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By TERRI BRYCE REEVES
Published May 21, 2007
OLDSMAR - State lawmakers' inability to agree on the best way to cut property taxes has stymied just about everyone, including members of the Oldsmar City Council.
They were hoping the proposed tax rollback that would have drained money from city budgets would have been decided by now. But the Florida Legislature put off the decision until June, when it will meet for a special session.
"It's hard for us to do any kind of business because of the unknown, " Mayor Jim Ronecker said recently. "As a homeowner, business owner and mayor, it's extremely frustrating."
Example: On May 7, the council met to discuss the future of Olds Square, currently proposed as a 505, 250-square-foot mixed-use project and hailed as the signature piece of downtown redevelopment.
The $100-million project will probably include retail and office space, residential apartments and a hotel, plus about 350, 000-square-feet of parking, in a plaza-like setting, just east of City Hall on State Street.
"We aren't in agreement with everything, " City Manager Bruce Haddock said at the start of the meeting. "There are hurdles."
Those sticking points - building heights and incentives from the city - are the things standing in the way of a signed contract, he said.
But how can a city offer incentives that may not be available?
The Tax Increment Financing program is a state program, administered by cities, that offers incentives to spark redevelopment. The future of the program - which siphons property tax revenue that would otherwise flow to a city's operating budget - depends on what happens in June.
In this case, Doug Weiland, chief executive officer of JES Properties, the developer, indicated that he would like an 18-percent share of future property tax revenues from the project for any public facilities, such as parking, that he might build.
"We need for the project to be financially feasible, " said Weiland, who developed the Oldsmar Galleria.
He said that since developers first began bidding on the project two years ago, both costs and entrepreneurial risks have risen. And, the condominium market has dried up.
"Now we have changed it to apartments and a hotel, " he said.
The hotel, currently proposed at 10 stories, is another dicey subject.
Council member Janice Miller was adamant that a 10-story hotel would not go up near her neighborhood. Other hotels in the area are four stories high, she said, "and they are making it."
Council member Suzanne Vale agreed.
"Ten stories is way too high, " she said.
The current zoning allows for six.
So the council's task is to make the project blend in with the city's small-town look and feel and yet make it risk tolerant for JES. All the while, the council doesn't know what bargaining chips it may have in the future.
After an hour of discussion, council members indicated they might consider providing some kind of money in exchange for height reductions.
Ronecker concluded, "We should wait until after June and see what Tallahassee does."
Afterward, Weiland said he was sure a compromise will be reached - no matter what happens.
"We're going to move forward in partnership with the city to find a good solution to give Oldsmar a revitalized downtown, " he said.
Meanwhile, Mike Monahan, vice president of business assistance for the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce, who watched the meeting, fretted that indecisiveness in Tallahassee could make it more difficult to attract people and businesses to Florida.
"This whole thing can send a very dangerous signal nationwide pertaining to the economic development of the state, " he said.
[Last modified May 21, 2007, 06:50:30]
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I think the general opinion is that after John met Yoko he became the 'avant garde' Beatle. But it's a given fact that Paul was the first to become culturally aware and experimental in his tastes in art, music and theatre. In the early 60's he was a guest at the home of his girlfriend Jane Asher, and her family were deep into cultural interests, which Paul absorbed like a sponge. He was the only one of the Beatles to live in London where all the action was, whilst the other three were living in suburbia.
I heard someone say that 'avant garde' was french for rubbish! Or, as George once said 'avant garde a clue!'
What are your thoughts?
love and peace

subset: commoncrawl


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woooohhoooo!!!! Clinch comes thru
well, it's about time, I was beginning to think that I was jinxed on fly fishing. Not anymore. I went to the Clinch River, near the Hwy 61 bridge about 6:30 am and within 20 minutes had the first of 5 fish on. I caught 2-9 inch rainbows 2-5 inch rainbows and 1-12 incher. I cannot tell you the name of the fly because it was given to me by a fellow I was talking with the first time I tried to fish the Clinch. There is a description in the post called "Clinch River Story", the guy told me that he had pretty good luck with it. I just had to share this cause it was a relief to finally not just spend alot of time casting.
That fly was pretty beat up, and after I swapped it, I had no more bites. Got to find that fly!
Re: woooohhoooo!!!! Clinch comes thru
Persistence pays off. I'm glad you had a good day. I know how fickle it can be and especially on Clinch, but on the right day and time it fishes good.
Re: woooohhoooo!!!! Clinch comes thru
Congrats to breaking off the skunk! The clinch skunked me a few times early on until some one else gave me a few tips. I don't wear 'em out each trip, but I don't get skunked anymore either. Feels pretty good don't it!!!
Re: woooohhoooo!!!! Clinch comes thru
the fly is called a beadhead prince nymph
Re: woooohhoooo!!!! Clinch comes thru
Good old Prince. In fact I have caught more fish on a prince bh than any other bh nymphs both when fishing the mountains and tailwater. There's just something about the white wing on it.
Re: woooohhoooo!!!! Clinch comes thru
try a small black caddis if you want to fish a dry fly. I went up there last weekend after not fishing there for a year. caught one on a nymph then just started trying random small dry flies for the fun of it and hit the jackpot with the caddis.
Re: woooohhoooo!!!! Clinch comes thru
For that section behind the jail, try a brown back, tan abdomen caddis pupa pattern tied on a size-16 scud hook. My best pattern for that area is one I tie using micro-size stretch tubing over the abdomen. Dark brown goose biot tips for the wing pads, 2 wood duck fibers for antenna, and 6 to 8 well marked, brown partridge fibers tied underneath for legs. Finish the head with a wisp of brown rabbit dubbing.
Use a 10 foot leader tapered down to 4X, then add 4 feet of 6X using your favorite tippet knot. I prefer an Orvis knot.
Position yourself upstream of a flow and cast all the way across and downstream. You want the leader to turn over, but the tippet falls in a pile, or a series of S curves. Follow the flyline downstream with the rod tip at your face level. It will be a large curve.
The fly is slowly sinking in the eddy, or quiet water beyond the flow. Once the flyline, then the leader straightens out, the fly will start to move. It will also start to rise. The trout usually respond vigorously since they think the fly is escaping.
Usually, the hit is like a smutting rise producing a dimple at the water's surface. The dimple is a small bulge caused by the porpoising of the trout as it takes the fly just under the surface. Most of the hits feel soft because you have a bit of slack in the line. When you feel the hit, or see the dimple, simply raise your rod tip gently.
Most of the time, the trout will hook themselves in the corner of the mouth. That happens because of the water pressure on the flyline and leader.
I've seen tan caddis on the river mostly in Oct and Nov. By Nov, they are often females ovipositing. At that time, a soft-hackled wet fly is effective. One tied with a tan hare's mask body and fine gold wire.
The caddis pupa works well, especially in the downstream areas, because the trout recognize it and respond well. I often do better with it than a midge pattern. I catch more fish and some tend to be larger... in the 17 to 18 inch range.
Good luck and happy fishing.
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Lisa Harper lived lavishly in 2006, buying a $675,000 house in Dublin and a new Cadillac Escalade for $66,980.
Her 2006 federal tax return, however, didn't jibe with that lifestyle. In fact, it listed her income that year as $8,003. Her returns listed even-lower incomes two years before and three years after 2006.
Yesterday, the 49-year-old former Dublin woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of tax evasion.
"Harper's reported income is grossly inconsistent with her lifestyle as documented," an Internal Revenue Service complaint says. It adds that no other source of income was found that could " account for Harper's lifestyle."
An IRS investigation concluded that Harper lied from at least 2006 through 2009 about her income from Westpointe Video Games, a Far West Side store she operated. By reconstructing credit-card and online payment records, investigators concluded that Harper made $136,196 to $246,618 each of those years.
A bill of information filed in court says she owes $199,950 in back taxes. A plea agreement lists that amount as the proposed restitution Harper would owe.
In addition to her storefront, she sold her products through Amazon, eBay and the Rainbow Flea Market.
She could be sentenced on each count to a maximum of five years in prison and ordered to pay a $250,000 fine, as well as restitution. She was released on bond. A date for sentencing has not been set.
David F. Axelrod, Harper's attorney, said she lives in Chicago now and works as a pet groomer.
"Lisa Harper is a good person who has accepted responsibility for her mistakes," Axelrod said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Brown said the IRS "doesn't prosecute criminal cases based on mistakes. Criminal cases involve willful conduct."
