text:
Epiphany 6B
February 06, 2012
The Lectionary Gospel +
Mark 1:40-45
Author: Scott Hoezee
Comments and Observations
This is a short passage and a short Lectionary selection in most every way but it's ironic that the big event of the passage occupies less space than the aftermath. In the next section of these sermon starters we'll look at the aftermath but here we'll zero in on the brief exchange that gets this little story rolling.
In the Greek of Mark 1:41 Jesus' reply to this leper is wonderfully brief but powerfully revealing. Although in English we are forced to use a few more words, in Greek there are only two: Thelo. Katharistheti. The man said, "If you are willing," and Jesus snappily replies, "Willing!" The man said, "You can make me clean," and Jesus says "Cleansed!" And that's all it took for this miracle to happen.
It's a curious exchange in some ways. The man does not cry out for mercy the way some people do in the gospels. He does not directly ask Jesus to heal him. Indeed, his words to Jesus are neither plea nor question, neither imperative nor demand, but instead a simple conditional clause: If you are willing, you can heal. It's a simple statement of fact, an observation that could just as well have been spoken by some detached observer as by the person desperate for healing. It's similar to someone's saying, "If you step on the gas pedal, the car will go faster." Yes, true enough. A simple statement of "If . . . Then."
But, of course, in this case these words were spoken by a man with clear pleading in his voice and who was down on his knees in desperation even as he spoke so there was no missing the fact that this was no idle request or cool observation of facts. It reminds me of the time Johnny Carson had a small marmoset crawl up to the top of his scalp during one of the Tonight Show broadcasts. After the little critter had been up there for a little while Johnny said to the zoo official who had brought the animal, "OK, well, I guess you can remove him from there now if you want to." But the way Mr. Carson said it made it clear that this was not one option among many that he wanted to animal handler to consider—he wanted the marmoset out of his hair. Now!
"If you are willing . . ." We know what the leper meant—he was hoping like crazy that Jesus would be willing. Still, it's a curious way to frame the issue. Jesus' swift and brief response is also interesting as he essentially seems to give a version of the exuberant response, "Ready, Willing, and Able, Sir!" Yes, Jesus is willing. He's even eager. And he is surely able. If there is one thing the gospels make clear, it is that whenever someone approached Jesus for healing or cleansing or for most anything else, Jesus was indeed willing to extend his hand and bring some shalom back into chaotic and broken lives.
In fact, there is a sense in which all the goodness of the Gospel is contained in that little Greek word Jesus employed: Thelo! Willing! There's more grace tucked in there than we may at first appreciate. Yes, God is willing to heal, to save. That's why God sent his only Son into the world in the first place. Salvation is available. The resources are there. And God is willing—more than willing—to see the dream of our restoration realized.
That's good to know because on any given Sunday we preachers stand before lots of people in our congregations who have come to church wondering if God is willing to help them. Is God there for them or not? Is God on their side or not? Of course, we cannot promise anyone instant healing or instant success. Mark 1:40-45 shows us Jesus' willingness eagerly and happily to heal this leper. But as we all know, even though Jesus walked around his whole life long with that kind of willingness welling up within him, not everyone in Palestine was healed while Jesus was on the earth. Not every leper was cleansed, not every blind person could see again just because Jesus passed through a given town or village, not every person who died during Jesus' ministry got raised back up but only a few that we know of.
And we can no more know the whys and wherefores of all that in Jesus' day than we can know just why even yet today some prayers for healing in the church appear to get answered and others appear to go unanswered. Some cancer-stricken members of our congregations get better, others quickly die. Some rocky marriages get put back together and some end in bitter divorces that scar all kinds of people in the community, starting with children.
We know God is willing to heal and to restore but as when Jesus was here, for now that willingness does not automatically translate into a world shot through with nothing but shalom. These are mysteries of faith the depths of which the church has never finished plumbing even all these centuries later.
But what we can proclaim to everyone in our pews on a given Sunday morning—and what a passage like Mark 1 gives us opportunity to proclaim—is that God is willing, God is on our side, God is ready and available. Even when we cannot know the ins and outs as to why specific people suffer in specific ways that are not always cured or healed on the spot, what we can know and so proclaim is that none of that separates us from the love of our God in Christ and also that none of that means God is anything less than willing to keep on working toward the complete restoration of all things—a goal that he will surely accomplish through Christ and in Christ.
Mark 1 reminds us that when we look out over a congregation, we may well discern in the eyes of those staring up at us a question that trembles in the silence of all our hearts at one time or another: Willing? Is God willing? The good news of the gospel is to bring these people to the feet of Jesus whose compassion always conveys the same message: Willing! Willing indeed! And in God's good time, we will be healed.
Questions to Ponder/Issues to Address
As noted in the first section of these sermon starters, it's curious that the aftermath of the miracle takes up relatively more space here than the miracle itself, which takes place with great dispatch and is narrated in Mark's typically spare style with a great economy of words. Jesus speaks a scant two words to make the healing happen: Willing! Cleansed! But then he issues a stern warning to the man to keep this quiet and simply fulfill the letter of the Law to show himself as healed to the priests so that he could take up his proper place in the community. The man does not do so and Jesus is thus hindered in even getting around much due to the clamor that soon accompanies him as word of his wonder-working power "goes viral" as we say today.
It's curious, though, that Jesus asks that the man go to the priests. What's that all about? Why would Jesus care about such a thing? Well, perhaps this is a place where the reminders we get from N.T. Wright about Jesus' connection to Israel and to the Old Testament can help. Jesus did not come to abolish all that had come before. He himself said he had not come to end the Law and the Prophets—that is, essentially, the entire core of what we call the Old Testament—but to fulfill them. Jesus was God's Messiah and since he was himself God in the flesh, his return to Israel was the return of the King, long promised by Ezekiel and others.
Jesus had come to restore community where community had fractured, to restore a worshiping community for his Father. The leper had been ostracized, banned from worship and from the community generally. He could not properly worship God or serve God until he was restored to his people. Now, you might think that as the incarnate Son of the Living God Jesus so far out-stripped the priests in importance that he'd not bother to tell anyone to follow the letter of the Law and have some priests give a stamp of approval. Why could that possibly matter given what the Son of God had just done? But that's simply not the case. Community matters. Worship matters. Jesus did not come to create a following that was free-wheeling and full of Lone Ranger types. He came to restore fellowship, to restore a worshiping community. It mattered that this healed leper do things right.
