed in their facility. I hope this is a "chicken little" fear and that nothing of the sort occurs, but viewing the trajectory of court decisions and even popular referendums I cannot but think that such a confrontation is not that far off in the future.
However, today I want to "flip the coin" and look a one possible reaction that is frequently discussed among Christians, especially conservative Christians, that I hope does not happen. That reaction is to push for greater and more restrictive legal measures that would attempt to change the outward behavior of homosexuals by legal fiat.
You may think that I have lost my mind, but bear with me here. There is a meaning to my madness.
The attempt to coerce or even more minimally adjust moral actions and thoughts through the process of legal demands has never worked. It never will. You can legislate the legality or illegality of certain behaviors, but you cannot enforce moral behaviors and thoughts. As an example, you can legislate that prostitution is a behavior punishable by fines or imprisonment, but you have hardly begun to touch the underlying reality that women are going to sell their bodies if men are willing to pay for sex, and men are going to pay for sex if they can find a willing partner. The act may be illegal, but a glance in the local phone book will tell you that it is hardly curtailed.
We could, theoretically at least, pass a law tomorrow that made all homosexual behaviors illegal and what would we accomplish? Absolutely nothing except to alienate an already alienated group of people and exacerbate an already deteriorating social conflict.
So, if legislation will not solve the problem (and I defy anyone to prove that passing any kind of law will solve any moral problem) what are we to do? Are disciples of Christ simply to surrender, to walk away from the struggle, to "hunker and bunker" and await the coming apocalypse? No, no, no and no.
Abraham was in a numerical and moral minority when he left everything to follow the unimaginable call of God. Moses was in the numerical minority when he faced the awesome power of the Egyptian army. Daniel was in the numerical and moral minority when he stared down the king of Babylon. Jeremiah was virtually a solitary individual fighting against an immoral Jewish leadership. Jesus was born in a time in which the Jewish nation was a numerical and moral minority. The Pharisee Saul left the comfort of numerical superiority to claim both numerical and moral minority status as a disciple of Christ. The apostle John wrote to an oppressed and clearly minority group of people spread out throughout Asia and told them that in spite of their numerical insignificance they were still the army of God. It would appear from even a cursory reading of the Bible that God works His greatest wonders and reveals His glory to be the brightest when it appears from a human standpoint that He is outnumbered and on the losing end of the moral battle.
I do not want to use the weak and beggarly tools of Satan to attempt to coerce the behavior of those who disagree with me because I believe God has a far greater plan in mind. And I do not mean the coming apocalypse.
God's plan, quite simply, is for His people, His chosen and redeemed sheep, to start living like they actually believe the words they have been mouthing for centuries.
I want disciples of Christ to actually start acting like they believe marriage is a holy and inviable commitment between a man and a woman. I want disciples of Christ to start raising their children instead of turning them over to the state to raise. I want disciples of Christ to start treating all men and women as if they are created in the image of God and to stop using derogatory terms of hate and ignorance. I want disciples of Christ to start actually worshiping God instead of creating more hedonistic practices to soothe guilty consciences. I want disciples of Christ to start honoring and praising the differences between the genders instead of working with the prince of this world to blur the distinctions between male and female. I want disciples of Christ to repudiate and work against the destructive powers of pornography and the sex trade. I want disciples of Christ to actually stand up and be counted as advocates for the preservation of life – all life- instead of just mouthing a few mantras concerning being against abortion. I want disciples of Christ to acknowledge that it is theologically impossible to be pro-life and to advocate a military complex that is designed to obliterate entire nations and not simply for the defense of one's homeland.
In other and far more simple words, I want disciples of Christ to start living the Sermon on the Mount. All of it, and not just the parts we like.
We will never be able to coerce behavior and thoughts by people who look at us and only see bigotry, hypocrisy and immeasurable pride. We cannot preach chastity if we are spiritual whores. We cannot preach moderation if we are spiritual gluttons. We cannot preach humility if we are arrogant spiritual jerks.
I predict the next few years will be profoundly disturbing to many people, myself included. I pray that we, as disciples of Christ, will be able to stand in the face of the coming maelstrom and respond with the love and fortitude of Jesus. Love, that we not hate and demean our opponents. Fortitude, in that we do not betray him nor his and our Father. The coming years will, in all likelihood, be difficult.
But, has not God called us for this very hour and purpose?
What is Man? (Psalm 8)
I have been thinking on a universal theme the past day or so. Literally – the universe.
The author of Psalm 8 did not have the advantage of looking at images from the Hubble telescope. All he could do was look up on a dark night and contemplate on the moon and stars. His penetrating question still has no answer:
What is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou dost care for him? (Ps. 8:4, RSV)
Our earth is just one tiny little speck of dust floating in amongst billions of other little specks of galactic dust – and that is just in our galaxy. Multiply that times hundreds of galaxies that our super-telescopes have been able to see. Our little home gets smaller and smaller the further out into space we go. We measure distances in space by light years, the distance that light can travel in an entire year. And then those numbers are followed by a whole host of zeros. That just does not boggle the mind – it stupefies it.
And yet our earth is so perfectly balanced for us to live here. Just the right amount of land and water, just the perfect mixture of oxygen, the right amount of sunshine, all the food we need to sustain far more people than are alive today.
In all the incredible, unfathomable vastness of the universe – why are we so well taken care of? Evolution? Just mere chance? A few billion random accidents happening in the one perfect sequence to create just one amino acid, and then every other building block of life requiring a similar number of random accidents? And then all those building blocks randomly lining up in a perfect sequence to create one living organism? How many billions of random accidents are we talking about here? And for how many billions of years? And with how many billions of failed accidents leading to disastrous results?