Harper was convicted last year in Franklin County Common Pleas Court of receiving stolen property after she was accused of stealing DVDs, video games, gift cards and other property from Meijer and Target in 2009 and 2010. She sold the items in her store, according to court records.
She was sentenced to two years of probation and must pay $2,920 in restitution and perform 300 hours of community service.
She sold her Dublin home on Baronscourt Way in 2012 for $568,000.


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|Sweetened condensed milk (yeah, I could eat that straight from the can)
|Add the rest of the ingredients
|Melt it all together
|Place into a pan and cool
- Butter for greasing a pan
- 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 lb (about 2 1/2 cups) bittersweet chocolate chips (60% cacao) (Ghiradelli recommended)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature
- Butter the bottom of an 8x8-inch pan and line with a sheet of parchment paper, 14-inchesx7-inches wide, allowing overhang on the sides (makes it easier to remove from pan).
- In a medium glass or stainless bowl, combine the milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir in the chocolate chips and butter. Put the bowl on a saucepan of barely simmering water and mix until the chocolate chips have melted and the mixture turns smooth, about 6-8 minutes. Make sure the bowl does not touch the water.
- Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.
- Run a warm knife along the edges to loosen the fudge, pull the fudge out and cut into 1-inch pieces. Store in refrigerator or freezer.
|Happy Valentine's Day!!


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This preprint of an interview with John MacArthur is used by permission of Creation Ministries International (creation.com) and is from the October 2010 issue of CMI's Creation magazine. As you'll see, CMI's Lael Weinberger asked John some pointed questions that expose the nature and heart of the evolution controversy within evangelicalism. John provides critical insight into the failure of evangelical leadership to confront evolutionism directly; he identifies ground-zero in the debate; and he explains how the church can find its way back to certainty and confidence in God's Word.
Here's the link to the PDF. After you read it, go to the comment thread and tell us what you think about this question:
Why do you think evangelicals (OECs, TEs, and YECs alike) fail to center the debate on the text of Scripture and its interpretation?
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I completely agree with the PDF article. I am very glad about RC Sproul´s young earth views... Please forward that article to brother Mark Driscoll, in the name of Jesus !
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Finally someone backing up God's word! There doesn't seem to be alot of that lately. I've been asking people why churches feel lead to prove the bible or their faith through science. Aren't the Christian beliefs in Jesus Christ based on faith? Believeing without seeing? Why can't we just read the Word of Truth and take it as such without all the twisting and digging?
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"For decades evangelicals have been entertaining themselves and calling it worship. The church is now largely untaught and devoid of biblical conviction." John MacArthur, from the above article.
Very sad but very true.
Why do you think evangelicals (OECs, TEs, and YECs alike) fail to center the debate on the text of Scripture and its interpretation?
UNBELIEF! Faith comes by hearing the word (see Romans 10:17). The new birth is the result of the word being preached (see 1Peter 1:23-25). Sanctification of the believer is the result of the word, as we see in Christ's prayer to the Father (see John 17:17). Every true believer believes these things to be true. Their acting upon these truths gives evidence to the validity of their faith. The failure of a person to act upon these truths gives evidence to their unbelief. This is the point that James was making when he made the distinction between a faith that saves and a faith that cannot save (see James 2:14-26).
Frankly, I personally don't argue about creation, not because I don't believe the creation account. Since my new birth I have never doubted the creation account. I don't argue the creation account because I also believe God's testimony in Romans 1:18-32 which can be summed up in verse 20, the evidence of God in creation is self evident and they are without excuse. Rejection of the creation account evidences a much greater problem which can only be remedied by a genuine new birth which takes us back to Romans 10:17 and I Peter 23-25. Sinners must be brought to see the sinfulness of their heart, the dreadfulness of their condition and their desperate need of a savior. Christ Jesus came to save His people from their sins. He is mighty to save and He saves to the uttermost. He does not save half-way, but then again, He will not save a half-hearted follower either. What did Christ say to the multitudes that were following Him? "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26, 27) Dear readers, count the cost. Consider also the value of your own soul. –His Unworthy Slave
Evangelicals do not generally want to be seen as brainwashed by Scripture. We all want to show that our beliefs are not believed just because someone told us so. After all, cults and false religions are created by such techniques. So we search for reasons outside of Scripture to "prove" Scripture, and the study of apologetics is a noble task to defend Scripture.
Yet, in our quest for apologetics we get pridefully wrapped up in our knowledge to "prove" Scripture that we forget what Scripture actually says. This is why Scripture is full of warnings to keep to sound doctrine and Godly wisdom. (2 Tim 4:1-4, Proverbs, Psalm 119, Revelation 1-3, 2 Peter 3:14-18 and others) The only place to get these things is from the Word of God, yet in our sinfulness we forget that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;" (Proverbs 1:7a). We do not fear God (but we fear our reason), and therefore we do not truly listen to His Word unless our reason approves it.
The loss of the fear of God in the face of reasoning pride is why Evangelicals have left Scripture as a valid argument. Yet, God in His sovereignty has already warned us of this occurring. (2 Peter 3:17)
Praise be to God!
Throughout history changes have ravaged the cathedral of the Church creating challenges to the point of cult creation and near total destruction only to be revived again by each succeeding generation. (Romans 9:27 (KJV) Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:) The twenty/twenty first century has certainly not been an exception to the norm with the challenges of change ringing the steeple bell of troubled times about. If we were to example each era of church history back to the apostles, Cross and perhaps beyond we would find the biggest problem in the church is lack of scripture understanding not just by laity but church elders as well. (Mark 12:10 (KJV)And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:)
The question therefore is very well stated of why evangelicals fail to debate with Scripture and proper interpretation as the foundation of their conversation/debates. With the technical equipment we have at our fingertips today one would think a scripture based conversation/debate would be the norm but lack of scripture understanding leads us to a poorer use of advanced equipment to say the least. Obtaining the basis is difficult if one knows not 'that' that he lacks.
We are all very much like the green horn showing up at the rodeo with worn and torn equipment to express our preexistent payment of dues for participation in the event only to find the ride would have been more successful if in fact we had paid those dues. Not so deep into the body of the Church are those hiding with a worn Bible marked with meaningless notes hoping no one will offer a question of the sermon we just heard and if they do then we will respond how powerful it was delivered touching our heart to the inner walls of shame and quilt of our meaningless life. More shameful is the fact that upon questioning the preacher who delivered the inspiring sermon similar results might be heard.
Many years passed me by as an uneducated Christian in Scripture knowledge and now my responsibility is to learn 'that' I thought I once knew. The mountain ahead is steep but I have now reached the place where I can see just how high it is as opposed to just hearing what c-o-u-l-d to be achieved if I chose to go ahead. We, evangelicals, fail to make Scripture the foundation of our debates because of self pride attempting to convince our brothers in Christ of our vast knowledge and understanding Of God's word thus deceiving only ourselves. If we would only confess that we believe and are ready now to learn as I understand Augustine to have once said 'Credo ut intelligam'; I believe in order that I may understand. (Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV) Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.)
"Why do you think evangelicals (OECs, TEs, and YECs alike) fail to center the debate on the text of Scripture and its interpretation?"
At best, it could be because most of them (I don't want to say ALL of them) don't believe it's as important an issue to divide over . They may see it as a secondary issue. One of those where we can "agree to disagree".
At worst, it could be because they just lack the knowledge one can readily acquire to defend the biblical view.
I fully agree with this quote (and the rest of the article), tragic as it is:
"Most Christian leaders (including some whose personal convictions about the origin of the universe are perfectly sound) remain silent about the issue and allow confusion to fester, rather than dealing with a controversial issue."
I have witnessed this first hand. :-(
William wrote: "Evangelicals do not generally want to be seen as brainwashed by Scripture."
I, for one, do, If you mean by brainwashed totally surrendered to what scripture teaches.
Doesn't "being born again" relate to that? Going from what the world believes to believing only Christ?.
I agree that any true Christian will want to surrender to what Scripture says. True Christian eyes are opened to the truth by grace through the Holy Spirit. It's the Word of God, who can dispute it?
Yet, by those who cannot see, we are accused of being narrow-minded and/or brainwashed by someone. They want us to open our minds and see that all views can be valid if understood right. Their god is their own reason (science, logic, etc), and the only way they listen is if we answer them according to their reason. Some Evangelicals fearing reason did answer according to their reason, and that is what got the ball rolling away from Scripture.