There might be a lesson for us in both the fact that this was Jesus' wish and in the fact that he did not follow through. Because by doing what Jesus asked him not to do, people started latching on to Jesus for all the wrong reasons. They wanted to get something from him, wanted to see some razzle-dazzle, wanted to be entertained. But that was never the point nor the purpose of Jesus' ministry or life. He came to sacrifice himself finally to restore the very worshiping community of Israel—soon to include the entire world inside a New Israel—and people needed to stick with him for the long haul of his ministry (all the way to the cross) for that to become clear.
When we selfishly pursue our own agendas, when we are more interested in ourselves than in the larger worshiping community that Jesus cherishes, we actually mess things up, we get out ahead of our Master, which is not the disciple's role, of course. Maybe we can hardly blame this leper for his enthusiasm and in the longest possible run, nothing deterred Jesus' ministry trajectory, of course. Still, when even the Savior who saves us by grace tells us that it's still important also to follow the Law, we do well to listen.
Textual Points
Mark's description of Jesus' going to "lonely" places in verse 45 invokes the same Greek word (here in adjective form) as was used in Mark 1:12 for "the wilderness/desert." The Greek is eremos, and this isn't the only place in Mark where there seems to be a theological wordplay going on as Mark contrasts "lonely" and deserted wastelands with the sudden appearance of abundance. In Mark 6:39 at the Feeding of the 5,000, Mark startles us readers when he describes how Jesus had the crowds be seated "on the GREEN grass." Readers familiar with the N.T. know how seldom colors are included. So why would Mark make a point of saying the grass was green (an obvious point in any event)? Perhaps it's because earlier in that same story Mark had again told us more than once that they were in an eremos place. But even in deserted wastelands of death, Jesus becomes a font of life. So also at the end of Mark 1: Jesus goes out to lonely and deserted places, the people follow him anyway, and life busts out all over even there.
Illustration Idea
Nothing succeeds in America like success, they say. We like winners and brush aside losers. Let me throw out some names for you: Alfred Landon, James Cox, John Davis, Charles Hughes, Alton Parker. Sound familiar? Probably not. Yet every one of them was so important and well thought of that at some point in the twentieth century each was a nominee for President of the United States. Millions voted for them, for a while their names were plastered all over the place. But then each one lost, of course, and in America, that's that.
We are a people in love with power and success, and this surely is one area among many that the gospel needs to address in our particular cultural context. Not unlike the people in Jesus' own day, we are swift to seize on anything that looks powerful and dazzling. The bigger the congregation, the more faithful we assume. We equate success, as the world defines it, with the work of the Holy Spirit because we can scarcely wrap our minds around the possibility that there could ever be an outwardly "successful" church that might actually work against the fundamentals of the gospel. "They must be doing something right," we say to each other about successful restaurants, enterprising entrepreneurs, and also church leaders who sell millions of books and draw large throngs of people.
And sometimes they are doing something right in the best sense. There are lots of people who are both faithful to Christ and who are successful in generating enthusiasm for the gospel through books that sell well, congregations that attract many members, and so on. Still, Jesus' desire to keep things quiet in Mark's gospel—quiet enough so that people could follow him all the way to the cross–reminds us that whether or not we prove to be wildly popular, it is always a quiet and careful and humble apprehension of the gospel that is key. Jesus' own example of humble servanthood comes as a critique of our own overweening tendency to be enamored with all that is glitzy and eye-popping. We should be wary if the Jesus we worship fits too snugly into any cultural context on this earth.
We could better be a little less successful, a little more quiet and "secretive" if that's what it takes to draw people down that long road of discipleship that eventually encounters a terrible cross. The apostle Paul eventually delighted to declare, "I have been crucified with Christ!" So it must be for us all. We need to be crucified with Christ. We must die to self, die to our desires for worldly success, die to our American identity, die to ego and pride, die to anything that hinders Jesus from instructing us in the full truth of his gospel. "I am the way," Jesus once said. "Nothing succeeds like success," we often say. In each of our lives, we must choose which of those sayings we want to adopt as our own.
Old Testament Lectionary +
2 Kings 5:1-14
Author: Scott Hoezee
Comments, Observations, and Questions to Consider
Martin Luther King, Jr., once preached a sermon on this text from II Kings 5, and I'm grateful to Richard Lischer for calling attention to it in a lecture he gave while working on his book The Preacher King. In the classic style of preaching that Dr. King so well embodied, he picked up on one part of this text and used it as a broader lesson for all of us to learn. The sermon was titled "Great . . . But" and was punctuated by the refrain "Now Naaman was a great man . . . but he was a leper." From there the sermon pondered what constitutes true greatness and the ways by which it is so often true that short of having a right relationship with God, it can be said of any one of us that we may be great in the eyes of the world, we may be great in the eyes of society, we may be great in the world of commerce, or we may be great in amassing worldly power to ourselves . . . but there will always be co-existing with that greatness something to pull us down, something to make our greatness just less than so great after all.
Indeed, this whole story is fraught with tensions between who's really powerful and who is not. Naaman is a great man but he can do nothing without the help of a lowly servant girl. This was a girl who was doubly or triply disadvantaged in that she is but a girl, she is a slave, and she is in a foreign land to which she had been carried off as some of the spoils of war. To say she has no status is to say not just the merely obvious but the incredibly obvious. Yet when this lowly one sees her master suffering from the cruel torments of leprosy, instead of sniffing the air with a sense of satisfaction that this man who had captured and enslaved her was getting his just deserts, she actually reaches out to him and recommends someone who can help him and probably heal him.
Naaman then goes to his king who in turn writes a letter to Israel's king based on the apparently mistaken idea that either Israel's king could himself effect this healing (or he at the very least would surely know who could do so). But when Israel's king gets the letter, he proves to be as spiritually clueless as Ahab and other recent monarchs had been and so has no idea to whom the letter might be referring and so becomes convinced it's a trick designed to get him in Dutch with the king of Aram. The king of Israel was a great man but he did not know the Lord or who was really who in God's grand pecking order. He did not know, as Elisha will say, "that there is a prophet in Israel," that God was on the loose, that there was a power active in Israel that no political might or social prestige could hold a candle to. When the king throws his little hissy-fit over all this, Elisha takes over and has Naaman come to the house of the true prophet in Israel.
I like to picture Elisha living in the Ancient Near Eastern equivalent of a run-down looking mobile home out in some overgrown field somewhere. Today you would not expect the presidential motorcade to come roaring up to such a trailer in the middle of nowhere replete with police motorcycles, flashers flashing, sirens blaring, Secret Service cars, and the presidential black limo itself. But that's kind of what we see in II Kings 5: Elisha lives in a hovel in front of which suddenly roars up Naaman's whole entourage of horses and chariots and what-all-not. Probably he had some trumpeter herald his arrival even as servants unrolled a strip of red carpet for Naaman to walk on after regally disembarking from his chariot.
