text:
Are you ready to kill?
That's a stark question, and it demands qualification, but killing is a regular part of the Christian life. There's an aspect of being a Christian that's downright violent.
You see, God commands us to hunt down and kill all remaining sin—to terminate it with extreme prejudice. Want proof? Here's what Paul said in Romans 8:
So then, brethren, we are under obligation. Not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (Romans 8:12-14)
So then, brethren, we are under obligation. Not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (Romans 8:12-14)
Or, how about Colossians 3:5?
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
So, there you are, Christian. Paul didn't say, "Negotiate or bargain with sin"—this isn't diplomacy; there's no call for making threats or shooting sin in the leg. God calls you to identify, locate, attack, and execute the enemy, the sin in your members. Put it to death. Period.
Your objective is clear, and your enemy has been identified.
But do you really know sin? You'd better. Being ignorant of the adversary is inexcusable because God has revealed everything you need to know about it—its nature, its strategy, and its goal.
Only a fool would engage an enemy he doesn't understand, whose strengths and tactics he doesn't know. Try that approach in sports, you jeopardize the game; try it in business and watch your revenue plummet. But those losses are petty compared with the health of your soul (Romans 8:13). In the relentless war against sin, ignorance isn't bliss. It's suicide.
Think of it like this. If it was your job to track down and eliminate a dangerous group of insurgents, what would you need to know to accomplish your objective? You'd want to know their background, identify their leaders, understand their goals, and learn their strengths and weaknesses. You'd familiarize yourself with their allies, technological sophistication, weaponry, tactics, and a whole lot more.
Now take that approach with sin. What do you need to know about sin to put it to death? Let me give you three things to think about:
The Nature of Sin
John Owen was a pastor-theologian of the Puritan era who understood sin. He really understood it. In his little book, The Mortification of Sin, a tremendous gift to the church, he wrote, "It is to be feared that very many Christians have little knowledge of the main enemy that they carry about with them in their hearts." Owen had pastoral concerns for the Christians in his day who were ignorant of sin's nature, and thus poorly equipped to combat it.
What about you? Do you know the nature of sin?
Above all else, sin is deceptive. It entices its victims with lies, lures them away from safety, and kills them. Sin promises pleasure, and delivers pain, sorrow, and death (James. 1:14–15). Sin is crafty and subtle, like the serpent in Eden. Sin presents itself as a trusted ally, offering friendly counsel and whispering sweet promises, but it will always deceive. Sin can never be trusted.
When you look back on its history, you discover a track record of treachery.
In every case, sin allured its victim with some delectable, promising what was desired. Like bait on a hook, sin offered wisdom, pleasure, wealth, respectability. It delivered death.
It's just as Puritan Thomas Guthrie once said: "Who is this Delilah that sings the Nazarite asleep and delivers up the strength of God into the hands of the uncircumcised? What fair siren is this who seated on a rock by a deadly pool smiles to deceive, sings to lure, kisses to betray and flings her arm round our neck to leap with us into perdition? Sin."
That's the nature of sin. It's deceitful and crafty.The Strategy of Sin
The main strategy of sin is to excite lust, tempting you with an opportunity to fulfill it. When you take the bait, it yanks the hook and you're caught. That's exactly the picture James painted: "Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death" (James 1:14–15).
The temptation may come from the outside, but for the strategy to work, there must be a cooperating attraction on the inside. And there is—the internal lusts, betraying thoughts, and sinful impulses. James revisits the concept in chapter 4:
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel (James 4:1-2).
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel (James 4:1-2).
Notice the progression? You want, you need, you demand, and finally you take, whatever the cost.
Sin is treacherous. Pride, resentment, bitterness, and unbelief are choice weapons in its arsenal, and it'll work through your dissatisfaction, jealousy, fear, sorrow, or anger, taking advantage of multiple entry points. It'll ambush you at the point of a recent accomplishment, a spiritual milestone, or even a season of victory over other sins. Sin's strategy is to find and target your most vulnerable spot. Again, here's Owen on sin's strategy:
Sin is always acting, always conceiving, and always seducing and tempting. Who can say that he has ever had anything to do with God or for God which indwelling sin has not tried to corrupt? . . . There is not a day but sin foils or is foiled, prevails, or is prevailed upon. It will always be so while we live in this world. Sin will not spare for one day. There is no safety but in a constant warfare for those who desire deliverance from sin's perplexing rebellion.
Sin is always acting, always conceiving, and always seducing and tempting. Who can say that he has ever had anything to do with God or for God which indwelling sin has not tried to corrupt? . . . There is not a day but sin foils or is foiled, prevails, or is prevailed upon. It will always be so while we live in this world. Sin will not spare for one day. There is no safety but in a constant warfare for those who desire deliverance from sin's perplexing rebellion.
The Goal of Sin
At the end of the day, what is sin's goal? What's its objective, what does it want?
First, sin wants to master you. Consider the Bible's first description of sin, provided by God Himself. He warned Cain in Genesis 4, "If you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." I can't think of a more eerie description of sin than that. "Its desire is for you" means sin wants you, it's coming after you! God compares sin to a savage beast, poised to attack yet patiently waiting for the victim's weakest, most vulnerable moment. Sin isn't necessarily hiding, but waiting. Sin wants to dominate you. That's its goal.
If you remember, sin triumphed over Cain. Sin took control of his thoughts, mastered his emotions, and governed his behavior; and it resulted in Cain's demise. Cain was the first person God cursed in the Bible; now he's in hell. In Cain, sin accomplished its goal, and here's the path: deceive, dominate, destroy.
A second goal of sin is to defile and corrupt. In a message titled, The Ugliness of Christmas, John MacArthur said this:
Sin is defiling. We need to understand that its nature is that it defiles. It is to precious metal what rust is. It is what scars are to a lovely face, what stain is to silk cloth, what smog is to an azure sky. It is a defiling thing. It makes the soul red with guilt and black with evil. In 1 Kings 8, the sin of man's heart is compared to oozing sores of a deadly plague. In Zechariah 3:3, compared to filthy garments. It is a defiling polluting staining thing. It stains the soul and blots out the image of God . . . sin pollutes and defiles and stains and mars everything it touches. And it touches everything in the human realm.
Sin is defiling. We need to understand that its nature is that it defiles. It is to precious metal what rust is. It is what scars are to a lovely face, what stain is to silk cloth, what smog is to an azure sky. It is a defiling thing. It makes the soul red with guilt and black with evil. In 1 Kings 8, the sin of man's heart is compared to oozing sores of a deadly plague. In Zechariah 3:3, compared to filthy garments. It is a defiling polluting staining thing. It stains the soul and blots out the image of God . . . sin pollutes and defiles and stains and mars everything it touches. And it touches everything in the human realm.
Sin is like a cancerous disease. It is entrenched deep within the heart, undetected but not inactive. If it's not rooted out, it will grow, infect other areas, and eventually take over to the detriment and destruction of the entire body. Sin corrupts and defiles everything it touches—families, governments, churches. Sin seeks the ruin of its host, always.
A third goal of sin is to diminish the glory of Christ and dim the hope of the gospel. Sin produces despair, tempting you to abandon any hope of forgiveness. Sin wants you to feel perpetually unworthy and never look to Christ. It wants to hide God's face (Isaiah 59:2) and distort the gospel. Sin wants to paralyze the sinner with fear and condemnation, and then hide the remedy.
Sin seeks to do all those things because, if successful, it will destroy your soul. That's its ultimate objective. Sin wants you in hell.
Make no mistake. Sin is a fierce enemy and has devised your ruin. From the very beginning God has warned us about sin's cunning and treachery. Sin entices, masters, and then kills (Genesis 4:7; James 1:15; Hebrews 12:1). It cannot and will not be ignored, so it must be executed.So, what do we do? That's for next time…
Tommy ClaytonContent Developer and Broadcast Editor
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*Shauna Bryant*
Very Good......but - OUCH!
Timely reminder to spend more time being repulsed by my own sin than to keep tsk, tsk'ing the sins of others.
It's so easy to keep looking at the outward things we feel affect us so much (the garbage the world keeps throwing around) without paying as much attention to the garbage within......sin.
I thank God for my Salvation.
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Email me when someone posts a comment.
Thanks Tommy! Awesome post.
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Proverbs 8:1-7 addresses the issue of wisdom for us. We need to seek it and desire understanding, so that we will recognize our sin, kill it and repent of it
Excellent post, Tommy. We must rule over sin, and we should expect a real victory in this life. Amen to that.
Who shall deliver me from the body of this death, I thank God through Jesus Christ my Lord?
Thanks for the post,Tom
It's important to know why sin is evil, and to kill it.
It's good to kill sin before it grows. To confess our
sins to Jesus daily and forgiving others too.
We don't want to lose conscience that God gave when we
receive Him. Amen.
In the scripture says We must say good is good
and evil is evil.
What a true and cutting post! You are right it is kill or be killed! What's incredible is how much we cherish and protect such a deadly vice. Instead of instantly killing sin like we would a deadly snake, we swoon over it purposely ignoring all warnings. We must be crazy!
Tommy, I cannot find the words to express the gratitude that fills my heart for your dealing with this neglected issue. Sin, righteousness (Biblical as opposed to the counterfeit), and the judgment to come are issues which have all but been abandoned. I am convinced that in these days in which we live the vast majority of professing Christians are on the wide road that leads to hell but how few there are who have the love and courage to warn them. Though apostate Israel persecuted and killed their prophets (see Acts 7:52), God, faithful to His holy name, continued to raise up and send others.
"Ah! How many Judases have we in these days, that kiss Christ, and yet betray Christ; that in their words profess Him, but in their works deny Him; that bow their knee to Him, and yet in their hearts despise Him; that call Him Jesus, and yet will not obey Him for their Lord.
Reader, If it be not strong upon thy heart to practice what thou readest, to what end dost thou read? To increase thy own condemnation? If thy light and knowledge be not turned into practice, the more knowing man thou art, the more miserable man thou wilt be in the day of recompense; thy light and knowledge will more torment thee than all the devils in hell. Thy knowledge will be that rod that will eternally lash thee, and that scorpion that will for ever bite thee, and that worm that will everlastingly gnaw thee; therefore read, and labour to know, that thou mayest do, or else thou art undone for ever." Quoted from "Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices" by Thomas Brooks
There were many false prophets and prophetesses who spoke peace, peace and plastered over the wall with whitewash in the days of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. They did not expose their iniquity so that they might have restored them from their captivity but spoke smoother words than God did allow (Lamentations 2:14). The thirteenth chapter of Ezekiel reveals what became of them. As it was in the days of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, so it is today.
"Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate, says the Lord. And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me says the Lord Almighty. Therefore having these promises, beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the God." (2 Corinthians 6:17, 18 -2 Corinthians 7:1)
May God awaken many to see their true spiritual condition through this current series. May God grant them a true heart of repentance and a sincere faith in the One who came to save His people from their sins. He is mighty to save! -His Unworthy Slave
What a truly awesome article. I will read and reread this one, it is that good.
I like it when you said "sin wants you in hell." This is such a stark reminder that sin is working overtime to do everything in its power to kill and destroy us.
May we all gain such strength and wisdom from God's word to overcome the enemy, so that God will be glorified. And, isn't that what it is ultimately all about?
Always good to hear from Douglas Grogg, as well.
The sins that draw the most attention are the ones that result from the process of desire, temptation, etc. as Tommy mentioned in the article. But let's not forget that there are other types of sins that are more stealthy, because no external agent or temptation is involved! These are the "sins of omission" that can be just as devastating as sins committed consciously. A self-absorbed parent who forgets a child in a hot car, a negligent driver who runs over a bicyclist, a relative who ignores the danger signs of child abuse. How about the sin of being too afraid to speak up against evil? Cowardice is a sin rarely mentioned these days. Those guilty of it never have to cross over the line of temptation, because they crossed it long ago, inch by inch, without knowing it, until courage is needed. It is impossible to "wage war" against these sins, because the enemy infiltrated slowly. He surrounded him with circumstances that provided easy excuses and numbed his conscience.
The devil doesn't always give us the courtesy of a fair fight. And it is useless to look back in these situations and say, "I should have seen that coming." Most likely we were too concerned with present temptations to be aware of the slow infiltration. We may have thought that we were winning battles against temptation, but we were simply having our attention diverted to a minor skirmish and given the illusion of victory.
The devil is just too smart for me -- I can't possibly out-think him. A mind transformed by the Gospel is my only hope against sin. Better is an hour spent absorbing it than two hours thinking and praying about my sins which God has already forgiven.
One of the reasons people struggle with sin is they're fighting the wrong enemy. Even some of the comments here reflect a glorified view of Satan (the Devil). Satan is not all-powerful, omniscient, or omnipresent. He is not everywhere at the same time therefore he cannot be tempting everyone.
When we fight sin, we are not directly fighting the devil. We are indirectly fighting him in the sense that he is the prince of darkness and would desire all believers to fall prey to sin, but he is not directly, himself, attacking us.
In this blog article Tommy does an excellent job of focusing us on the real battle, namely, the sin inside us. We don't battle sin by binding Satan, demons, or acting as if our enemy is outside us. We battle our own flesh with spiritual weapons.
All that to say I would disagree with Greg's comment that the devil doesn't wage a fair fight or that he's too smart. It's probably true that he's not fair and much smarter than us, but that doesn't impact me personally.
The truth is I was born in sin and over the years sin matured and developed habits in me. When I was regenerated by the Spirit I was released from the control of sin and now have the ability, through the Spirit, to beat back the advances and strongholds of sin already inside. My fight is not with the devil--it is with myself.