However, this debate has been going on for so long, that we have gotten used to arguing away from the Scriptures. So now Christians debate with each other in this way. Debating primarily this way is certainly not a good thing (in fact is ultimately rooted in pride), but it is possible for true Christians to believe OEC and TE without knowing the implications on Scripture (since the arguments are not from Scripture). R. C. Sproul was a great example of such in the article. It's not like he was any less of a believer while subscribing to the framework theory, but just didn't consider all implications on the text.
In the end we are saved by the Gospel, and not OEC, TE, or YEC. God will sanctify every true believer with His Word, which demands a high view of Scripture. When dealing with non-believers (even scholarly ones), we should be giving them the Gospel of salvation from sins by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Too many Christians have gotten distracted from the Gospel, chasing after wordly arguments for the world. Not a good thing, but it's the reason why arguments are not often Scripture based today.
Well, I'm glad to see we are agreeing that not defending the authority of scripture is the wrong way to go.
I have (from previous posts) participation from christians who believe old earth creation, and TE
I have a question. What do TE (theistic evolutionists) (in a nutshell) believe?
Do they believe that God got evolution rolling?. I hope not.
Yes, I agree with John MacAuthur.
For years some pastors put things off what the bible really says. What's
the deal with preachers preaching million yrs. Don't they truly understand the bible? God can change their hearts but who is encouraging
our pastors turning to million yrs.? Satan?
God bless.
Yes, those who believe in TE believe that God guided evolution and used it as a means of creation. They believe that even though there is nothing in the Genesis account that directly talks about evolution, it must be there behind the scenes because of what modern "science" tells us.
The problem with this view is that evolution implies struggle and death among species--which biblically is impossible before the Fall because there was no death before the Fall. Since creation was in a perfect state, why would there be a need for anything to evolve?
I was thinking, what would be the purpose of sex, male and female in evolution? According to the theory of evolution, the asexual or hermaphrodite should dominate the world because they have more chances to survive and adapt, do you had thought on that before?. How do evolutionists explain this "division"?. being dependant on another being of my own species to procreate makes all more difficult. right?
It's just a thought.
News flash: Secular scientists document that a protein isolated in a chicken egg proves that the chicken came before the egg (http://www.damego.com/after-all-these-years-it%E2%80%99s-been-the-chicken-all-along). It's going to be hilarious how die hard evolutionists attempt to force this fact into their fractured model.
Answer to question: Western evangelicals (except those likeminded on this blog) are brainwashed hook, line, and sinker into believing the evolutionary paradigm.. If we honestly debate the evidence we're accused of being "unloving" and "divisive" and then we succumb under the pressure, more concerned what others think of us.
I'm trying to downplay this next bit of info since I want our triune God to get the glory.. I'll be volunteering in Indonesia the same time as Dr David Catchpoole's (http://creation.com/dr-david-catchpoole-indonesian-tour) visit from August 2 - August 31, 2010 performing a land survey of a 60 acre Bethesda hospital campus in Kalimantan Barat (West Borneo) to produce a base map that a dedicated team of architects and civil engineers will use to produce a master plan for expansion and renovation that may take generations to see it's fruition on the ground.. This hospital was started by Conservative Baptist missionaries in the 1950's and has grown to minister to 50,000 people/yr providing medicinal healing and the gospel (the one John M. proclaims) of Jesus Christ in a country of 90% Muslims!
Creationists in America have been maligned, marginalized, mis-characterized, insulted, humiliated, treated like buffoons, and more, given up lucrative careers for taking God's Word as literal, factual, and trumping science. What have past and current evolutionists given up? LJB
from Daniel # 15: "What's the deal with preachers preaching million yrs. Don't they truly understand the bible? God can change their hearts but who is encouraging our pastors turning to million yrs.? Satan? "
Ultimately, yes. But the question remains; I don't see how, from scripture, anyone can come to that conclusion.
If one believes what one knows is in keeping with scripture, one must, in all humility, try to see things from the other person's point of view. Focus on their arguments and use scripture to "prove" one's knowledge and show them where they err. It's easier said than done. Some people will call you "arrogant" if you claim you know the truth, and absolutely shut out anything you have to say after that.
After God created up until day five, did He wait millions of years, until Adam evolve enough to come back into the picture?. To me, that just sounds ludicrous, yet, some people will say "why not?".
We can get into all kinds of arguments as to how do we know the bible says what one thinks it says; how can we be sure what someone's taught us is THE truth?; how do we know what we think we know is true?; how can be so arrogant as to be 100 % sure we are right and others aren't?.
So, sometimes it helps if we,at the beginning, will agree that the bible must be the ultimate authority on any subject. If the person you're debating will not abide by the authority of scripture, you'll just be throwing your pearls before swine.
Posted a super-long comment a while back and looks like it ain't coming up. Guess I'll just do the cliffs notes version (I had way too much commentary on the articles itself):
The evidence is so overwhelming and wielded so mercilessly by pagans like Dawkins that we often feel that the MOST pressing issue is "Oh crud, what do we do about the latest find!" In reality, we need to start by saying "Ok, what does the text demand" and then discuss the evidence from there. Of course, not a soul does that consistently (I'll take anyone to task for claiming he/she does!), but, in a perfect world, we'd start with special revelation and then look at the general in light of it. On a related note, what do y'all think of this quote by Charles "Darwinism = Atheism" Hodge:
"Nature is as truly a revelation of God as the Bible; and we only interpret the Word of God by the Word of God when we interpret the Bible by science. As this principle is undeniably true, it is admitted and acted on by those who, through inattention to the meaning of terms, in words deny it. When the Bible speaks of the foundations, or of the pillars of the earth, or of the solid heavens, or of the motion of the sun, do not you and every other sane man, interpret this language by the facts of science? For five thousand years the Church understood the Bible to teach that the earth stood still in space, and that the sun and stars revolved around it. Science has demonstrated that this is not true. Shall we go on to interpret the Bible so as to make it teach the falsehood that the sun moves around the earth, or shall we interpret it by science, and make the two harmonize? Of course, this rule works both ways. If the Bible cannot contradict science, neither can science contradict the Bible…There is a two-fold evil on this subject against which it would be well for Christians to guard. There are some good men who are much too ready to adopt the opinions and theories of scientific men, and to adopt forced and unnatural interpretations of the Bible, to bring it to accord with these opinions. There are others, who not only refuse to admit the opinions of men, but science itself, to have any voice in the interpretation of Scripture. Both of these errors should be avoided."
Any thoughts? Is it always wrong to allow general revelation to correct possible misreadings of the bible? Does GTY/Biologos find Hodge's middle ground, or do both err to one side or the other?
"it is possible for true Christians to believe OEC and TE without knowing the implications on Scripture"
Matthew, Mark and Luke give us an account of a man with a demon possessed son and Christ's dealing with the issue of unbelief. "Oh unbelieving, and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring your son here." In Mark's account we see that the man persevered by asking "…if you can…" How did Christ respond? "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes."(Mark 9:23) God takes the sin of unbelief very seriously. "And straightway the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. (Mark 9:24 KJV) In the end it was demonstrated that the man did, in fact, have faith. He acknowledged the truth, namely, the Sovereignty of God in Christ by calling Him Lord. He confessed his sin of unbelief and petitioned Christ for enabling grace that he might triumph over that sin. Please note that Christ did not treat this man's sin of unbelief with gentleness and neither should we.
In my earlier post (#4) I endeavored to demonstrate the widespread prevalence of this sin of unbelief in those who claim to be "Christians" and profess Christ by exposing the fact that their actions, speak louder than their words. I also endeavored to demonstrate that their faith failed to measure up to the standard of biblical saving faith as it is defined by God and is revealed in His word, namely, the example of a faith that saves and a faith that cannot save as was demonstrated by James. However, I failed to emphasize that the example of the faith that saves was none other that of Abraham when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar. (James 2:21, 22) To demonstrate the seriousness of this truth James prefaced these verses with "But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?" (James 2:20) Don't miss that last word "useless"! Another example of a Biblical saving faith was that of Rahab when she received the messengers and sent them out another way. (See James 2:25) When she did this she was risking her life. Her actions demonstrated that her faith that God would save her was greater than any fear that she might be caught and executed as a traitor to her city.