But then—just to keep this interplay between the lofty and the lowly going a bit more—we are told that Elisha just sends a messenger to tell Naaman what to do. The trumpet blares to announce the great man's arrival, he walks to Elisha's front door on the red carpet, but then . . . the door opens a crack and some lowlife servant peers out over top of the door's security chain to tell Naaman to go to the river to wash seven times. And no sooner does the mealy-mouthed little servant say this and he quickly re-closes the door.
Naaman is furious! What an insult! What a slight! This guy is a five-star general. He is the one who is supposed to send intermediaries to people on the lower rungs of the social ladder. The folks down there are not supposed to send him second-tier messengers and servants. Naaman wanted Elisha himself to come out and do a little song-and-dance routine, recite an incantation or two, make a big show of it all. But instead Naaman gets dismissed from the premises without even seeing the prophet in person and is told to do the unlikely-to-be-helpful thing of taking a bath in a muddy river. Naaman could feel the multiple infections setting in already once that mucky Israelite river water seeped around his open sores.
Now Naaman was a great man but he is still hung up on his own pitiful and pathetic power and prestige. He is at the mercy of Almighty God for his healing and God works through the lowly of the earth but Naaman has not yet got that figured out.
So Naaman stalks off in a huff only to once again be brought back to reality by a lowly servant who points out that had Elisha told Naaman whistle a tune while eating soda crackers or some other gimmicky thing, then Naaman surely would have done it had healing been the reward for the stunt. So what's the big deal about taking a sevenfold dip in a river?! The servant got through to Naaman who stops off at the Jordan River after all. But I still imagine that Naaman griped and muttered his way in and out of the river seven times with dark musings along the lines of "This won't work. This can't work. This is stupid," passing his pouting and pursed lips.
But, of course, it does work and so in the end it's the words of the lowly that help Naaman, not the words of the high and mighty (himself included because had it been up to him, he would have ridden clear back to Damascus in a snit). By the time Naaman arrives back at Elisha's place, the prophet is sitting on a rocker on the front porch looking rather wistful. Naaman is a changed man. The leprosy is gone, but so is the attitude.
At the end of verse 14 we are told that Naaman's skin got restored to the skin of "a young boy." Probably it was similar to the skin of the young servant girl who had sent him to Elisha in the first place. It's a picture of conversion in its own way, of restoration not only of body but of soul and of heart. But it's also a reminder that we never know just how or why God is going to do what he does. Why does this foreign general—who works for a nation that is Israel's enemy and that will soon besiege Israel yet again (cf. II Kings 6-7)—why does he warrant all this attention and this great healing too? We don't know and we're not told. But it is a reminder that God is often at work among people and in ways we don't at first suspect: lowly servants and simple acts like taking a dip in a dirty river can sometimes lead to surprising outbreaks of God's power. Indeed, God's power can break through to us from such surprising quarters sometimes that our whole world gets upended in the process and we see people—and ourselves—in a whole new way.
Jesus once said, "Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." Naaman was long gone, dead, and buried by the time Jesus uttered those words. But you get the sense that if he heard such sentiments from Jesus, Naaman would know exactly what the Lord was talking about.
Illustration Idea
In our North American society, image is everything, money talks, power rules, and so most people don't bat an eye over advertisements for cars, clothing, and BBQ grills that promise that this is the product that will help you reach the next level. A recent ad for the Range Rover SUV simply says, "Higher Ground." That's all it needs to say because the presumption is that what life is all about is power, is climbing higher, reaching that next level of sophistication and elegance.
Most people, if they are honest, admit that they like power, they like influence, they like perks. According to Robert Caro, in the mid-twentieth century, the United States Senate was a haven for power-hungry men in love with prestige. Senator Carl Hayden of Arizona was known to enter the Senate cafeteria and lay his cane on whatever table he chose to sit at for lunch. Often that chosen table would already have a clutch of secretaries or Senate staffers sitting there eating, but everyone knew that if Hayden laid his cane on your table, you had all better be gone by the time he returned with his lunch a few minutes later.
Most Senators also insisted that when they wanted the elevator in the Senate Office Building, they wanted that elevator immediately! To let elevator operators know that it was a Senator waiting, the Senator would buzz the elevator's call button three times. When that signal was heard, the operator was to skip all other stops (even if others already in the elevator needed a certain floor) and pick up the waiting Senator without delay. Once when Senator McCarran of Nevada heard the car pass him by after he had rung three times, he turned on his heel, stomped back to his office, called the Sergeant-at-Arms, and ordered the hapless young elevator operator fired on the spot (which he was).
Society tells us that this is what true greatness is all about. But is it?
The Lectionary Psalms +
Psalm 30
Author: Doug Bratt
Comments, Observations, and Questions to Consider
Psalm 30's superscriptions claims that it's a song for the dedication of the temple. Yet its relevance seems even greater than that. After all, it appears to be a song of thanksgiving to God for deliverance from a perilous situation. It doesn't require much imagination to deduce that God has rescued the psalmist from some type of life-threatening illness or other dangerous circumstance. In that way Psalm 30's language is reminiscent of that of Psalm 130's poet, Jonah and Jesus.
Those who wish to preach or teach this psalm may want to ask themselves who might be able to sing this psalm. Is it a child in whose life her classmates have intervened to rescue her from a bully? Is it an infertile married couple whom God has empowered to conceive and bear a child? Is it a grandparent whose cancer God has managed or cured through chemotherapy? In fact, those who preach or teach Psalm 30 may want to relate the story of someone they know or about whom they know who could sing this psalm.
The tone of this psalm is one of praise. Commitments to praise and thank God frame it. Yet as James Mayes notes, it's both a prayer that is completely praise and praise that arises out of God's answer to prayer. The psalmist praises God for God's deliverance of her. Yet she also recognizes that that deliverance arises out of God's "yes" to her prayers for it.
The praise that arises out of such deliverance has a communal dimension. This psalmist doesn't want to be a soloist. She longs for God's saints to join her in a full-throated song of praise. Good news such as the psalmist shares in Psalm 30 can be a powerful invitation to others to join in praising God's holy name.
However, the psalmist's remembers that his dire circumstance was once a threat to that praise. Had God not delivered him, he would be unable to fulfill his vow to praise the Lord. Silence rather than praise would then reign. The "dust" (9), after all, is unable to praise the Lord or proclaim God's faithfulness.
Yet Psalm 30's author insists that there's more at stake in her healing than just praise to the Lord. Her demise might have led her enemies to gloat over her, much like a warrior might gloat over a fallen enemy or a football player might gloat over someone he tackled.