I agree that binding Satan is dangerous and he in one place at a time. The blog is about the sin of flesh, not just satan. right. Thanks for the info.
God bless.
Whether it's the devil, cosmic powers, or my own self-deceiving sin nature, my conclusion is the same -- I can't outsmart it, nor can I tell which is which. I don't generally "speak of the devil" but sometimes he makes a good metaphor. On the other hand, I don't deny he's out there -- 1 Peter 5:8 tells me so. Whatever the case may be, I'll just stand behind that shield of faith and let God sort it out.
Oh, nothing is good comes from satan. satan is evil from inside and out. In scriptures, what Tommy was saying. It's the battle of sinful nature in us that we must kill. and what we learn from it in the Bible.
satan makes no good thing or does good.
Thanks, for good post, Douglas. God is good!!
Excellent article Tommy. Let me suggest a terrific book by a terrific author. The Vanishing Conscience written by John Macarthur. It touches on what Tommy wrote and much more regarding sin and the failure today to even recognize it but to excuse it away.
I'm excited this series has stimulated further thinking on the doctrine of mortification. Your comments have been insightful and encouraging. Thanks for participating in the discussions. I think you'll find the next few articles useful as we close out the series with some practical help.
John's teaching has been a tremendous help to me—as it has been to many others—especially early in my Christian life as I struggled to understand the doctrine of sanctification and my responsibility toward remaining sin.
So, for those seeking a more in-depth, expositional treatment of the doctrines discussed in this series, I hope you can find time to download or read the messages linked to each article—or other GTY resources introduced in the comment thread.
Especially helpful to me were the following sermons by John:
Hacking Agag to Pieces
The Ugliness of Christmas
Keeping a Pure Mind
Lessons from a Modern-Day Moral Shipwreck
And of course here you can find and click on "Romans" to feast on John's careful verse-by-verse exposition of the entire book.
Bon Appétit!
The battle against sin - indwelling sin - requires complete commitment, strong determination, self-discipline, self-examination, and ruthless repentance. For a long time I attempted all of these and went through cycles of asceticism, attempts at purification, binging on old sins, guilt and then back to asceticism... It was only when Christ brought my sin in stark relation to Him and His Holiness (rather than merely the human physical, psychological and other personal consequences), that I came to salvation. In the continuing battle, I have to constantly remind myself that it is by Grace that are saved, and by Grace that we are sanctified and not works.
In dealing with sin, I have been exhorted to find a spiritual mentor to whom I should confess sin. I know that in some struggles with specific sins - often private sins - it has helped to be accountable to a fellow believer. However, I do fear that one can rely on that 'confession' and it can become a legalistic duty, or even be open to abuse...
Any thoughts on confession of sin (besides confession to God, and 'making right' to those whom your sin has directly affected)?
The issue of confession is very important--I'm glad you brought it up! There is so much confusion due to the influence of the Catholic Church and their rituals of confession.
The Bible does not command, encourage, or give any thought of confessing our sins to an uninvolved person. Biblically, we are to confess our sins to God first and foremost (Psalm 51:4; 1 John 1:9), and to those against whom we sin (James 5:16). When we consider the instruction Jesus gave for dealing with sin in the church (Matt 18:15-20), one of the driving motivations of the process is to limit the circle that know about the situation. The point isn't to live in secrecy, but contrary to our information age, everyone doesn't need to know about everything in everyone's life (I wish the media understood this).
You may find it necessary to share your struggles with a leader who can shepherd, counsel, and keep you accountable, but don't think of this as "confession". You "confess" to seek forgiveness and reconciliation.
A spiritual mentor does not want to hear from you, "father, forgive me for I have sinned..." but rather, "I'm really struggling with [name the sin biblically], can you help me learn how to put it off, renew my mind, and put on righteousness?" (I'm using the "put off/on" language of Eph 4:21-32 and Col 3:5-17)
Hope that helps...
In Romans 8:13 where it states if one lives according to the flesh one must die, I assume this is referring to spiritual death as well as physical right? But earlier in the chapter it says that one is not in the flesh if the Spirit of God dwells in him (Romans 8:9). Is it really true that once the Spirit of God comes to dwell in a person, He will not leave? Because in Genesis it says that God's Spirit will not always strive with man. I better keep to topic here, I fear that I'm wandering off the subject. I'm sorry.
Yes, Romans 8:13 is referring to spiritual, eternal death. However, it's not teaching that you can lose your salvation. It's a warning to those who profess to be saved, but do not habitually engage in the act of mortifying their sins (putting them to death). Again, a demonstration of how important God takes our sanctification—dying to sin and seeking to live holy, righteous lives.
Your other question: Will the Holy Spirit, after taking up residence within you, afterward abandon you? The answer is NO. Just follow Romans 8 all the way to the end, where Paul says:
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (vv. 38-39).
Nothing can separate you from God's eternal love, Michelle, provided you've trusted in Christ alone for salvation.
Genesis 6:3, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever," is simply a reference to God calling men to repent of their wickedness, probably through the Spirit-empowered preaching of His messengers (Enoch and Noah). God didn't strive with men in that way forever. But He was patient for 120 years. What a longsuffering God we serve!
Thanks for your insight on this matter. I have not come from a Catholic background (although I've looked into it a lot). I grew up in a strong Evangelical Christian mission that was born in a spiritual revival. While the whole 'revival' concept has been severely confused and 'emotionalized' a key element in a spiritual awakening is a profound conviction of sin. I believe that every person who is saved experiences this conviction as the Holy Spirit enters the life and begins that war against indwelling sin.
It's clear that we must confess our sin to God, and to those we've sinned against (leave your sacrifice at the altar and first be reconciled with your brother, etc.) However, the exegesis of James 5:16 (and considering passages like 1 John 1:9, relating also to 'living in the light' and 'exposing the deeds of darkness') was always explained to me to mean confession as a means of fellowship with your brethren (living in the light) and that when a believer sins, he is isolated by his sin from the fellowship (Bonhoeffer had much to say about this) and the restoration of fellowship involves confession 'one to another'. Moreover, James 5:16 links that confession with prayer of supplication by 'a righteous man' leading some to the conclusion that this battle against sin is a matter of fellowship as well.
Another argument of course, is that it's a simple thing to confess your sin to God (in private and behind closed doors), it's a fruit of true repentance and humility to confess to a brother. Some even taught that confession of sin is (an essential) means of forgiveness for a believer. (I know all these are not explicit in Scripture, but could be inferred).
My take is that we are compelled to make a true confession to God (beautifully expressed by David in Psalm 51, amongst others) and we are to confess and seek forgiveness from those we've sinned against, and if there is a personal sin one struggles with, it may be good to speak with a spiritual mentor to seek guidance in mortifying this sin and 'putting on Christ' to overcome.
Any thoughts on this?
It makes sense that one can't go to a priest or pastor to ask
to forgive one in sin. I tried that when I was younger and it
did'nt work. I had to get on down on the knees or at the corner
of my bed to confess my sins to Jesus.
Re: #21 ~ Thank you Tommy for your input. But in the reference to the end of Romans 8, the one thing that can separate us from God or His love in Christ is sin. Correct? I am not trying to argue, please believe me! Only to clarify so that I will not be deceived is all! Because with what I've been battling with for the last couple years I'm 99.9% sure that what I am being shown is that if I do not get victory or rather I should say submit in this area of my life I will not inherit the Kingdom. I never thought that anything would be so hard. I am getting John's book "Slave" and I am hoping it might help. What I need is a surrendered heart (I thought I had it once before!), nothing held back, willing to do whatever God wants. I wish I could say I was there but in all honesty my horrible heart is reluctant. And then when I set out to do what He wants I end up not making it all the way to the end. I probably have already shared too much. But thank you for your help!
Ephesians 1:13 tells us that at the time of our salvation (when we have repented of our sins and put our trust in Christ's blood, shed for us to save us) we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:14 tells us that the Holy Spirit, given to us is a guarantee of our inheritance. Just as we cannot earn our salvation in the first place, as it is an undeserved gift of God's grace, we are not able to keep our salvation, but we can trust God to do that for us. Philippians 1:6 tells us that God will bring to completion the good work He began in us, and 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 tells us that God is faithful and will sanctify us and keep us blameless at the coming of Christ. Hebrews 7:25 tells us that Christ is always interceding for us and we can read some of the intercession He makes for us in John 17. Romans 8:34 asks who can condemn us as Christ himself is interceding for us.
Since we can't lose our salvation, is it alright to keep on sinning? Paul answers this question in Romans 6:1-2. If we are truly born again, we will have new hearts under the influence of the Holy Spirit which will desire to not grieve the Holy Spirit. We will desire to submit ourselves to be instruments of righteousness rather than instruments of unrighteousness (Romans 6:12-13). We seek to not sin so that God may be glorified in us and we might fulfill His purpose for us. Sanctification is a process which God is producing in us for His glory and which we are working at with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12-13). But our fear is not that we will lose our salvation because we can't.
The wages of sin is death for those whose sins are not covered by the blood of Christ.
But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. (1 John 1:9)
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|Here is a [quick clip] of Sam's speech
Barack's response was insightful on his thoughts on this. Here are someexcerpts:
"A few moments ago, I met with some of the leading business executives in the country. And it was a sober meeting because these companies and the workers they employ are going through times more trying than any we've seen in a long, long while.
And yet, even as we discussed the seriousness of this challenge, we left our meeting confident that we can turn our economy around.
But these executives also understand that without wise leadership in Washington, even the best-run businesses can't do as well as they might.
And that is why I hope to sign an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan into law in the next few weeks. And most of the money we're investing as part of this plan will get out the door immediately and go directly to job creation, generating or saving 3 (million) to 4 million new jobs. And the vast majority of these jobs will be created in the private sector because, as these CEOs well know, business, not government, is the engine of growth in this country.
But even as this plan puts Americans back to work, it will also make the critical investments in alternative energy, in safer roads, better health care and modern schools that will lay the foundation for long-term growth and prosperity, and will invest in broadband and emerging technologies, like the ones imagined and introduced to the world by people like Sam and so many of the CEOs here today, because that's how America will retain and regain its competitive edge in the 21st century.
We will invest in what works. Instead of politicians doling out money behind a veil of secrecy, decisions about where we invest will be made public on the Internet and will be informed by independent experts whenever possible. And we will launch a sweeping effort to root out waste, inefficiency and unnecessary spending in our government. And every American will be able to see how and where we spend taxpayer dollars, by going to a new website to [recovery.gov], because I firmly believe what Justice Louis Brandeis once said, that sunlight is the best disinfectant.
In the end, the answer to our economic troubles rests less in my hands or in the hands of our legislators than it does with America's workers and the businesses that employ them. They are the ones whose efforts and ideas will determine our economic destiny, just as they always have. For in the end, it's businesses, large and small, that generate the jobs, provide the salaries and serve as the foundation on which the American people's lives and dreams depend. All we can do, those of us here in Washington, is to help create a favorable climate in which workers can prosper, businesses can thrive and our economy can grow."
I certainly find Sam's efforts and Barack's responsiveness encouraging.
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LeRoy A. "Buddy" VanTassel Jr., 51, of Mead Run Rd., Youngsville, passed away Saturday, August 3, 2013 surrounded by his family, at his residence after a courageous one year battle with cancer.
He was born July 30, 1962 in Jamestown, N.Y., a son of the late LeRoy A. "Bud" VanTassel Sr. and Eva Fedorchuk Matteson who survives him of Youngsville. LeRoy worked as a union laborer with the LIUNA Local 603. He had also worked at Warner Coin and as a bartender for many years. LeRoy was a member of the Youngsville American Legion, the Sugar Grove AmVets Club, and was a brother of the Struthers Hose Company. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, riding his Harley motorcycle, woodworking and throwing darts. He was the founding member of the Youngsville Dart League and was a member of the Warren Dart League for 20 years. LeRoy was a kind and caring person who would give the shirt off his back for anyone that needed help. He will be missed by all that knew him.
In addition to his mother, he is survived by his loving wife Kelly Hansen VanTassel, whom he married August 17, 2002, in Warren, a son Jacob M. Spinney and his fiance Ashley Wojtkiewicz, his siblings, Sarah Jane (Mike) Singleton of Havelock N.C., Dan (Ann) VanTassel of Pittsfield, Eva "Goober" Gertsch of Youngsville, Tom (Holly) VanTassel of Niobe, Charlie (Rose) Logan of Clymer, Todd (Lori) Logan of Jamestown, his stepsiblings, Mary Jane (Gordon) Hefferman of Oil City, Helen Koehler of LaGrange, GA, Matthew (Lonnie) Matteson of Canover, N.C., David Matteson of Dewittville, N.Y., his other mother Darlene (Jim) Darling of Panama, his favorite uncle George Wachter, his loyal companion Tuffy, his best friend, Joel McKown, and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and friends.
In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by a sister, Ella Mae VanTassel, a stepbrother Calvin "Smokey" Matteson Jr., and his stepfather Calvin Matteson Sr. on July 31st of this year, and his other loyal companion, Beavis.
Friends will be received at the Brokenstraw Fish & Game Club, Mead Run Rd., Youngsville, on Tuesday, August 6th, from 47 p.m., at which time a Celebration of Life service will take place. For those interested in participating, at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, a motorcycle escort will begin at the funeral home and proceed through town, ending at the Brokenstraw Fish and Game Club.
The family suggests in lieu of flowers, memorial donations in LeRoy's name may be made to Hospice of Warren Co., or to the Warren Cancer Center, both at 2 Crescent Park, Warren, Pa. 16365. The Nelson Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 314 N. Main St. in Youngsville, have been entrusted with all arrangements. Condolences to the family may be made at www.nelsonfuneralhome.net.