God alone has the right to give assurance of salvation. If the Holy Spirit withholds assurance of salvation from a true child of God because of their sin, do we dare work against Him? If we desire for a person to have assurance of salvation perhaps we should work in concert with the Holy Spirit by coming along side the person to deal with their sin. We dare not lower God's standard of Biblical saving faith by giving assurance of salvation to people who hold to, much less advocate, doctrines of demons! These doctrines pervert the attributes of God and rob Him of His glory. They also work to undermine the faith of His children. Faith relies on and puts its confidence in another. If a doctrine works to undermine the majesty and power of the object of that faith, faith loses its power and its strength is diminished. God spoke… and it was so. The word of God teaches us that Satan is the god of this world and that the whole world lies in the power of this evil one. Believers are pilgrims in a world that is at war with the true God of the Bible. The intensity of the world's hatred towards God is growing greater and greater and will someday reach a point where war will be declared against all who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 12:17). But the One who spoke …and it was so, will speak once more. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. (Psalms 46:6, 7 KJV) "Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations He hath made in the earth." (Psalms 46:8 KJV) "Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. (Psalms 46:10, 11 KJV) -His Unworthy Slave
We left a church over this issue about 16 months ago. We were in a local "megachurch". One Sunday, one of the pastors was preaching on reconciliation of "essentials vs. non-essentials" in scripture. He placed one chair at one end of the stage, and said that represented evolution. He placed another chair at the opposite end of the stage, and said that represented a literal six-day creation. Then he stood in the middle and said that we could find common ground between these two "extremes." I knew then that we were in the wrong church. We're now in a church where God's Word is given it's proper place in the teaching. My "radar" is always "on", but so far, so good. There certainly is a paucity of pastors willing to teach and stand up for God's Word the way Dr. MacArthur does. I am extremely thankful to God for the day I discovered Dr. MacAurthur on our local Christian radio station. Glory be to God!
I should clarify...
It is possible for a true believer to be an OEC or TE, because they are not judged on OEC, TE, or YEC, but on Christ's Righteousness. If they have the Gospel, then they are a believer even if they are wrong on OEC or TE.
This does not mean that we compromise on the Authority of Scripture. YEC is clearly the most obvious interpretation from Scripture alone, and Pastors are charged with preaching the Word and nothing else. For a pastor to do what Dan described is not good. It's not about making peace in the middle ground, but holding to what God has revealed.
The parallel that YEC is like the earth being flat is not a fair parallel. From the historic (and today's) vantage point, the earth does look flat. References to the sun moving were then used to "prove" that assumption. (Notice it is Scripture being used to prove our assumption.) Once people realized the earth was round, this did not change the Scripture. The sun moving is still an accurate statement from our frame of reference, so there is no true conflict.
However, for YEC there are no witnesses to creation except the Trinity. We cannot test our theories in a lab, and we've never been there. So we must have the testimony of someone who was. It would be inconsistent with God's character to encrypt the story for us to unlock with science. We must take Him at His Word in the narrative form He presents it!
It makes sense that OEC and TE cause doubt. If someone is not taking Genesis 1-11 literally, why should they take the rest of the Bible literally? It's up to God how He will deal with His children specifically, but as a church we should constantly present the truth of the Word. Then that person will either be affirmed in faith or fall away in God's timing. It takes great patience, but no more than Jesus had with His disciples (including Judas).
The doctrine to die on a hill for is the Authority of Scripture, and that's what really needs to be addressed in a doubting believer before they can get to OEC vs TE vs YEC. If someone denies the Authority of Scripture (or practically denies it after repeated rebukes) that's clearly the Doctrine of Demons, where as someone who is an OEC or TE may just be misguided. Either way, they should be corrected, some with harsh words (Galatians 1:9), and others with gentle restoration (Galatians 6:1).
William # 21 wrote:
"It is possible for a true believer to be an OEC or TE, because they are not judged on OEC, TE, or YEC, but on Christ's Righteousness."
True, the problem arises when a person asks them what they believe. Will they say "whatever" or will they have the knowledge to defend their view? (if any).
If anything, If they believe the earth is millions of years old, what do they believe went on in the "earlier" years? evolution?. I hope not.
Melisa # 9 wrote:
"Most Christian leaders (including some whose personal convictions about the origin of the universe are perfectly sound) remain silent about the issue and allow confusion to fester, rather than dealing with a controversial issue."
This is not a personal attack, but Did YOU "allow confusion to fester, rather than dealing with a controversial issue.", or were you able to defend the authority of scripture?
I, for one, have undergone ridicule for doing just that. (defending, not remaining silent).
"If someone denies the Authority of Scripture (or practically denies it after repeated rebukes) that's clearly the Doctrine of Demons, where as someone who is an OEC or TE may just be misguided. Either way, they should be corrected, some with harsh words (Galatians 1:9), and others with gentle restoration (Galatians 6:1)."
William, I would submit to you that doctrines of demons are doctrines of demons weather or not the one holding to them or advocating them is doing it out of ignorance or not. As you so wonderfully pointed out they all need to be corrected. Your reference to Galatians 1:9 is perhaps an appropriate text. Though this present attack on the gospel does not directly distort the gospel per se, in some ways the attack is even more deadly as it is an attack on the authority of the Scriptures which renders the gospel impotent. It has no power. It takes away our sword. Sinners must be brought to see the evil of their own hearts, the certainty of the judgment to come, the necessity of the new birth or the "gospel" (as most people understand it to be) is absolutely meaningless. The sinner has no clue what they are actually "being saved" from.
As to gentle restoration, you might want to consider how Paul address the churches of Galatia? "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him." What an indictment! "Am I now seeking the favor of men, or God?" Rather serious words here! "You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you…?" It is not until Galatians 4:12 that his tone really changes. "I beg you, brethren…" Paul truly loved them didn't he?
The Corinthian church was another church that was being influenced by Christ's enemies. They truly did repent, but it took what theologians refer to as "the severe letter". So severe was that letter, Paul actually struggled with second thoughts about having sent it. (2 Corinthians 7:8) Even though he acknowledged their repentance in 2 Corinthians 7:9-11, he goes on, as it were, to rub their noses in their sin (being influenced by false teachers) from chapter 10 through the rest of the book! Paul would have died for those saints. The dangers of the enemies of Christ, often times are so severe that they warrant such extreme measures.
The fact that someone comes out of these "doctrines of demons" does give evidence that they are (perhaps were) in fact "in Christ". I would hope that their repentance would be a "loud repentance". You cannot conclude that this evidence is conclusive evidence of being in Christ. Being in Christ involves much more than just having right doctrine. Ye must be born again. His Unworthy Slave
Perhaps Fred and the gang are taking a much needed sabbath rest. Here's my 10 cents:
The quote from Mr. Hodge is full of presuppositions, opinions, and conjecture. "Nature is as truly a revelation of God as the Bible" meaning what? The Bible's purpose is to tell of man's depravity after disobeying God and the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ through God's paradigm, not ours - what's nature's purpose? Further down, "If the Bible cannot contradict science, neither can science contradict the Bible…," says who? The Bible i.e. God's Word TRUMPS science. Science subordinates itself to God because HE created it. Answer me this: How would science document that Lazarus was dead for 4 days? and this: What have past and current evolutionists sacrificed for their faith? LJB
Science did'nt created God. As some think, that's the person makes gods
, I meant all different kinds. I agree what you meant about the Bible's
purpose. But remember Jesus did say the scripture won't give eternal life. Only a relationship with Jesus and acknowledging Him as Son of
God, Believing Him as risen Lord will save the person. Jesus did'nt use
science to prove himself he is God. He wanted to show Martha that He is
the Lord of the Living and Jesus loved Lazarus like a brother. He wept.
Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Jesus is God.
Let's say move over evolution and start reading God's Word, word for word, not going left or right. Praying will be helpful to us and those
whom are doubting God's Word and the Lord God too.