Psalm 30 is full of "lowness" imagery. It speaks of the depths, the grave, the pit and the dust. At the same time, however, the psalmist fills it with rescue imagery. He describes being lifted out of the depths, healed, brought up from the grave and spared from going down into the pit. In that way the psalm reflects a wide array of human circumstances and emotions, as well as God's actions. This makes this psalm one that nearly everyone has sung, can sing or will sing at one point or another.
Psalm 30 is replete with contrasting pairs. The "negatives" reflect the psalmist's enemies' desire for her harm. Its "positives" reflect both the psalmist's own rescue by God and the shalom for which God longs for God's sons, daughters and whole creation. So, for example, while the psalmist exalts the Lord, her enemies wish to exalt in her destruction. God's anger lasts only for a moment, but God's favor lasts for a lifetime.
While weeping may remain for a night, rejoicing comes in the morning. When God favored the psalmist, God made her stand firm. Yet when God hid God's face, the psalmist was dismayed. God turned the psalmist's wailing into dancing and replaced her sackcloth with "clothes" of joy.
Among the most striking features of Psalm 30 is its blunt honesty with God. In the context of a North American church that sometimes seems afraid to be honest with God about disappointment or doubt, the psalmist is very candid. So those who preach and teach this psalm may want to use it to help people explore how we can be more honest with God about our plight. The stifling of such honesty can, after all, be very unhealthy.
In contrast to at least some modern church language, the psalmist talks about the depths, grave and pit. She's very candid about enemies who long to revel in her destruction. She's even bold enough to ask the Lord what good it would do anyone if she died. The psalmist adds language about weeping, wailing and sackcloth.
Yet she's also very honest about her arrogance. In verse 6 she tells God that she once felt that nothing could "shake" her. She assumed that she'd somehow made herself "secure." Yet the psalmist remembers how God's hiding of God's face shattered that illusion. When, after all, God hid God's face, the psalmist was dismayed.
However, the psalmist is also very confident in God's power to transform the difficult situations of even arrogant people. God, after all, lifted him out of the depths and healed him. God brought him up from the grave and spared him from going down into the pit. God turned the psalmist's wailing into dancing, stripping off his grief and replacing it with joy.
The contrast the psalmist cites between God's momentary anger and lifelong favor is reminiscent of the second commandment. There God insists that God punishes the children for the sins of their parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate the Lord. Yet God shows love to thousand generations of those who love the Lord and keep God's commandments.
Biblical scholars note that "remaining for a night" (5) is lodging imagery. So it's as if the psalmist suggests that weeping is like an uninvited guest who comes into the home that is our life for a night. It may make for a long night, just as God's anger sometimes seems to last through our "nights." Yet rejoicing comes in the morning, expelling the unwanted weeping and making its lasting home with God's favor in God's children's lives.
As Mayes also notes, this psalmist makes a rather bold link between her experiences and God's sovereignty. She, after all, attributes her once-prosperous life to God's royal pleasure (7a). Her dismay is a result of God's hiding of God's face from her. Her restoration is a result of God's transforming her situation (11).
As Mayes notes, such a direct linkage between the course of one's life and God's sovereignty can be dangerous. However, it serves as a good corrective to 21st century assumptions about human autonomy. We naturally think of ourselves as "mountains" that little can shake. Psalm 30 reminds us that our true help and security is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
At the same time, however, many of our contemporaries also think of themselves as completely at the mercy of enemies such as economic upheaval, environmental degradation, catastrophic illness and terrorism. While they may think of themselves as largely helpless against such onslaughts, Psalm 30 reminds us that God is sovereign and that God longs for the complete restoration of all things.
Illustration Idea
In verse 4 the psalmist follows her vow to "exalt the Lord" with a call to God's saints to join her in singing to the Lord and praising God's holy name. In that way God's sons and daughters can be a bit like mockingbirds.
After all, mockingbirds have their own beautiful song. However, they're also famous mimics. Their repertoire can include over forty different songs, including the barking of a dog. Some ornithologists claim mockingbirds even mimic things like squeaky gates, pianos and sirens.
When Christians praise God for God's work of rescue and redemption, we provide an appropriate song for the "mockingbirds" that are other believers to mimic.


text:
Get the NSA's attention
Seems all the rage is to put yourself on the radar with the NSA and CIA. E-mailer Rick has offered some catchy phrases to aid us all.
When you are speaking on the phone, you should frequently use one or more of the following sentences.
"I think the NSA is awesome."
"I just reread 1984-it actually has a lot of good ideas."
"There is no such thing as a "bad" drone."
"Sure am glad I never talk to any foreigners."
"I wouldn't know the first thing about making ricin."
"The Fourth Amendment is overrated."
"If you ask me, Guantanamo is full of nothing but complainers."
"I'm pretty sure my neighbor is cheating on his taxes."
And finally, what e-mailer Ray says is the quote of the decade... you can decide for youself.
"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America 's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America 's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, "the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better." ~
Senator Barack H. Obama, March 2006

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Agnew Clan
- Crest: An eagle issuant and reguardant Proper
- Badge
- Gaelic Name: MacGniomh
- Motto: Consilio non impetu (By wisdom not by force)
- Origin of Tartan: 01/01/1976
- Name Variations:
- Lands Dumfries and Galloway
- Seat: Lochnaw Castle (16th Century tower house five miles from the town of Stranraer, in Leswalt, Rhinns, Wigtownshire, Dumfries and Galloway.)
- Clan Chief: Major Sir Crispin Hamlyn Agnew of Lochnaw, 11th Baronet QC (Born 13 May 1944)
Origins of the name
"The name Agnew is said to be of French origin from the Barony d'Agneaux, Normandy although this has been recently disputed because the English would not translate directly to Agnew. Instead it has been claimed that the Agnews were one of the original Ulster tribes of the same stock as Somerled. Certainly many Agnews are to found in Ireland but in the 12th century it is recorded that Sir John de Courcy the conqueror of the province of Ulster was accompanied by Agneau, an Anglo-Norman knight who acquired extensive lands in Antrim. Hence it would seem that some Agnews came from Normandy to England, then to Ireland and back to Scotland. The first on record was in 1190 when William des Aigneu winessed a charter between Ranulf de Soulis and Jedburgh Abbey. In 1363 the Agnews of Lochnaw were appointed hereditary sheriffs of Galloway by David II and became to be great land owners in the province under the Douglases. In 1426 Andrew Agnew was appointed Constable of Lochnaw Castle. Patrick Agnew, his great grandson lived during the reigns of Queen Mary and James VI. Sir Patrick was 7th Sheriff of Wigton and was created a baronet of Nova Scotia by Charles I. His descendant, Sir Andrew Agnew was the famous Lieutenant who defended Blair Castle, the seat of the Duke of Atholl. A branch of the family went to Ulster and obtained the lands of Larne and the Castle of Kilwaughter from James VI. Many Agnews went back to Ireland at the time of the Plantations around 1600 and thus there are some of the Agnews who are both ardent Catholics and Protestants. The present chief of the name and family of Agnew is Major Sir Crispin Hamlyn Agnew of Lochnaw, 11th Baronet who is the appointed Rothesay Herald at the Court of the Lord Lyon King of Arms. Lochnaw Castle the 15th century family keep near Stranraer was bought by an Australian Miss Del Agnew in the 1950's and is now run for the trust. She descends from Sir James Wilson Agnew who went to Tasmania about 1840 and later became the President.