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Mary B. Musso
Mary B. Musso, 88, of
Ellicott Road, Brocton,
N.Y., passed away on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 26, surrounded by her loving family at the Chautauqua
County Home in Dunkirk,
N.Y., after a brief illness.
Mary was born in
Dunkirk, N.Y., on Feb. 3,
1924, and had been a Brocton resident all her life. She
was the daughter of the late
Charles and Grace Trippi
Gatto. She was a former
machine operator for Kraft
Foods of Dunkirk, N.Y., retiring in 1986 after 30 years
of service. Mary had also
worked for the Salvation
Army for 25 years. She was
a great lover of horses, of
traveling and shopping.
Mary is survived by two
daughters: Barbara Jones of
Oklahoma City, Okla., and
Mary Jo Mulkin of
Dunkirk, N.Y.; four
grandchildren: Lisa, Danny, Shannon and Ryan; and
seven great-grandchildren.
Besides her parents she
was predeceased by her
husband, Joseph Musso,
whom she married in 1942
and who passed away on
April 27, 2003; one sister,
Angeline leone; two brothers: Joseph Gatto and Anthony Gatto; one grandson,
Jonathan Mulkin; one
granddaughter, Denise
Jones; and one son-in-law,
George Jones.
Funeral services will be
held at 11 a.m. Wednesday,
Jan. 30, 2013, at the Morse
Funeral Home in Brocton,
N.Y. The Rev. Larry
Morrison will officiate. Internment will follow at the
Portland Evergreen
Cemetery. Friends are invited to call at the Morse Funeral Home in Brocton, N.Y.,
on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013,
from 2-4 and 7-9. Arrangeents are by the Morse
Funeral Home of Brocton,