No, there has to be more. I can't explain why this little speck of dust should be any more blessed than any of the other countless billions of specks of dust in our galaxy. If the inspired psalmist cannot answer that question then I should not even attempt to try. But I can praise God and worship him that we do have this home, that He has created us just a little lower than his angels, that He has given us dominion over the rest of this earthly creation.
Understand, no. Believe, yes. Worship, absolutely.
O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth! (Ps. 8:9, RSV)
A Meditation on the 10 Commandments (#5)
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it. (Exodus 20:8-11).
Being raised in the Church of Christ I grew accustomed to being among a people of "nots." We did "not" do this, we did "not" do that. One of the defining pamphlets that seemingly was omnipresent as I was growing up was a little tract entitled, "Neither Catholic, Protestant or Jew." That pretty much sums it up. I never knew what we were, but I could come pretty close to telling you what we were "not."
Nothing in our pantheon of "nots" was more devoutly honored than the fact that we did "not" have to obey the fourth command of the 10 Commandments. I always thought this was somewhat strange – here God had made something pretty obvious, and yet we found a way to get around obeying it. There were many reasons given for the legitimacy of breaking one of God's 10 Commandments, but growing up I kind of had a sneaking suspicion that most of our objection to commandment #4 was the fact that we identified ourselves significantly as "not" being Jewish. Therefore, to practice anything that smelled as if it might be connected to the Old Testament was strictly verboten. Why did we have to obey the other nine commands, you may ask? Well, because they were repeated in the New Testament, in one form or another; but luckily for us the fourth never was (specifically, anyway).
While I will never renounce my allegiance to Jesus, and I have no intention of making the Mosaic law code mandatory for entrance into the Kingdom of God, I do want to say that I am no longer comfortable with the way we have so blithely dismissed the fourth command. I have several reasons for this change of heart.
First, Jesus honored the true meaning of the sabbath command. He worshipped on the sabbath. At no point does he ever command, or even suggest, that the sabbath command could be negated. True, he healed on the sabbath. Reading the gospel of Luke it almost seems like he never healed except on the sabbath. But I believe the emphasis on the sabbath healings was to show that God really meant what he said – the sabbath was to be a day of deliverance and rest. Those who were suffering deserved to be set free from their ailments and diseases. Therefore, although a technical violation of the sabbath prohibition against work, it was a divinely sanctioned and approved technical violation, and Jesus soundly criticized the Pharisees and others because they could not see God's hand in setting the oppressed free.
Second, the apostle Paul clearly honored the sabbath command. He sought out synagogues and other places of worship on the sabbath. Why? Well, for one reason I am sure he wanted to begin his ministry to his own people – the Jews. But I sincerely believe that he still worshipped God on the sabbath. That does not mean he did not worship on the first day of the week (we are clearly told he did – to remember the Lord's death, burial and resurrection). But, we cannot overlook the significance Paul placed on the day of sabbath rest and worship. Not, that is, unless we want to be hypocritical about our emphasis on examples.
And, last but in no way to make the point insignificant, I believe there remains deep theological importance to the day of sabbath. For this point I want to quote Deuteronomy 5:12-15 in its entirety, even though I quoted the Exodus 20 passage above:
Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your manservant, or your maidservant, or your ox, or your ass, or any of your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your manservant and your maidservant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out thence with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day. (RSV)
You will notice, as you compare the two readings, that the Deuteronomy passage is almost verbatim a repeat of the Exodus passage, with a couple of minor variations in that more animals are listed. But there is one very important difference. In the Exodus passage the reason given for the day of sabbath rest is the account of the creation and the LORD's day of rest. In the Deuteronomy passage the reason given for the day of sabbath rest is the event of the deliverance of the people of Israel from Egyptian bondage. The command remains the same, but the theology has changed! It remains a day of rest, but the reason has been amplified. Now we have not only a day of rest from creation, but we also have a day of rest in remembrance of divine deliverance.
Now, I simply pose the question – Do we as Christians not have an even better reason to join with God and all his creation for a day of rest?
I find it significant, profoundly so, that God goes to so much trouble to delineate all the people and animals that were to benefit from this sabbath rest. Making arguments about whether a Christian should or should not observe the sabbath is to overlook one huge aspect of the command – God is vitally concerned about how one person treats another person – and even the animal kingdom. And when we use other people to further our own agendas with no regard for their well being we are violating a core aspect of God's nature. God has put within us the need to have a complete day of rest. You might say it is in our DNA.
You might argue that for the majority of Americans Sunday is a day of rest. I beg to differ with you. When we go out to eat Sunday lunch we force someone to open their restaurant and someone else to cook and someone else to serve. When we go to the grocery store or the convenience store we force the owners to open and the workers to be there. When we play a round of golf or go to a movie or do any one of a dozen other activities we force people to be there and serve us. We may be resting, but they are not. We force them to work on the Christian day of rest. How is that for consistency?
I have been especially mindful of this because as a minister Sunday was the hardest day of the week for me. It was my routine to teach a class and preach two sermons. Add to that the phone calls, the various "crises" that had to be dealt with on Sundays, the various committee meetings or other social events that are invariably planned for Sundays because "everybody is off on Sunday" and by the time I got home for the last time on Sunday night I was utterly fried. There is a very real reason so many children of ministers grow up hating the church. They see how abused their parents are every day of Christian rest. They see the hypocrisy.
So, yes. I am all for a day of sabbath rest, whether it is our Saturday or Sunday. A day of rest for me, my wife, my daughter, the person at the 7 to Eleven, the restaurant waitress and the hot-dog concessionaire at the ball park. A day of rest for everyone. Shut the whole stinking country down for at least 24 hours every week – lock, stock and barrel. It's scriptural. It's healthy.
We might even say it is a command of God.