From http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/atoc/agnew2.html
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text:
Orange County again urged to create ethics panel
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — For the second time, a grand jury is calling on Orange County to create an ethics commission to investigate wrongdoing by elected officials and others in government.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the panel's report urges county supervisors to put the matter before voters in the next general election.
In 2013, the grand jury described Orange County as a "hotbed of corruption." At the time supervisors dismissed the jury's work as unfair, inaccurate and sensational.
This time, the newspaper says, leadership is leaning in the direction of reform. Supervisors are pushing for legislation that would allow the state's Fair Political Practices Commission to investigate and enforce campaign finance laws in the county.
The jury report says corruption needs to be monitored at a local level, not from Sacramento.
(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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Subject area: Hypnotherapy / Hypnosis Bachelor, Master, Doctorate
Awarding body: Calamus International University. For further details of CIU please see the about page.
Status of course: The degrees are non-UK qualifications. For status of CIU please see the status page. CIU is accredited by the International Association for Distance Learning.
Entry requirements:
B.A. - by accelerated entry - approx. 50% credit from previous
studies and/or experience needed for entry.
M.A. - a suitable bachelor's degree or professional qualifications are normally required.
Doctorate - A Bachelor's degree (and preferably a Master's) will normally be required.
For all levels - an acceptable professional qualification in hypnotherapy/ clinical hypnosis will be required.
Method of study: Distance learning (taught course units are textbook-based). Textbooks are not included in tuition fees.
Start date: Any time of year (subject to availability)
Duration: The standard period of registration for an accelerated (advanced-entry) Bachelor's degree, a Master's degree or a Doctorate is a maximum of 18 months, after which registration lapses unless continuing registration fees are paid. This plan ensures that students can (a) complete as soon as academic requirements are fulfilled and (b) do not have to pay for long compulsory registration periods of several years before the final requirements can be met. In some cases, where the student needs to meet additional requirements, the agreed initial registration period will be up to 24 months.
This brochure should be read together with the Calamus general prospectus (catalogue) and Course Unit List. Calamus International University degrees are not UK degrees and do not have government accreditation.
Hypnotherapy / Hypnosis Studies
Degree programmes specifically for hypnotherapists, including doctorates, have been offered for decades by a number of American schools, mostly linked to particular hypnotherapy associations, and these courses have inspired the Calamus International University hypnotherapy degree programmes. Amongst these colleges, the tradition of awarding a Doctor of Clinical Hypnotherapy (D.C.H.) degree has evolved. In recent years a number of American hypnotherapy degree schools have closed and CIU is now receiving more enquiries from hypnotherapists.
Courses for Qualified Hypnotherapists or beginners
Calamus International University hypnotherapy degrees are not in themselves trainings in hypnotherapy but are qualifications for qualified hypnotherapists designed to increase their academic knowledge, spectrum of techniques and specialisation in specific approaches. Most students will already have a professional certification (certificate or diploma) in hypnotherapy or clinical hypnosis. Depending on your other education and level of study, your professional qualification might be eligible for credit towards the CIU degree. If you do not have any qualification in hypnotherapy, you will be expected to join a professional training course and complete it before the degree is awarded. Your training course can then be credited towards the CIU degree but additional CIU courses must be taken. Professional training courses are not provided by CIU but we can suggest suitable courses either classroom-based or distance learning.
At each level (Bachelor/ Master/ Doctorate), a customised syllabus will be arranged, since students come from varied backgrounds and with varied strengths in hypnotherapeutic practice and knowledge of different approaches. Taught courses are normally textbook-based and most well-known hypnotherapy textbooks can be used as the core texts of course units. CIU already has available lesson plans for many popular texts, with various others in preparation. Course units on a range of classic texts are also available, for those interested in the work of renowned hypnotherapists of the past such as Elman and Erickson, whose works are still studied today. Students may also choose some electives (optional courses) from our ranges in complementary health, counselling, NLP, psychology, personal development and spirituality. The exact syllabus is decided after enrolment.
The distance learning degrees available for hypnotherapists are:
Bachelor of Arts in Hypnotherapy (or in Counselling Psychology or other major if preferred)
Master of Arts in Hypnotherapy (other majors possible)
Doctor of Clinical Hypnotherapy
Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology) in Hypnotherapy and Counselling
Ph.D. in Hypnotherapy by research and dissertation plus either credit from approved previous studies or a selection of taught CIU units.
Ph.D. in Professional Hypnosis
The accelerated BA requires 120 credits (semester hours), and approx. 50% of this can be transferred from previous education/training, professional qualifications and experience, with the degree completed by taking 15 to 20 x 3-credit CIU units or equivalent. If you would like advice on whether you have enough credit, please send your curriculum vitae or resume in confidence to firstname.lastname@example.com
The MA requires 45 credits or typically 15 x 3-credit units including a dissertation or 48 credits without dissertation.
The Psy.D. requires at least 60 credits post-Masters or typically 20 x 3-credit units, with transfer credit given for some professional qualifications, etc. An optional project can be worth up to 9 credits. Without a dissertation the credit requirement is 70 credits.
The Doctor of Clinical Hypnotherapy (D.C.H.) works in a similar way to a taught Master's degree but requires 60 credits post-Masters or typically 20 x 3-credit units, with transfer credit given for some professional qualifications, etc. It requires 60 credits post-Masters or typically 20 x 3-credit units, with transfer credit given for some professional qualifications, etc. An optional project can be worth up to 9 credits. Without a project/dissertation the credit requirement is 70 credits.
The Ph.D. in Hypnotherapy is mainly by research and dissertation. To meet the minimum 60-credit requirement for this doctorate, 20 x 3-credit units will typically be taken, with transfer credit given for some professional qualifications, CEUs, etc. Credit may also be gained for ongoing clinical practice, teaching/training, etc.
One credit is nominally equivalent to one semester hour as in the typical American degree programme. The average course unit taken with CIU has a value of 3 credits or 3 semester hours.