My experience with Over Whelming Evidence is that here is none. What we have been talking about over these past months centers on what the text of Scripture says. Very few of the "dissenters" really have a handle on the text, and it shows. (And I am not trying to be mean spirited here, please do not take it that way). The questions which we have discussed on this blog are in the realm of theology. Theology is a science, one that requires much of the techniques of objective rigor that one would apply to any serious study. But it is not left to us to make it mean anything we want it to mean. It is not of any "private interpretation" and requires a man be "Spirit filled and controlled". It also requires that we look into it in such a way that we are the learners and not the teachers. A learner allows the text to say what it will. Let it say what it says. (Just a thought)
Thanks for the input.. BTY, Matthew 4:4 (note the word every) applies to ALL of these posts concerning God's ultimate plans and purposes in our lives. Also, I'm enjoying the lively debate over on the "Don't Surrender the Ground" post. LJB
Dan Fisher,
I was a member of a church in Kirkland, OH for 5-6 yrs. At first, the
church was fine and bold on God's Word. Someone crept in the church and
twisted it around. They turn the worship time into playtime. Throwing
footballs and candy in the pulpit. Water-down preaching. Actually I got
hit in the head with a football, pom-poms, candy. My mom and I felt the
Holy Spirit just left the church. It was sad and God wanted us to leave
and He was guiding us to another church. I do understand what you are
saying. Thanks for sharing that.
God bless.
Larry Bucar,
Yhank you, I agree it is a lively debate too.
The blogging is aggressive and I am trying my best to be patience.
Seems some non-believers are a little aggressive towards me during
the blog " don't surrender the ground" . I will try to keep up and maybe their eyes will open to the truth.
# 27 Paul wrote:
about: "My experience with Over Whelming Evidence is that here is none."
Well, most posts here seem pretty well founded in scripture; Many references to scripture to uphold it's truths (or authority). I don't see many "misinterpretations". I for one, am guilty of not being able to "persuade" anyone. That is not my intent. I, as many here, want to make clear what we understand from the scriptures: It was God who created everything in six days. Evolution is not possible. Theistic evolution is not possible.
about: "But it is not left to us to make it mean anything we want it to mean. It is not of any "private interpretation" and requires a man be "Spirit filled and controlled".
True, but the "problem" is that the "dissenters" are going all over the place with their arguments. There's nothing wrong with that. May cooler heads prevail. Onward Christian soldiers!
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150 Haskeller were excited! "Haskellers Meeting 2010 Spring" was held in IIJ conference room, Kanda, Tokyo on April 16th. Simon Peyton Jones who is admired by Haskellers and also one of the authors of "Beautiful Code" gave a talk on "Haskell and Software Transaction Memory". This is a same topic described in chapter 24 of "Beautiful code" and chapter 28 of "Real World Haskell". The presentation of Simon-san was so attractive and wonderful just like he'd made legendary speech "How to give a good research talk". All we could sense his love for Haskell through his talk. Subsequently, Kazu Yamamoto who is the translation supervisor of our book "PGP" (unfortunately it is out of print) talked about "Experience on implementing a Web server in Haskell", and Nobuo Yamashita, who is one of the translators of "Real World Haskell" gave a speech of "Yet Another Purely Functional Expression for Interaction". The room was filled excitement because of Haskeller's terrible heat though the outside was so chilly that it snowed first time in 41 years for middle April.
At the same time, Simon-san is also an interviewee of "Masterminds of Programming" which is our new book. This is an interview collection of creators of influential programming languages. Simon-san appears in chapter 8 HASKELL with Paul Hudak and Philip Wadler. The Japanese version will be published this fall if everything goes well. Don't miss it!
Parallel programs execute in a non-deterministic way, so they are hard to test, and bugs can be almost impossible to reproduce. If we want to write parallel programs that work reliably, we must pay particular attention to beauty. Sadly, parallel program are often less beautiful than their sequential cousins; in particular they are, as we shall see, less modular.
In this chapter I describe Software Transactional Memory (STM), a promising new approach to programming shared-memory parallel processors. Although still in its infancy, STM seems to support modular programs in a way that current technology does not. By the time we are done, I hope you will be as enthusiastic as I am about STM. It is not a solution to every problem, but it is a beautiful and inspiring attack on the daunting ramparts of concurrency.


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Nice sandwich! Do you have a close up for the sandwich sides?A little oil/vinegar and maybe some herbs; nothing like an Ialian to go. What temp did you use and how long in oven? What flour (all purpose?)
wow I love it.It is a giant foccacia calzone creature.Thats a great Idea DKM.


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September 13, 2010 WIC Update
SUBJECT 1: 2010 Missouri WIC Conference
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- 2010 Missouri WIC Conference: The Missouri WIC Association and the Department of Health and Senior Services WIC Program would like to invite you to join us for the 2010 WIC Conference October 25-27 with the theme of "Work Well, Be Well, and Live Well".
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KING OIL FIELD SERVICES, LLP, PLAINTIFF,v.POSEIDON CONCEPTS, INC., DEFENDANT.
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Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
On-line version ISSN 2411-9717
Print version ISSN 0038-223X
J. S. Afr. Inst. Min. Metall. vol.112 n.9 Johannesburg Jan. 2012
Proceedings 115th Annual General Meeting, 2012
The 115th Annual General Meeting of The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy was held at The Country Club, Johannesburg, Napier Road, Auckland Park on Wednesday, 15 August 2012.
The President extended a special welcome to the guests and representatives of our sister institutes and other associations, and also to recipients of awards, senior members of industry, Honorary Life Fellows, past-presidents, our members, and other guests, among them the following:
M. Cresswell, President, South African Coal Processing Society
A. Hoffman, Vice President, South African Institute of Electrical Engineers
O. Letsholo, Immediate Past President, Institute of Certified Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, South African
P. Naidoo, President, The Geological Society of South Africa (GSSA)
M. Nzimande, President, Association of Mine Managers South Africa
B. Sibiya, Chief Executive Officer, Chamber of Mines of South Africa
J. van Zyl Visser, Institute of Mine Surveyors of South Africa
Past-presidents attending
Alfred Brown Joshua Ngoma
Richard Beck Rod Pickering
John Cruise Rams Ramokgopa
Roger Dixon Dick Stacey
Andrie Garbers-Craig Oskar Steffen
Rick Mohring
The minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting, which were published in the September 2011 issue of the Journal, and sent to all members, were confirmed.
The President announced the death, during the year, of the following members:
Life Fellow
C.T. Shaw
G. Annandale
Retired Fellows
D.W. Moffat, G. Maude, D.J. Mulligan, J.A. Tyser, R.J. Whyte, P.M.T. White
P. Gericke, J.M.A. Geldhuis, M.N. Carter, S.J.J. van Heerden Associates
L.G. Waller, M.J. Khoase
In memory of the deceased and in sympathy with the bereaved, all rose and observed a moment of silence.
Honorary Fellowship
No award was made this year.
Brigadier Stokes Memorial Award
Rodney Jones: The Brigadier Stokes Memorial Award was instituted in 1980 to commemorate the outstanding contribution to the South African mining industry made by Brigadier R.S.G. Stokes, an Honorary Life Fellow and past-president of this Institute. The award is made to an individual for the very highest achievement in the South African mining and metallurgical industry. It gives me great pleasure to announce that the award for 2012 is to be made to Richard Peter Mohring.
Rodney Jones called upon John Cruise, to read the citation: Publically it is an honour, and privately it gives me great pleasure to present the citation for my old friend and colleague Rick Mohring. Born in Johannesburg in 1947 and receiving his formative education at the King Edward VII School, also inJohannesburg, Richard Peter Mohring was surrounded by mine dumps. It must have been during these formative years that mining crept into his blood, because on matriculating from school he enrolled at the University of the Witwatersrand to read for a Bachelor's degree in Mining Engineering. This degree was conferred on him in 1972. It must also have been in these formative years that Richard Peter Mohring became known to his family and classmates as Rick, and it is by this moniker that he is known to us all todayhis friends and colleagues. Researching through the back issues of the SAIMM Journal, I record that even in the official publication of his presidential year of 1997/1998, he is referred to as Rick. And so, with apologies to his parents, I will stick with Rick.
Rick is recognized today, not only because of his service to the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, which in itself has been substantial, but also his dedicated service to the Engineering Council of South Africa and his contribution to the changing face of coal mining in South Africa.
On graduation, Rick started life on the mines as a graduate learner on Durban Roodepoort Deep gold mine, where he progressed through the ranks of Shift Boss, Mine Overseer, and Underground Manager before being transferred to the Rand Mines coal division in 1975. Thus, after the solid grounding of basic training on deep-level gold mines that graduates were subjected to in those days, Rick began his illustrious career in coal mining. Before 1975, coal mining was the poor cousin of the rich gold mines. But that was soon to change, and Rick was intimately involved in the quantum leaps that coal mining in South Africa took in the following years. From 1975 to 1981, Rick was the Planning Manager for Duvha Opencast which along with Rietspruit was the first opencast coal mine within the Rand Mines group. Without any previous exposure to dragline stripping methods and with the very limited computer-based systems that were available at that time, he designed and executed a project for a 12 million ton per annum coal mine.