text:
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If out of tragedy comes triumph, then one of the best stories to come out of the Virginia Tech massacre was the story of Derek O'Dell from Jean Denton, who writes for The Catholic Virginian, newspaper of the Diocese of Richmond. If you missed it earlier, O'Dell's story of faith as the gunman opened fire on his German class in Norris Hall is remarkable in its simplicity. And he says God answered his prayers with a miracle: More people in his classroom survived the shooting than he initially thought.
Surviving the Virginia Tech shootings
Posted on April 27, 2007 by Administrator1


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I grew up with Zinfandel. When I was a kid, my dad Charlie and his friends would hunt almost every weekend; duck hunting, pig hunting, deer hunting. Our freezer was always full of meat. I grew up thinking that everyone was Italian, and that everyone hunted. My folks never took me to see Bambi.
My dad was part of a group of about 20 guys who went in together to lease large pieces of property to hunt. Their hunting clubs were scattered all over Mendocino and Sonoma Counties. For a long time, we hunted the 12,500 acre Rockpile Ranch straddling both Mendocino and Sonoma Counties, being the largest piece of property in either county. I remember my dad taking me for weekends to the club. I would ride in a jeep or truck during the day as the men looked for a large pig, or buck. Lunches would invariably be Salumi and Cheddar on hard French bread rolls. Any game taken would be field dressed, then cleaned and hung back in camp at the end of the day. After cleaning up after the day's hunt, the men would cook a big dinner. Polenta, meats, Italian sauces, pasta, vegetables, salad, Zinfandel.
Growing up, all the Italian men I knew drank Zinfandel. It came in jugs, it wasn't complex, it was good and it was cheap. It went into the food, and into coffee cups and high ball glasses, styrofoam cups and complimentary collector jelly glasses from the gas station – free with an 8 gallon purchase.
I crushed Zinfandel grapes when I was my son Charlie's age, just 12 years old, and the juice was made into wine that I was allowed to taste with food.
Zinfandel has been my first wine love, my longest loved wine, my favorite wine for most of my life.
Big, bold, very red, often high in alcohol, with flavors of brambly raspberry and black pepper spice; Zinfandel is as big as Cabernet Sauvignon in body, structure, and flavor profile but more affordable. Although DNA tests have shown Zinfandel is really the grape varietal Crljenak Kaštelanski from Croatia, and also Identical to Italy's Primitivo grape, it has been thought of as California's grape by generations of California's wine drinkers.
Years ago, I attended the ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and producers) tasting, a tasting of Zinfandels put on at Fort Mason in San Francisco in January. Hundreds of Zinfandels to taste. Thousands of people tasting. A perfect day spent tasting some iconic Zinfandels, like Carol Shelton's Rockpile Zin, and discovering new stars.
ZAP is marking the 19th Zinfandel festival this year with the theme Zin in Paradise, and it isn't just the incredible Saturday Grand Zinfandel Tasting, but three days of events. Tickets are still available for most of the events.
The festival kicks off Thursday evening with the Good Eats & Zinfandel Pairing at Fort Mason's Herbst Pavillion. Celebrity chef Beverly Gannon will be serving up Hawaiian Regional Cuisine with Zinfandels, along with 49 other chefs and wineries. As I read the list of wineries, restaurants, and dishes being served, my mouth goes into watering overdrive mode, and I am actually excited about attending this event. The list is too long to print here, but go to the event page and look at the amazing bounty of food, and the participating wineries, and get yourself to this event! If you are looking for me, I'll be the very happy, short, round, bearded man in line in front of you for more yummy food and wine.
On Friday, I am going to sit down with a group of about 150 people at the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco for Flights, a showcase of Zinfandel.
The panelists will discuss blending, Zinfandel's uniqueness, preferred blending varietals, and each panelist will bring a proprietary blended Zinfandel to pour and discuss.
The wineries, panelists and Zinfandels include:
- Ridge Vineyards, winemaker Eric Baugher, 2007 Zinfandel Paso Robles and the 2007 Geyserville
- Three Wine Company, winemaker and proprietor Matt Cline, 2007 Old Vine Zinfandel, California and 2007 Old Vines, California (Field Blend)
- JC Cellars, founder and winemaker Jeff Cohn, 2007 Imposter Blend and 2007 Sweetwater Zinfandel
- Robert Biale Vineyards, winemaker Steve Hall, 2007 Aldo's Vineyard Zinfandel and 2007 Stagecoach Zinfandel
- Bedrock Wine Company, winemaker and proprietor Morgan Twain Peterson, 2007 Heirloom Wine, Sonoma Valley and 2007 Ravenswood, Bedrock Vineyard Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley
Friday Evening, also at the Mark Hopkins, is an Evening with the Winemakers, Benefit Live Auction and Dinner, where Chef Beverly Gannon will prepare:
- Asian Duck Tostada
- Blackened Ahi with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce, Wasabi Micro Greens, Tobiko, Mashed Potato in Filo Cup
- Smoked Salmon Pinwhhels with Chipotle-Chili Fresh Fruit Salsa
- Kalua Pork and Goat Cheese Won Tons with Mango Chili Sauce
- Terrine of Foie Gras, BBQ Eel, Potato Pineapple Compote, Vanilla Syrup and Spicy Micro Greens
- Lamb Shank Canneloni with a Poached Fig Demi-Glaze Double Cut Lamb Chop, Lavendar Honey Glazed Baby Carrots
- Chocolate Macadamia Nut Tart
I had the opportunity to take part in a high end food and wine dinner like this when I helped winemaker Carol Shelton, who had the Best in Class Zinfandel at the California State Fair – a Zinfandel with four gold medals – pour her Zinfandel and other favorite wines at the best Meet the Winemaker dinner I have ever attended. The dinner was at Susan and Drew Goss' Zinfandel restaurant in Chicago's River North area, near the Fonterra Grill and Spago. Without exception, the sold out (it sold out in under 3 hours, a record for the restaurant) 110 seat restaurant's diners enjoyed one of the best dining experiences of their lives. Many hundreds of bottles were opened and consumed (I helped Carol taste them all earlier that day and found all 5 TCA tainted corked bottles – unlucky me) and Susan Goss prepared a multi course menu around Carol's wines that amazed, delighted and thrilled everyone who attended the dinner.
This is going to be one of those kind of once in a lifetime dining experiences and Beverly's menu looks even more fantastic than Susan's menu. In addition to the incredible sit down mind blowing meal with Zinfandels poured to pair with each course, there will be 25 or so one of a kind Zinfandel themed live auction lots to bid on during the evening.
ZAP's Zinfandel Festival culminates Saturday with the epically huge Grand Zinfandel Tasting in both the Herbst and Festival pavilions at Fort Mason in San Francisco from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m., ZAP members get an hour start on the general public and can taste from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Over the years, ZAP's Zinfandel festival has grown, more than doubling in size. The number of Zinfandels poured couldn't be tasted by any one person, be they veteran wine reviewer or liver compromised bum.
Plastic lined garbage cans are provided throughout the festival and serve as giant wine spittoons. I hate spitting out perfectly good wine, but it is the only way to go as an attempt is made to taste as many Zinfandels as possible before my palate is completely blown out by the plethora of high alcohol hugely bodied monster Zinfandels.
I am thrilled to be attending this years Grand Zinfandel Tasting, and getting an early 10 a.m. start as part of the media tasting. I will have my red wine notebook and pen with me.
It almost goes without saying, but eat before, during and after the event, be safe, and consider public transportation.
DISCLOSURE: ZAP is covering my attendance to events with a press pass. I love this event and would have gushed about the event if I was paying out of pocket to attend. I will be writing a couple of articles after the event. One will focus on the events generally, the other will include tasting notes for Zinfandels tasted over the weekend. Full disclosure requires that I think Julie Ann Kodmur is an angel.