The Ph.D. in Professional Hypnosis is offered either as an alternative title for the Doctor of Clinical Hypnotherapy programme, or for people who already have a D.C.H., as a shorter conversion course that will enable them to gain the Ph.D. degree. Length of study and requirements will depend on the previous qualifications of the applicant.
In addition, for people who already have a Doctor of Clinical Hypnotherapy, a Ph.D. or another acceptable doctorate, there are two post-doctoral qualifications which are:
Doctor of Analytical Hypnotherapy (D.A.H.)
Doctor of Transpersonal Hypnosis (D.T.H.)
These post-doctoral courses can only be taken by qualified and experienced hypnotherapists. For exact credit requirements and route to the post-doctoral qualifications please contact us with your CV or résumé.
Admission direct to MA and Dual registration for MA/DCH
If you have sound professional qualifications accredited by a major body, we can consider you for direct entry to the MA programme without a Bachelor's degree.
Many people without a Bachelor's degree are put off aiming for a Doctorate such as a Doctor of Clinical Hypnotherapy because of the time they think the total study will take. CIU offers various options that can allow you to achieve your Doctorate more quickly. For example, we can enrol you directly into a joint MA/DCH programme without a Bachelor's degree, as long as we are satisfied with your professional qualifications and academic ability. For joint MA/DCH students, certain portions of the degrees may overlap, and this together with credit from university-level trainings or Board-approved CEUs, and credit from ongoing clinical practice, supervision and/or teaching, can speed up your progress to the doctorate.
Another possibility, if you have professional qualifications (e.g. nursing, licensed or accredited counsellor, social worker, minister of religion, plus hypnotherapy qualification accredited by a major hypnotherapy body) is that we can consider you for direct entry to a Doctorate such as the DCH. .
Professional Qualifications
Calamus International University hypnotherapy degrees are meant as additional education for qualified and practising hypnotherapists, rather than being qualifications in themselves to practise hypnotherapy. If you wish to practise professionally, you will need to have whatever level of professional training that is acceptable in your country or state. However, such professional qualifications can be taken into account for credit purposes towards a Calamus degree. If you are starting from scratch, you can start your training with a professional hypnotherapy school at the same time as you start your Calamus degree, or some time later after first taking some Calamus theory courses. We can advise degree students on possible classroom trainings in the UK, US and Canada, and also about distance learning hypnotherapy qualifications.
In the UK, you can look at the websites of the following major professional bodies which will list hypnotherapy training schools:
The Hypnotherapy Society www.hypnotherapysociety.com
The National Council for Hypnotherapy www.hypnotherapists.org.uk
UKCHO www.ukcho.co.uk
The General Hypnotherapy Standards Council http://www.ghsc.co.uk/
Although classroom-based hypnotherapy trainings are generally preferred in the UK, if a student is unable to attend a live training, we can suggest various distance learning hypnotherapy courses leading to a professional certificate or diploma.
Director of Studies
The Calamus director of studies for Hypnotherapy is:
Morris Berg, BSc (Hons) Psychol., M.A., Psy.D., Ph.D. (USA) (Hypnotherapy), D.C.H., D.T.H., Dip.THP, D.H.P., Dip. Clin. Hyp., A.D.C.H., C.Ht., Cert. Counselling, Accredited Past Life Healer, Accredited Hypnotherapy Supervisor, NESTA-Certified® Sports Hypnotist, Diploma in Medical Hypnotherapy, Master Practitioner of NLP (USA), Master Practitioner of NLP (UK), Dip. NLP Life Coaching, Diploma in Life Coaching, Reiki Master, Emotional Freedom Techniques Practitioner and Tutor, Member &/or Fellow of various professional bodies in UK and USA.
Information included in compliance with the Working Group for Hypnotherapy Regulation, UK: Morris Berg is not a medical doctor. His Bachelor's degree in Psychology is from the University of East London, UK, and his higher degrees are from several non-UK universities.
Further advice
This brochure cannot cover everything, and further advice is available on enquiry. For best advice, please send us a copy of your curriculum vitae or resume with details of all relevant trainings you have done.
To see our prospectus and course unit list, and also to download an application form, please go to our downloads page
To see our tuition fees on-line please go to our tuition fees page
Calamus International University which awards the degrees is not a UK or US university - for status details click here.
If you have any queries please contact us, preferably by email on email@example.com
Updated 22 April 2011
Home | about | news | contact | status | catalogue | course brochures | downloads | certificates | degrees | award levels | honorary awards | faculty | classes | affiliate centres | fees | FAQs | apply | Apostille | images | Calamus project | resources | link portal | E-learning products | terms | privacy | site map | mailing list
Copyright © 2011 Calamus Extension College Ltd. - All rights reserved.


text:
Ian Illig and Colton Wiggins know their way around area golf courses.
Both 18-year-olds claimed club championships Sunday, and neither tournament was particularly close.
Illig, of Homer City, rode a dominating first round to the Chestnut Ridge Golf Course title, finishing at 135 to win by 12 strokes. Wiggins, of Indiana, won the Meadow Lane championship, at 142, 10 strokes ahead of his closest competitors.
"It's a fight every year and we have fun," Wiggins said. "Sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn't. For the other guys today, I guess it didn't go their way. I was just feeling it. There's nothing you can do about it, that's just golf."
Wiggins won his third championship at Meadow Lane. Illig's win was his first, in just his second try, at the Blairsville course.
"I played in some other tournaments, but this is really the last tournament I get to play in before I leave for school," said Illig, a 2013 Homer-Center High School graduate who will attend Campbell University in North Carolina, "so I really wanted to go out with a bang where I felt like I had accomplished this summer in golf. It was pretty much the last thing this summer I really wanted to win."
Illig shot a 7-under-par 64 in the first round Saturday, giving him plenty of breathing room Sunday in the final round.
"I didn't really do anything spectacular, but I hit a lot of really good approach shots," he said of his first round. "I hit 17 of 18 greens. … I was on the green and having putts for birdie on almost every hole, and I made a couple good ones, a couple long ones."
Illig fired an even-par 71 on Sunday, which was more than enough for the championship. Chris Matava took second at 147, and Mike Dixson and Shawn McMillan tied for third at 153.
"I didn't want to have my mindset as going out there trying not to screw it up," Illig said. "I wanted to go out there and think I was on a clean slate with everybody else and play. That way I don't start thinking about a number and start messing it up."
Wiggins fired an even-par 70, with a 3-under 32 on the front nine Sunday, including an eagle on the par-4 No. 3. He opened the round a stroke behind Ray Blystone.
"I felt pretty comfortable coming into today," Wiggins said. "I just played the same golf I've always played.
"The front nine really got the round started, and I didn't have to do too much on the back nine. Luckily, they didn't do anything fantastic, or I didn't have to match anything."