In 1980 Rick attended the MDP programme at the University of South Africa, where he was its Gold Medal winner.
In 1981, at the age of 34, Rick was appointed as the General Manager of Welgedacht Exploration Company, which consisted of three operating minesUtrecht, which was a low-seam hands loading anthracite mine Umgala, a high-seam bituminous mine which was totally extracted by stooping (I leave it to the metallurgists amongst you as to what the term stooping refers to in coal mininga clue is that it is not being bent double all the time one is underground) utilizing drill and blast methods and also continuous miners; and Zimbutu, a mechanized underground mine. This was followed a year later with his appointment as General Manager of Middelburg Mine Services. He was responsible for not only project planning and commissioning of a 10 million ton per annum coal mine, but also for running the mine that he had designed. This is probably the most practical experience that a young mining engineer can gain, and it stood Rick in good stead for his later achievements.
In 1984 Rick attended the PDM Programme at Harvard University.
Also in 1984, Rick was appointed as a Managing Director of Rand Coal, a position he held for the next decade. During this time he was responsible for the management of various mines within the Rand Coal group and was on the boards of directors of various wholly-owned subsidiaries of Rand Coal. He was responsible for the development of the Khutala and Majuba collieries. Khutala utilized high-capacity continuous miners capable of producing one million tons of coal per section per annum. It had a single coal clearance shaft which produced 12 million tons per annum.
Coal mining was now outstripping gold mining in mechanization and innovation. Coal mining was no longer the poor cousin.
In this decade, Rick was responsible for the successful combining of a large export colliery (Middelburg, at 8 million tons per annum) with an Eskom supply colliery (Duvha, at 10 million tons per annum) into a single operating unit, including the installation of a railway line between the properties. He also successfully renegotiated the coal supply contract with Eskom. He initiated the planning and development of Majuba Colliery, which at a depth of 300 metres was deep for a South African colliery.
An interesting feature of this period that has relevance today, is that Rick conducted 'coal-bed methane drainage tests' on this very gassy coal field. As he knew my interests lay in explosives and esoteric blasting, Rick confided in me that he was 'fracking' the coal. At first I thought that Rick was swearing and I was shocked. I told him that the term would never come into popular parlance and certainly never be used around the fine dining tables of Johannesburg society. Remember this was some twenty years ago. Well, in hindsight, how wrong can you be! Although I must say that many people in the Johannesburg high society today do consider it a swearword when applied to the Karroo.
During the next decade, from 1994 to 2003, Rick was in quick succession the Senior Operations Manager of Ingwe Coal Corporation, the Chief Executive Officer of NewCoal, and the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Eyesizwe Coal. This was the time of change and transformation in South Africa, much of it being led by the mining industry. At Ingwe Coal, Rick installed the largest shortwall in South Africa and the highest in the world, with 6 metre high supports, at Matla colliery. NewCoal was a black empowerment initiative set up by AngloCoal and Ingwe Coal Corporation to identify a suitable Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) group to purchase certain assets belonging to the vendors and establish a new BEE company. After an 18 month process, the largest BEE coal company, Eyesizwe Coal, was formed in November, 2000. As the Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Rick was responsible for overseeing and mentoring of the whole transformation process.
Since retiring in 2003, Rick has set up his own mining consulting company and is a non-executive Board Member of Exxaro Resources Ltd. Among the many Exxaro committees that he stands on, Rick is the Chairman of the Exxaro Transformation and Remuneration Committee. Thus, since 1975, Rick has been at the forefront of successful development and transformation of the coal mining industry, not only in technical terms but also political.
Outside of his direct work as a professional mining engineer, Rick has been associated with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) for many years. He served as a Council Member from 1992 to 2008. He has been the Past Chairman of the Professional Advisory of Committee for Mining Engineers, the Past Chairman of the Registration Committee for Professional Engineers, and the Past Chairman of the Central Registration Committee for Engineering. He chaired the subcommittee that developed the policy and rules for Continuing Professional Development. He is a member of the Identification of Engineering Work subcommittee and a member of the ECSA team that negotiates with the Council for the Built Environment. On the international front, Rick was a member of the committee that represented ECSA in the negotiations for acceptance in the Washington Accord and the Engineers Mobility Forum, which gave rise to the recognition of registered engineers throughout the world.
Rick's involvement with tertiary education is shown in that he has been a member of the ECSA University Accreditation Teams for Mining Engineering progammes at universities and universities of technology over many years. Recently, he was the Team Leader for the provisional accreditation of the University of Namibia and the Polytechnic of Namibia. Rick is a member of both the University of Pretoria Mining Advisory Board and the University of the Witwatersrand Mining Advisory Board.
Rick's involvement in associated industry associations is evident in the Fossil Fuel Foundation, the Chamber of Mines of South Africa, the International Committee for Coal Research, and the International Energy Agency. For the Fossil Fuel Foundation, Rick has been a Trustee and has organized and chaired a number of Coal Indaba conferences. For the Chamber of Mines of South Africa, Rick represented Rand Mines on the Collieries Committee, and latterly he conducted an Acid Test to ascertain the impact of draft regulations for the Identification of Engineering Work on the mining industry. For the International Committee for Coal Research, Rick was a member of the South African committee during the 1990s and was on the committee to advise on coal research, encourage international research collaboration, and inform industry on coal research projects. For the International Energy Agency (IEA), Rick represented South Africa from 2000 to 2003 on the Coal Industry Advisory Board, a subcommittee of the IEA based in Paris.
Finally, Rick's involvement with the SAIMM has been prolific. Rick has been a member of the SAIMM since 1971 and a Council Member since 1988. He is an Honorary Life Fellow and a Past President, having served his term in 1997/98. He is a Trustee of the SAIMM Scholarship Fund. Needless to say, he has served on many committeesTPC mining, book publications, and membership amongst others. He tells me that his favourite committees were the Scrutineers Committee and the Banquet Committee. The only common factor that I can discern is that the Scrutineers' meeting was followed by lunch and the Banquet was preceeded by a lunch, of banquet food and wine tasting.
Rick has said to me that he feels that he has been lucky to be in the right place at the right time. But luck is not everything. As Gary Player once said: 'The harder I practice, the luckier I get'.
Richard Peter Mohring embodies all that SAIMM motto states. Our motto is 'Capaci occasio', which directly translates as 'To the capable, the opportunity', or as I prefer 'Give to he who is capable, the opportunity to do'.
Rick Mohring:
Mr President, members, ladies and gentlemen, Lyn, Lucinda, and Mark, good afternoon
I feel greatly honoured that you have awarded me this prestigious prize and accept it with great humility.
Thank you John for the kind words, but I must admit that most of what I achieved was by being in the right place at the right time and being associated with some fine people. Getting a prestigious award for a career which gave me great satisfaction and which I thoroughly enjoyed, is indeed a bonus.
When I reflect on my many years in the industry my career had two distinct components:
*the corporate employee role
*involvement with outside bodies.
In the mid-1970s, while I was a young underground manager on the gold mines, doyens of the coal industry like Allan Sealey and Graham Boustred were hatching plans for the development of a large coal export industry and new mines to assist Eskom in modernizing their generation capacity.
This created the need for the development of many new large-scale coal mines and I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to be part of this massive growth in coal mining in South Africa, being involved in the successful planning and execution of the many projects mentioned by John, and the unfamiliar fields at that time of international coal logistics and marketing.
Development of these mines also created the opportunity to employ the latest technology and mining methods, which involved interaction with number of international mining and manufacturing companies.
The success of the projects was by no small means due to the enthusiasm, drive, and skill of the people for whom I worked and those who worked for me.
One of the highlights was when I was given the opportunity to create, through a very extensive tendering process, a new Black Empowerment coal company with assets provided by Anglo Coal and Ingwe. This was a fascinating and rewarding initiative which brought me into contact with a diverse range of people-bankers, lawyers, and aspirant coal minersmany of whom had no experience in mining, and it proved that transformation can work. Mr Sipho Nkosi and his team have taken Eyesizwe Coal, which has since merged with the non-iron assets of Kumba, from the largest black-owned company to a JSE top 40 diversified miner and it is still growing.