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Privacy policy as per article 13 of Italian Legislative Decree no. 196 of 30th June 2003
As per article 13 of Italian Legislative Decree no. 196 of 30th June 2003 regarding the protection of personal data treatment, Epipoli S.p.A., as owner of the treatment, supplies some information regarding the use of personal data.
All personal data regarding clients are acquired by Epipoli S.p.A. during the activation operations of the Gift Card and when the service is accepted and managed online or not, and are used with the sole purpose of fulfilling contract, accountancy and fiscal duties, activity programming and internal control services. The personal data may be treated in the following modalities: computer, telephone, telematic or postal.
To fulfill the necessary duties, these personal data may be transmitted to third parties with authorization to handle the data themselves, including by means of nomination as persons in charge of the treatment, as they provide or supply specific services strictly necessary to the execution of the contract, such as IT service companies, companies which provide payment services, approved companies, companies which provide printing, enveloping, transportation and sorting services of communication, outsourcing companies, consultants and self-employed professionals, all in accordance with the legal dispositions regarding the safety of personal data. An updated list of the persons in charge of the handling nominated by Epipoli S.p.A. is always available for consultation at the premises of Epipoli S.p.A.
The fulfillment of the required services may also take place through the supplying of these data to other owners. The data regarding the online payment of the purchased services shall be treated by Setefi S.p.A. - Gruppo Bancario Intesa San Paolo - as autonomous owner, in a safe and protected environment, and shall in no manner be acquired or processed by Epipoli S.p.A.
In addition, these data shall be supplied to organizations, authorities and third parties if thus required by law or if strictly necessary to provide the purchased service.
Supplying of the requested data, be they acquired as requested by the law or strictly necessary to execute the terms of the contract, is necessary and refusing to provide them results in the impossibility to provide the requested activities to activate the Gift Card and to provide the purchased service.
In any case, the use of clients' personal data for commercial and promotional purposes, market surveys, offers of services via e-mail or not, is subject to client's agreement. Failure to allow Epipoli S.p.A. to handle your personal data will prevent Epipoli S.p.A. from providing you with its services and commercial advantages. By clicking on the appropriate boxes, Clients may decide whether or not to allow Epipoli S.p.A. to use their personal data in activities aiming to improve the quality of the services offered and to introduce new services and promotions.
In accordance with article 7 of the Italian Legislative Degree no. 196 of 30th June 2003, Clients who own a Gift Card are entitled to request the following from Epipoli S.p.A., which shall be provided immediately: a) confirmation of the existence of personal data regarding the client and comprehensible communication of these same data and their origin and the logic on which their treatment is based; b) cancellation, anonymous transformation or blocking of data treated against the law; c) updating, correction or, when necessary, integration of information. Clients who own a Gift Card are also entitled to oppose, for legitimate reasons, to the handling of their personal data. The manager of the handling of personal data is Epipoli S.p.A., with legal headquarters at Viale Jenner, 64 - 20159 - Milan, Italy. The person in charge of the handling is the pro tempore Legal Representative, stationed at the headquarters of Epipoli S.p.A.