Rick Adair, Kevin Jack and Rick Moorhead tied for second at 152. Blystone shot an 84 to finish sixth.
"It seems like we have a pretty elite championship flight," Wiggins said. "There are eight other guys this year and they're all great golfers. We can all play great. I'm just playing the best I can, and that was enough against these guys. That's always great. Win or lose, it's always fun playing against the same group of guys, because we all get along."
Wiggins, who will be a sophomore at IUP this fall, will try again next week to add to his title haul in the Indian Springs Golf and Country Club championship. The last person to hold the title at Meadow Lane and the VFW course at the same time was Colton's grandfather, Walt Wiggins.
"It's always nice to get the first one out of the way, then maybe try for another one," Colton Wiggins said. "That would be nice, too."
Kathy Glassford pulled away for her second straight and third overall ladies' championship at Meadow Lane. She began the day a stroke behind Vicky Nastase and one ahead of Kathy Whitesel, then shot an 87 to finish at 172, five ahead of Nastase and Whitesel.
Other flight champions at Meadow Lane were: Todd Redinger (160), first; Garet Weston (161), second; Jeff Cribbs (172), third; Todd Drzewiecki (182), fourth; and Adair, senior. Wiggins also won the junior championship.
Other flight winners at Chestunt Ridge were: Adam Dunlap (155), first; Chad Yancy (163), second; Bob Elder (172), third; and Emily Slifka (180), fourth.


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#1: Hey!
My name is Caitlyn. I'm 15 years old and about 4 1/2 months into the curly girl system. I have mixed hair of 2c, 3a and 3b. However, i'm sure that it will sort itself out as I develop a normal routine and get it back to normal- I was a flat iron freak for a good 2 years. I'm completely sulfate free and most of my products are silicone free.


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post #16
True Grappler
Join Date: May 2006
Location: New York City, New York
Posts: 6,222
For the most part, I found this thread ridiculous. There were a few soundbites that are just too irritating to ignore, though.
Those are below.
Originally Posted by
View Post
..someday there might comes a day where we only see guys come from those barbaric MMA gyms. Guys who never became great at one traditional Martial Art and combined this art of fighting with another one and another one from time to time, to make the transition into the Sport of MMA. Outstanding Judokas or Wrestlers who after a couple of years of MMA training, switched over to the Sport of MMA.
Apart from the loaded term "barbaric MMA gym," which is unbelievably irritating, what in hell makes you think that there is going to be a trend away from traditional martial arts?
Are the best fighters in the world slowly becoming less dependent on their backgrounds? Is Brock Lesnar using less wrestling than Dan Severn did? Is Anderson Silva less muay thai intensive than Pedro Rizzo? No.
The fighters are getting better at other areas of the game as well, but the vast majority of successful fighters have a background that they utilize with regularity. They're not homogenizing so much as rounding themselves out, and there's a difference between those two things: they are not sacrificing the skills of their preliminary backgrounds in order to be somewhat competitive in other areas of the fight game.
I even see myself stop watching this Sport. If all I need to know is, that the MMA guy fights the MMA guy.. two dudes who call MMA there Martial Art. Isn't that a sad thought, that this Sport will 99% head into this direction?!
Apart from the fact that there is absolutely no support for this claim, the pettiness that you would stop watching the sport because there were less stylistically diverse matchups is pretty bizarre.
Props for giving me a complaint I'd never heard before.
Originally Posted by
View Post
Wow... how elitist. So if they don't come from a "legitimate" amrtial arts background they are just some thug from a "barbaric" mma gym? This train of thought is just stupid.
I agree with the "stupid" part. I hate the term elitist.
Every time I hear it, I wonder what the f*ck that means. Really, the word you want to use is "pretentious." Firstly, it's actually an adjective. Secondly, (and more importantly) it actually says something, other than attempting to alienate the person on the basis of having different tastes.
What you are witnessing now is the birth of a new martial art.
This annoys me.
MMA is
a martial art, because MMA is not a system. The term "martial art" implies systemization, it implies cogency of techniques and similarity of styles between academies.
There is no "style of MMA." There is no homogenized way of viewing the techniques of mixed martial arts. There are a dozen substantial, well known instructors (Greg Jackson, Pat Miletich, Ricardo Liborio, Renzo Gracie, Mark Dellagrotte, etc.) who all have different "styles" of mixed martial arts.
MMA is a form of competition. You can argue that the systems that these guys are pioneering are martial arts. You can't argue that MMA is, because MMA is so much bigger than any single curriculum or systemization.
BJJ, Judo, Karate, etc. are all "styles" insofar as they emerge from a systemization of techniques and philosophies. MMA is different. It's an open forum with no instructors attempting to reduce the techniques to the most efficient and technically sound in the way that the kodokan or the Gracies did/do.
Originally Posted by
View Post
I don't call it a Martial Art, because there is no such thing as perfection in MMA.
And there's a "perfection" in BJJ? Or judo? Or wrestling?
I'm just going to stick to the styles that I study, but I'll say this: there is no perfect. There is what's good and there's what works.
There's mastery. But there's no perfection. It's a dead concept. Let it go.
nobody will try or bother anymore to demonstrate his background as guys like Lyoto, Shinya, Silva or Akiyama. They will just be MMA fighters who learned everything at ones.. but without a background.
I don't see that at all. I have guys who are looking to start training come to me for advice all the time, and the thing that they hear from me, and from guys much more experienced, and smarter, than I am is this: find a style that compliments your body type, where you're comfortable and how you want to fight and start there.
That's how you build a successful fighting style. Not: "I'm going to keep all of my skills rounded out and then take the fight wherever I have to in order to win." That doesn't work.
Originally Posted by
View Post
Bobby... you are still being an elitist. MMA is a martial art. It is. It is a martial art as much as jiujitsu is. Jiujitsu's actual philosophy is whatever works. Sounds a lot like mma to me.
This comment drove me to post. It's so grating to hear someone say: "Jiujitsu's
philosophy is..."
I've been training jiu-jitsu most of my life. I've dedicated hours of sweat and blood and to hear a fortune cookie as what jiu-jitsu is all about is irritating. No one agrees about the philosophy of jiu-jitsu is.
The philosophy of any sport is "whatever works." In the same way the philosophy of any sport is "win the damn game."
Every coach has a different philosophy. Helio's from what I've read and gathered from his students was "use leverage, be crafty and catch him when he's getting aggressive." That doesn't work for everybody. It works for me, but my coach prefers: "Rack him up, drop your weight and make him squirm until you catch him."
There is no fortune cookie. Have a little more respect for the style than that.
I don't mind you taking the guy to task for being stupid, but either show some respect for the complexity of a martial art or don't comment on it. It's really irritating to hear the McNuggets dropped like that.