My involvement with organizations outside my direct working environment started with becoming a member of the SAIMM during my student days. I got more directly involved when my boss and mentor, Allen Cook at Rand Mines Head Office, encouraged employees to get involved with both industry and professional bodies.
This was the start of my involvement at the Chamber of Mines and the Institute, and it was this involvement with the SAIMM that led to me having a long and varied engagement with the Engineering Council of South Africa, as it is the SAIMM who nominate representatives to the various registration bodies and to Council.
Similarly, my involvement with the Fossil Fuel Foundation, International Committee on Coal Research and the International Energy Agency had their roots in contacts made through Institute activities. My thanks go to all the wonderful peopletoo many to mention individuallythat I met through my association with these bodies for sharing their wisdom with me.
While one appreciates that companies are cutting back on the time allocated to staff to carry out non-company business, the value of the networking and information transfer that this Institute and other similar bodies offers is of great value, both to the individuals and the company for whom they work, and I encourage those who are involved to stay involvedand those who are not yet involved to offer their services. The combined wealth of your experience and wisdom must be used to the benefit of the industry and the growth of our national economy.
I would like to acknowledge the valuable work of this Institute, and encourage members to ensure that it maintains its status as the leader in professional and technical matters relating to mining and metallurgy.
In receiving this award I would like to acknowledge the support of Lyn and my family in my career.
In conclusion, Mr President, having reflected on the names of previous recipients, I am extremely grateful to you and the Council for the honour that you have bestowed on me, something I will always cherish, and I wish the Institute everything of the best for the future.
Thank you.
Presentation of awards, medals, and certificates
Rodney Jones announced the following awards, medals, and certificates, which were presented by Nielen van derMerwe.
50-year Membership Awards
(with effect from 1 July 1961 to 30 June 1962)
► W.B. Evans
► R.A. Featherstone
► I.R.H. Forrest
► J.S. Freer
► B.W. Holtshousen
► B.J. Love
► G.S. Lee
► P.J. Muller
► G.J.C. Young
► W.J.G. Young
Gold and Silver Medals
Papers published in the Journal from March 2011 to February 2012 by members of the Institute were considered for medals.
Gold Medals
Gold medals are awarded for papers that are of a world-class standard, and judged to be publications that will become key references in their mining or metallurgy field in the future.
Gold Medals were awarded to:
W.C. Joughin, A. Jager, E. Nezomba, and L. Rwodzi, for their Transaction paper published in the February 2012 issue of the Journal entitled 'A risk evaluation model for support design in Bushveld Complex underground mines: Part I Description of the model' and 'Part IIModel validation and case studies'. As non-members A. Jager and E. Nezomba receive a certificate of merit.
Silver Medals
Silver medals are awarded for papers that make a major contribution to the professions of mining and metallurgy and to the prestige of the Institute. Silver Medals were awarded to:
J.A.L Napier and D.F. Malan, for their Transaction paper published in the December 2011 issue of the Journal entitled 'Numerical computation of average pillar stress and implications for pillar design'.
Presentation of Student Prizes
Rodney Jones announced the student winners of the SAIMM Prestige Prize and Nielen van derMerwe presented the awards to the students adjudged by their departments to be the best final-year students in 2011.
University of the Witwatersrand
Mining Zacharia Maruma
Metallurgy Thapelo Montong
Best final-year student in the
faculty of any engineering
discipline (chemical) Ashley Gritzman
Best final-year student in any
faculty in the discipline of
mining or metallurgy Zireena Khan
University of Pretoria
Mining Stephanie Ferrreira
Metallurgy Morne Grewar
Student dissertation Stephanie Ferrreira
University of Johannesburg
Mining Sifiso Mashile
Metallurgy Palesa Mphuthi
North-west University
Mineral Processing Herman Kemp
The following SAIMM student prizes were presented at the Western Cape Branch AGM on 1 August 2012.
University of Cape Town
Best final-year student
Mineral Processing (Joint Prize) David Vogel and
Mesuli Zondo
University of Stellenbosch
Best final-year student
Mineral Processing Henri Cloete
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Best final-year student
Mineral Processing Dineo Innocentia Kadi
Annual Report and Accounts
The Honorary Treasurer, Jim Porfer.presented the financial statements.
The message behind this year's financial report has to be your Institute's successful on-going efforts to promote, invest in, and develop our activities throughout southern
Africa. At the same time, the Institute has worked to contain the cost of your membership and attendance of conferences, etc. in an increasingly stressed economic environment for the local mining industry.
At the beginning of the 2012 year, with the approval of Council, Office Bearers introduced a set of defined projects as part of the operating budget. The objective was to create visibility of these activities to Council throughout the year and to better manage the funding of these projects. As mentioned in my report last year, funding was to be through the use of our accumulated AFC Investment Portfolio. A further decision, made early in the year as a matter of policy, was not to cut back on the quality of events run by the Institute. These two decisions were key drivers in terms of our financial results for the year.
Of technical note: wording and style used in the audited financial statements for 2012 is different to our historic reporting standard. This is as a result of your Institute's Auditor complying with modern accounting practice. There is no impact on the reporting of historical and comparative numbers.
To get to the numbers; in my report last year I stated: 'At this point I think that it is prudent to caution our members that the performance of last year is not likely to be repeated.'
Whilst the 2010 to 2011 financial year saw a set of record financial results, the 2012 financial year has required close management by the SAIMM staff as Office Bearers worked to achieve the President's plans for the year.
I am pleased to report that we have, for the most part, been modestly successful.
Key metrics for the year relative to 2011 are as follows:
► Assets: R26 695 874 (down 1.5 per cent)
► Equity: R25 313 164 (up 0.9 per cent)
► Liabilities: R1 381 710 (down 32 per cent)
► Revenue: R16 441 264 (down 19 per cent)
► Cost of sales: R12 242 795 (down 14 per cent)
► Operating expense: R7 752 819 (up 60 per cent)
► Operating surplus: (R2 197 227) (down 196 per cent)
► Total surplus: R46 710 (down 99 per cent).
Clearly, some comment is required on the salient changes in performance relative to last year:
► Assets: The SAIMM has been carrying a cumulative loan of R636 882 to the Scholarship Trust Fund. We have now converted this to a donation. The effect of this change on Total Assets was 2.3 per cent year-on-year.
► Liabilities: This reflects better management of creditors.
► Revenue: A drop of R3.8 million was mostly due to the smaller number of 'headline' conferencing events in the year. To quote once more from last year's report:
'The reasons are that there are not as many large events in the year ahead
► Cost of sales: This was managed down relative to the number of conference events. Included is our expenditure for Branch travel of R746 000 which has increased year-on-year by 67.6 per cent due increased activity within SADEC.
► Operating expenses: This year the following extraordinary expenses were included:
- R438 000 in management fees
- R281 000 AFC management fees
- R1 015 000 in donations
- R151 000 sale of assets
- R153 000 OneMine subscription.
Without these items the annual increase would have been 8.6 per centslightly above inflation.
The balance sheet shows that non-current assets rose by 1.6 per cent to R19 091 526 (R18 790 093). Growth is largely as a result of our investment activities growing by 5.1 per cent to R18 933 627 after drawing down R1.0 million to fund these projects:
► SCI Bono: R250 000
► Wits Mine Planning: R400 000
► SAIMM Office: R293 000
► Branch travel: R746 000.
It is also worthwhile noting that the total investment growth is made up of:
► Fair value adjustment: R1 456 608
► Interest: R787 329.
The net result of maintaining growth projects with constrained income is a surplus of just R46 710, including the modest growth of 5.1 per cent in our investments.
One of the major efforts undertaken to maintain a healthy bank and call account of R6.198 million, was the strict control of debtor accounts to within 60 days overdue. This policy has paid off and significantly impacted on the financial well-being of the Institute. At year end our debtor's position stood at some 6 per centa historical record low.
So, it would seem that the guiding philosophy for our 2012/13 financial year will be 'SEMPER CENSUM NE SUPERET' (Google it!!).