text:
Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich
Munich, Germany
Trigeminal neuralgia diagnosis (program ID: 274552)
Jörg-Christian Tonn
Department of Neurosurgery
Specialized in: neurosurgery
The Department of Neurosurgery at the University Hospital of Munich focuses on personalized treatment plans tailored to the patient's needs, which meet the highest medical and technical standards. The director of the department is Prof. Dr. med. Jörg-Christian Tonn. Here, the therapy of neurosurgical diseases is performed with the help of leading technologies. By means of a very close cooperation with neighbouring disciplines and an adaptation of the treatment plan to the individual health situation of the patient the department is able to ensure the best possible treatment.
The team of 9 physicians and 15 scientific experts of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University Hospital of Munich, headed by Prof. Dr. med. Jörg-Christian Tonn, is responsible for patient care. The department has 84 beds, of which 10 are for intensive care and 5 for the intermediate care station. The Department of Neurosurgery is a part of the Competence Center for gliomas of the German cancer charity.
The Department of Neurosurgery at the University Hospital of Munich, under the direction of Prof. Dr. med. Jörg-Christian Tonn, offers the following range of services:
- Surgery of cerebrovascular diseases
- Surgery of degenerative and traumatic changes in cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine
- Surgery of malformations of brain and spinal cord
- Surgical correction of skull malformations
- Surgery of intraspinal tumors
- Surgery of movement disorders
- Surgery of the peripheral nerves
- Treatment of chronic pain diseases
- Electric stimulation of main areas of pain and movement disorders (so-called "functional neurosurgery")
- Surgical and intensive acute care treatment of craniocerebral injuries
- Diagnosis of unclear brain processes by a stereotactic biopsy
- Spinal cord surgery
- Pediatric neurosurgery
- Wound healing disturbance
- Transnasal CSF leak repair
- Diagnosis and therapy of oncological diseases in children and adolescents
- Diagnosis and therapy of (congenital) neurological diseases
- Diagnosis and therapy of other congenital malformations, congenital disorders or perinatal acquired diseases
- Pediatric traumatology
- Intraoperative electrophysiology
- Diagnosis and therapy of other neurovascular diseases
- Diagnosis and therapy of seizure disorders
- Diagnosis and therapy of malignant brain diseases
- Diagnosis and therapy of benign brain tumors
- Diagnosis and therapy of diseases of the meninges
- Care of patients with neurostimulators for brain stimulation
- Diagnosis and therapy of extrapyramidal movement disorders
- Diagnosis and therapy of diseases of the nerves, nerve roots and plexus
- Neurological emergency and intensive care medicine
- Pain therapy
- Diagnosis and therapy of deformities of the spinal cord and back
- Diagnosis and therapy of spondylopathies
- Diagnosis and therapy of other diseases of the spinal cord and back
- Diagnosis and therapy of tumors of the musculoskeletal system
- Traumatology
Program includes:
- Initial presentation in the clinic
- clinical history taking
- review of medical records
- physical examination
- laboratory tests:
- complete blood count
- general urine analysis
- biochemical analysis of blood
- inflammation indicators (CRP, ESR)
- indicators blood coagulation
- neurological examination
- CT/MRI scan
- neuropsychological tests (on indications):
- ENMG (electroneuromyography)
- EEG (electroencephalography)
- SEPs (somatosensory evoked potentials)
- VEPs (visually evoked potentials)
- BAEP tests (brainstem auditory evoked potential)
- nursing services
- consultation of related specialists
- treatment by chief physician and all leading experts
- explanation of individual treatment plan
About hospital
Accommodation in hospital
Department of General Surgery, Traumatology and Reconstructive Surgery
- Munich, Germany
Total amount:
Program [Description]
Trigeminal neuralgia diagnosis
- Hospital: Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich
- Department: Department of Neurosurgery
- Head physician: Prof. Dr. med. Jörg-Christian Tonn
- Type:
- access_time Duration
- date_range
- Transfer
- Visa support
- Interpreter 3 hours
- Interpreter 10 hours
- Translation of medical documents 4 pages
- Insurance in case of extra expenses for the treatment of foreign patients