Office bearers and Members of Council for 2012/2013
Nielen van derMerwe announced the office bearers for the ensuing year, elected by the retiring Council in accordance with Clauses 3.2 and 3.3 of the Constitution:
President G.L. S mith
President-elect M. Dworzanowski
Senior vice-president J.L. Porter
Junior vice-president R.T. Jones
Immediate past-president J.N. van der Merwe
Honorary treasurer J.L. Porter
In terms of the election of ordinary members of Council (bylaw 3.2.7), there were fourteen vacancies and the following members are now declared elected (in alphabetical order):
H. Bartlett D.D. Munro
N.G.C. Blackham C. Musingwini
V.G. Duke S. Ndlovu
M.F. Handley M.H. Solomon
W.C. Joughin A.G. Smith
A.S. Macfarlane D. Tudor
M.J. Mothomogolo D.J. van Niekerk
In terms of Clause 3.2.11 of the Constitution, the chairmen of the branches are as follows:
DRC Susa Maleba
Johannesburg Ian Ashmole
Namibia Frederick Chitonga
Pretoria W. De Graaf
Western Cape J. Petersen
Zambia S. Mulenga
Zimbabwe Shepherd Gaihai
Zululand W. Erasmus
These chairmen will be ex-officio members of Council.
The following past-presidents have signified their willingness to serve on Council for the ensuing year:
R.D. Beck S.J. Ramokgopa
J.A. Cruise T.R. Stacey
N.A. Barcza F.M.G. Egerton
R.P. Mohring W.H. van Niekerk
J.R. Dixon R.G.B. Pickering
M.H. Rogers A.M. Garbers-Craig
Gys Landman thanked those past-presidents who indicated that they cannot serve on Council for the next year for all their time, effort, and dedication in the past.
He also thanked past-presidents for their continued support. He congratulated all those elected, and thanked those who agreed to serve another term of office.
Election of auditors and honorary legal advisers for 2012/2013
Nielen van derMerwe proposed and it was agreed, that R.H. Kitching be reappointed as Auditor for the coming year and that Van Hulsteyn, Attorneys, be reappointed as honorary legal advisers.
Induction of President
Nielen van der Merwe introduced the new President, G.L. Smith, and then called upon Rodney Jones to read his curriculum vitae.
Gordon commenced his mining career in 1979 as a learner miner with Rio Tinto Zimbabwe at Empress Nickel Mine. On completion of his learnership he attended the Bulawayo School of Mines, obtaining a technicians diploma in mining before commencing studies, at the age of 23, at the University of the Witwatersrand for a BSc Engineering (Mining) in 1981. Following graduation in 1984 he was assigned to Renco Gold Mine in Zimbabwe and progressed rapidly through a variety of production positions before moving to the Falcon Mines plc Group as Group Projects Officer in 1986. During his subsequent tenure as Underground Manager, Mine Superintendent, and Group Technical Adviser he was instrumental in the introduction of a variety of new operating procedures, mining layouts, and technologies to the Falcon Mines operations in Zimbabwe.
Gordon emigrated to South Africa in 1989 and joined COMRO (Chamber of Mines Research Organisation) as a Principal Engineer in the Stoping Technology Laboratory. In this role he was involved in the development of new mining technologies in the fields of rockbreaking and rock handling. In 1992 he completed an MSc Engineering at Wits, based on the development of an economic model for the evaluation of new mining technologies. In 1993, following the formation of the CSIR Division of Mining Technology from COMRO, he was involved in rock engineering research (deep-level remnant extraction techniques), and later was tasked with the establishment of their Rock Engineering Consultancy Services. In 1995 he completed a part-time MBA, also at Wits, and undertook subsequent roles as Manager: Marketing and Business Development, and Programme Manager: Environmental Safety and Health, before accepting the position of Manager: International Business Development in April 1998. In late 1998, following the structuring of the Snowden Mining Industry Consultants international joint venture, he was appointed as Managing Director and Consultant Mining Engineer of Snowden-Africa.
In 2001 Gordon co-established an independent mining company, Metallon Mineral Resources, with the objective of developing medium-scale diamond, tantalite, and gold mining operations in the southern African sub-region. Control of Metallon and its associated subsidiaries passed to an empowerment group in 2003 and Gordon moved to Anglo American Platinum Limited in December 2003 in the capacity of Head: Strategic Long Term Planning. In 2009, following a reorganization of operations, he assumed responsibility as Head: Mineral Resource Management with accountability for Mining Technical Services, Business Planning, Strategic Long Term Planning, and Projects Coordination. In 2011 Gordon completed a PhD at Wits based on the strategic long-term planning processes, tools, and techniques he developed and implemented at Anglo American Platinum during his tenure as Head: Strategic Long Term Planning.
Gordon is a director of a number of companies, a registered Professional Engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa, a Fellow of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, a Fellow of the Mine Ventilation Society of South Africa, and a member of the International Society for Rock Mechanics.
Having joined the SAIMM in 1983 as a student member, Gordon became a Member in 1990 and a Fellow in 1998. Since 1995 he has served in a number of capacities in the committee structures: as secretary and chair of the Johannesburg branch, as member and chair of the TPC mining and membership committees, and on the mining awards and publications committees. He was elected to Council in 2001 and became an office bearer in 2009. In 2007 he was elected to the ECSA professional advisory committee for mining. He also serves on the SAMREC and SAMVAL committees as an SAIMM representative.
Gordon is married to Wendy, whom he met at university, and they have a 25-year old son, Richard. Rest and recreation revolve around cooking and carpentry, weekend farming, fly-fishing, and travel.
Presidential Address
Gordon Smith then presented his presidential address entitled: Strategic long term planning in mining, which is reproduced elsewhere in this edition of the Journal.
Vote of thanks
Marek Dworzanowski, gave the vote of thanks.
The meeting closed at 18:00. ♦
50-year Membership Awards
Council members and Branch Chairmen of the SAIMM
Office Bearers for 2012/2013
Past Presidents of the SAIMM
Members and their guests at the cocktail party
University students enjoying the cocktail party after the AQM


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Topic: Recommended number of Mongrel instances
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Groups vote on hive locations: honeybees
Honeybees in a colony select a new hive location via range voting.
Maintain community > Cooperate and compete > Within the same species
View this animation of bee voting, a collaboration of Sweet Onion Creations and The Biomimicry Institute.
"Thomas Seeley, a biologist at Cornell University, has been looking into the uncanny ability of honeybees to make good decisions. With as many as 50,000 workers in a single hive, honeybees have evolved ways to work through individual differences of opinion to do what's best for the colony. If only people could be as effective in boardrooms, church committees, and town meetings, Seeley says, we could avoid problems making decisions in our own lives.
"During the past decade, Seeley, Kirk Visscher of the University of California, Riverside, and others have been studying colonies of honeybees (Apis mellifera) to see how they choose a new home. In late spring, when a hive gets too crowded, a colony normally splits, and the queen, some drones, and about half the workers fly a short distance to cluster on a tree branch. There the bees bivouac while a small percentage of them go searching for new real estate. Ideally, the site will be a cavity in a tree, well off the ground, with a small entrance hole facing south, and lots of room inside for brood and honey. Once a colony selects a site, it usually won't move again, so it has to make the right choice.
"To find out how, Seeley's team applied paint dots and tiny plastic tags to identify all 4,000 bees in each of several small swarms that they ferried to Appledore Island, home of the Shoals Marine Laboratory. There, in a series of experiments, they released each swarm to locate nest boxes they'd placed on one side of the half-mile-long (one kilometer) island, which has plenty of shrubs but almost no trees or other places for nests.
"In one test they put out five nest boxes, four that weren't quite big enough and one that was just about perfect. Scout bees soon appeared at all five. When they returned to the swarm, each performed a waggle dance urging other scouts to go have a look. (These dances include a code giving directions to a box's location.) The strength of each dance reflected the scout's enthusiasm for the site. After a while, dozens of scouts were dancing their little feet off, some for one site, some for another, and a small cloud of bees was buzzing around each box.
"The decisive moment didn't take place in the main cluster of bees, but out at the boxes, where scouts were building up. As soon as the number of scouts visible near the entrance to a box reached about 15—a threshold confirmed by other experiments—the bees at that box sensed that a quorum had been reached, and they returned to the swarm with the news.
"'It was a race,' Seeley says. 'Which site was going to build up 15 bees first?'
"Scouts from the chosen box then spread through the swarm, signaling that it was time to move. Once all the bees had warmed up, they lifted off for their new home, which, to no one's surprise, turned out to be the best of the five boxes.
"The bees' rules for decision-making—seek a diversity of options, encourage a free competition among ideas, and use an effective mechanism to narrow choices—so impressed Seeley that he now uses them at Cornell as chairman of his department." (Miller 2007:4-5)