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Image: Grass tree doll- E030136 #1
Cone shaped charm or doll, named 'kamma', from Keppel Island. It was acquired by the museum in 1905 from Dr Walter Edmund Roth. The doll is made from the butt of a grass tree, 'Xanthorrhoea', which has chisel and cut marks over the surface, and is pinkish-brown in colour.
- Photographer:
- Finton Mahony
- Rights:
- © Australian Museum
Last Updated:


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Hot Spinach-Artichoke Dip
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
- 2 (13 3/4-ounce) cans artichoke hearts
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Heat the spinach in a microwave oven on high for 5 minutes and squeeze dry. Drain the artichoke hearts and coarsely chop in a food processor.
Combine all the ingredients except the jack cheese in a large bowl. Stir well. Scrape into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the jack cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Transfer to a chafing dish and keep warm over a low flame. Serve with bagel chips.
Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen
Pairs Well With
Rich, buttery white wine
- Find easy pairings for your favorite recipes, Bobby's perfect picks and party ideas.
Cooking Tips
More Recipes and Ideas
Almost-Famous Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen
Spinach-Artichoke Rollatini
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen
Spinach-Artichoke Soup
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen


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ATADF Crosses Critical Technical Indicator
In the case of Atac Resources Ltd., the RSI reading has hit 27.9 — by comparison, the universe of metals and mining stocks covered by Metals Channel currently has an average RSI of 44.5, the RSI of Spot Gold is at 30.8, and the RSI of Spot Silver is presently 31.7.
Click here to find out what 9 other oversold metals stocks you need to know about »
A bullish investor could look at ATADF's 27.9 reading as a sign that the recent heavy selling is in the process of exhausting itself, and begin to look for entry point opportunities on the buy side.
Looking at a chart of one year performance (below), ATADF's low point in its 52 week range is $0.89 per share, with $3.38 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $0.927. Atac Resources Ltd. shares are currently trading off about 4.3% on the day.


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Three Compelling UK Paid Search Findings from Q4 2012
Marin Software just released our latest online advertising trends report for Q4 2012 in the UK. As with previous quarters, we built this report using the Marin Global Online Advertising Index, which includes over $4.0 billion invested annually in biddable media by advertisers and agencies through the Marin platform. As we are freshly in the New Year, I just wanted share three of the key trends we identified in the UK:
1) Advertisers Investing More on Tablets than Smartphones
According to Ipsos Mori, 50% of adults in the UK own a smartphone while just 13% own a tablet. Yet despite this, we found that advertisers invested more on search ads targeted towards tablets in the fourth quarter. We identified that tablets accounted for 11% of UK search spend, compared to 6% for smartphones. Our findings indicate search ads on tablets have a higher conversion rate than smartphones and a lower cost-per-click (CPC) relative to desktop ads, making them an attractive investment. Prior to the fourth quarter of this year, investment in tablet advertising had lagged that of smartphones. If you are in need of best practices for managing smartphone or tablet campaigns, be sure to check out Gagan Kanwar's helpful video on this.
2) Clicks & Competition Increase Year Over Year (YoY) on Google
On a YoY basis for Google advertisers, we saw a 24% increase in click volume, a 14% increase in CPC, and a 10% decrease in click-through rate (CTR) during the fourth quarter. This suggests that despite more consumers turning to Google for their festive shopping, more advertisers are increasing their investment on Google PPC advertising as it continues to deliver results during the festive shopping period.
3) Advertisers & Consumers Increase YoY Yahoo & Bing Activity
For Yahoo and Bing advertisers, on a YoY basis, we saw a 25% jump in click volumes accompanied by a 22% increase in CPC and a 13% increase in click-through rate during the fourth quarter. This suggests that consumers increased their usage of Yahoo & Bing during the festive shopping period, whilst advertisers also increased their YoY investment in the combined platform throughout Q4. Interestingly, CTR also increased compared to Google where we saw a decrease in CTR. There could be a number of reasons for this. Despite advertisers increasing their investment in Yahoo & Bing, there might not be an increase in the actual number of advertisers competing for the increased number of clicks, rather the same advertisers boosting their investment. It could also be as a result of Marin's advertisers improving their keyword targeting or ad creative on the combined Yahoo & Bing platform.
All in all, Q4 2012 saw a large uplift in nearly all key PPC stats, with more consumers taking to search engines to find Christmas gifts, and advertisers investing more money in attracting those consumers via search engines. It will be interesting to see how quickly tablet penetration increases this year. Expect the percentage of search budget allocated towards targeting tablet users to increase alongside the adoption of tablet devices by consumers.
You can download the full Q4 Online Advertising Report for the UK here.


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Share Your Reflection

I so enjoyed hearing Adele Diamond's comments on how
I so enjoyed hearing Adele Diamond's comments on how children best learn. As one of those practioners on the front lines about whom she spoke at the end, I am heartened to hear a person championing what I believe in my bones and from working with my students at St. Paul's Central High School in Minnesota. All of the decisions that have been made to "reform" education in the last thirty years have been largely political and I am increasingly convinced that that is the biggest damage we have done to education. We need teachers at the table who work with students every day. If asked, we could have told the nation that No Child Left Behind would distort and damage our public schools for the very reasons implied by Diamond in this morning's interview. Learning has reverted to test and drill in an effort to pass students and save schools' reputations. Where is the fun in that? Where is the real learning? I would like you to build on what Diamond said today and create a show where we practicing educators could share our perspectives on the national debate. I can provide you a number of names.

Politicians have no motivation to "fix" education even if
Politicians have no motivation to "fix" education even if they had the expertise. It's the one of the things that it pays them to keep broken. The whole system has also become a factory model with owners vs. unions endlessly slugging it out. The difference happens in individual classrooms by brave dedicated teachers who persevere despite all the incentives to give up and give in.

Ms Tippett -
I enjoy your work and insights. Just
Ms Tippett -
I enjoy your work and insights. Just finished Einstein's God. Noted the light/dark references. See light-dark.info for my take on this metaphor.
Best Regards

 My husband and I were driving on Sunday as we
My husband and I were driving on Sunday as we listened to Krista Tippet speak to Adele Diamond about the Dhali Llama and the Mind-Life Project. We were excited because we had just returned home from Atlanta where we attended a conference with the Dhali Llama and a number of scholars from around the world who are studying areas such as the science of compassion. I was happy to hear Adele Diamond talk about her studies about educating children; she is one of the scholars from all over the world who are working with the Dhali Llama and his Mind Life Initiative.
My son David is earning his PHd in Buddhism from Emory University. Since he was in undergraduate school, we have heard about the Mind Life Project and the different people associated with it, so it was a thrill to finally see and hear what they are all talking about.
David is also in medical school at Cornell Weill School of Medicine, wants to be a psychiatrist, and is taking time to earn his Phd in Buddhism--he is hoping that the pairing of eastern and western medicine will yield new and better results for patients suffering from metal illness.
I am a Christian, but sometimes I feel like one of the three kings from the Orient in the New Testament who went searching wide and far for the new wisdom; I search for new answers to the old questions that confront us all today. Perhaps the Dhali Llama and those associated with the Mind Life project will help us with this search toward ultimate truth.

I just listened to this program on my local NPR affiliate
I just listened to this program on my local NPR affiliate and I wanted to say that this has given me some direction for my academic career now.
I'm a senior at Florida State University in religious studies - and realized that I didn't know where to go from there or what to do with myself, but after hearing about this method - a blend of mysticism, cognitive psychology and the ideas of play that the situationist theorists threw out into the popular mind during the 1960's, I've decided to try and go to grad school for education in the hopes that I may be able to use this method and work for change in the American education system.
Thank you for inspiring me to make a difference.

Wonderful thoughts.

Pratibha Reebye
University
Wonderful thoughts.
Pratibha Reebye
University of British Columbia

Oh nice, thanks
for share!

Oh nice, thanks
for share!

asassa


text:
Type your webpage content here.
Posted 2/25/13 (Mon)
Members of the Pollock Area Development Corporation (PADC) disputed several aspects of the recently completed Campbell County Housing Study that pertain to the Town of Pollock. The discussion took place during the PADC meeting held Tuesday, Feb. 19. Two of the main items of disagreement with the study pertained to the population projections and housing available for rent or sale.
Information in the housing study was based on the 2010 Census, the American Community Survey and the South Dakota State Data Center. Community Research Partners of Faribault, Minn., the firm which completed the housing study, used data from those sources, as well as their own research, to make projections and recommendations for Pollock, Herreid and Mound City.
(Editor's note. A story on the housing study was published in the Feb. 14 edition of the Prairie Pioneer. Copies of the housing study are available from CC Economic Development Coordinator Ralph Hanson and/or the PADC, the Herreid Economic Development Corporation or the Town of Mound City.)
At their meeting Tuesday, PADC members said that the population projections for Pollock did not accurately reflect what has taken place in the community since the 2010 Census. They noted that the DairiConcepts plant had went through a period early in the decade (approxiamtely 2001-2002) when they were partially shut down and/or operated at a minimum capacity. This resulted in some families leaving the community to seek employment elsewhere.
That situation has turned around, and the plant is back at normal production and is actually seeking additional full time employees.
"In 2010, we probably had less than five children under the age of six in Pollock," said PADC Secretary Delores Kluckman. "Today there are about 16 children under six in the Pollock community."
That has happened, in part, because of families with small children moving back to the community. Those changes were not included or reflected in the housing study.
The 2010 Census put Pollock's population at 241. In their report, Community Research Partners had projected a decrease of up to 35 people in Pollock by 2015. However, PADC members feel that the town is holding its own on population based on the families which have moved back in the past couple of years.
PADC members agreed that the other main area of disagreement with the housing study was the recommendation that seasonal homes should be used for rental housing. According to the 2010 Census, there are 49 homes in Pollock which are used for seasonal purposes. In the Census report, those 49 homes were considered as vacant.
However, PADC members pointed out that most, if not all, of the seasonal homes are used by their owners for a few or up to several weeks during the year, and that it would be impossible to rent those homes out for a long term agreement.
Kluckman said that she had visited with Steve Griesert, a partner in Community Partners Research, and discussed that issue. "After a lengthy conversation, he finally agreed that it's not possible to consider those seasonal homes as potential rental properties," she added.
Because those seasonal homes are not available for rental, Griesert acknowledged that Pollock could use some other, new rental units, Kluckman stated. Along with the recommendation based on the seasonal homes, Community Partners had also included a separate recommendation in the housing study that Pollock could use three to four market rate rental housing units.
One other concern with the study was the fact that it had not included city-owned lots that are available for development. Those lots are in an area east of the tennis courts on the north side of the community.
We're still here
PADC members expressed frustration that the housing study had painted a dismal picture for the future of Pollock, and one that is not accurate.
"PADC is working hard to ensure that Pollock remains an active, viable community," said PADC member Alvin Fjeldheim. "There is much potential for growth in this area."
One larger project proposed for Campbell County could have a major impact in the near future. Developers of the Campbell County Wind Farm, which is proposed for an area south and southeast of Pollock, continue to express confidence that the project will go forward.
Also, CC Economic Development Coordinator Ralph Hanson continues to get "feelers" from dairy operators in other states who are looking to expand or move their operations elsewhere. A new dairy operation would have the double benefit of providing jobs at the dairy and potentially supporting DairiConcepts with additional milk supply.
In addition to working on and supporting those two opportunities, PADC continues to support other new or existing businesses and, in some instances, also provides assistance in the form of direct loans and/or loan guarantees.
Anyone in the Pollock area is welcome to join the PADC. Dues are $20 per year, and the organization usually meets the third Tuesday of each month.


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