And, just to let you know, I come from that old school background. I have a black belt in both Judo and Tae Kwon Do as well as a blue belt in Shotokan Karate. I'm not someone trained at one of these barbaric gyms.
Great. It's nice to have martial artists on the board. And I don't mind the commentary, but I noticed that "jiu-jitsu" isn't included in that background, which annoyed me further.
You're going to comment on the philosophy of a martial art you don't train in, when there are martial arts you can reference with some degree of credibility? That makes no sense.
Originally Posted by
View Post
the old discplines will never die out because they are arts or sports in their own right. many people who practice them arent very interested in MMA at all, and I don't see any real reason that will change.
This was a golden ray of sunshine in a bleak and irritating thread. I certainly agree with it, and though I really think it's worth noting that fighters come to MMA with a variety of backgrounds in those styles, and that trend doesn't seem to be changing at all, I don't mind just pointing out that the traditional martial arts seem to be doing just fine.
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Yell Happy Halloween.
This is a discussion on You are looking at a house to buy when........ within the Carry & Defensive Scenarios forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; Originally Posted by Mattmann I would knock him the hell out wash the makeup off my hand and walk out to consider a better area ...
Yell Happy Halloween.
If the Union is once severed, the line of separation will grow wider and wider, and the controversies which are now debated and settled in the halls of legislation will then be tried in fields of battle and determined by the sword.
Andrew Jackson
Punch him in the face. Twice. Once for being stupid and once for having different color eye brows...
first reaction at that distance would have been a left jab to the throat while the right is going for the Glock. then once i realize whats happened, i tell the owner hes lost the sale and i move on with my search. kudos for not pistol whipping the snot nosed punk tho lol
Semper Fi
wow, my inital reaction would be open palm to face(finers aimed toward eyes), left hook to liver(which 9 out of 10 will tell you its worse then a knock out) then a heavy knee to the face..as said babboon would be doubled over. get the wife out of the house and call 911 to report the assault, (if for nothing more then to cover my butt for striking the monkey)
Shoot the Realtor for taking you there in the first place?
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And since his kingdom is a union of different rational beings in a system by common laws. And these common laws, as established by the categorical imperative, are the laws used to evaluate the worth of an individual's actions. So who is going to evaluate the worth of jumping out of a closet?
Also, as astute as his theory may be, it won't help you in a court of law.
I was simply pointing out that depending on the ethical system you subscribe to it can be quite easy for people to consider you to be a dick, seeing as you were having a hard time wrapping your head around that.
You will notice from the post that describes what my reaction was that no laws had been broken and there was/is no need to consider court.
I am not evaluating worth based on his action merely of jumping out of the closet, instead the over actions and obvious lifestyle of the whole family.
I said it once and I'll say it again.
I'm rooting for the mortgage company on this one, this family deserves their impending forclosure.


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New Land Rover Defender "not far away," automaker... Luxury
June 23, 2017
June 23, 2017
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It's the end of an era; the last of the C6 Chevrolet Corvettes rolled off the car's production line in Bowling Green, Kentucky, yesterday. The car was a white 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 Convertible, and its engine, a 7.0-liter LS7 V-8, was built by none other than Corvette chief... read more
This weekend marks the return of motorsports to Detroit, specifically, to the city's Belle Isle Park circuit. The 2.1-mile road course will play host to the IZOD... read more June 1, 2012 by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
Ask any driver in the Indy 500 if they'd like additional track time, in any car, and we'd bet the answer is yes. When Chevy tossed the keys to the Corvette ZR1... read more May 21, 2012 by Kurt Ernst
Indianapolis Motor Speedway chose Guy Fieri, best-selling author and host of Food Network's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" to be the honorary Pace Car driver for the 96th... read more May 15, 2012 by Anne Proffit
Announced yesterday as the official pace car of the 2012 Indy 500, the 2013 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is a familiar beast to most of us. For those that have driven it, it's all... read more May 9, 2012 by Nelson Ireson
For the 23rd time in the running of the Indianapolis 500, a Chevrolet will lead the pack to the green flag. This year, the car chosen is the 638-horsepower Chevrolet Corvette... read more May 8, 2012 by Kurt Ernst
GM announced today its all-American supercar, the Chevrolet Corvette, will be sold in South Korea for the first time. The announcement comes after a less-restrictive trade... read more April 30, 2012 by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
While Chevrolet has already announced its 2013 model year Corvette, the last for the current-generation C6 model, the automaker is planning a few more updates for its iconic... read more April 17, 2012 by Viknesh Vijayenthiran


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Step by Step Guide to Designing Your Dining Set
Once you've selected the style and size of your dining table, and chair model, you have many table top design options and colors to choose from to help you create a dining set that's perfect for you. From an elegant smooth dining table with a clean transparent stain, to a heavily distressed planked table top with the look and charm of an antique – there's a range of looks to fit any decor. Just choose from the following options to design your set:
Step 1: Maple and Cherry Wood Top Table Options
Choose one of the following top options:
- Smooth top – just what the name implies, this is a classic dining table top without any texture applied.
- Planked top – these tops are hand sanded by our New England artisans to create panels within the table top that are raised with varying thickness. There are no grooves between the panels, so you don't have to worry about dirt and crumbs accumulating on your table.
- Hand Planed top – mimics a authentic aged look found in many high end lines – it has a slightly uneven surface with a subtle texture and tactile appeal.
- Rustic Top option - top treatment includes multiple lines or grooves that mimic aged "split" marks and create a table top that looks naturally aged.
Step 2: Choose your Distressing Levels
Many people choose to leave their table top smooth and chairs unmarked, with no distressing applied, but if you choose to add distressing to your furniture for a more distinctive design statement, we have 3 levels to choose from. They can be applied to a Smooth, Planked, or Hand Hewn top and any chair model:
- Basic Distressing
This is our lightest level of distressing with small nicks, dings, and dents. It lends a subtle aged feel to the furniture.
- Heritage
This is a heavy distress level with scrapes, splits, and deeply chiseled and worn edges. It gives the furniture a strong rustic look.
Once you've decided on the nature of your table top and chairs, you can move on to the next step, choosing your finish color and sheen. Keep in mind that you can choose to have any of the 3 distressing levels applied to any of our finish colors. (Special note: Dings and dents will be difficult to see with a transparent stain such as Honey, because there is no glaze in this finish to highlight these markings).
Step 3: Choosing Your Finish Color
All of our furniture is available in a choice of finish colors from simple transparent stains to colors with glaze and fly speck, and our deluxe finish colors that feature rub through stains.
Choose from the following finish colors for Maple product lines:
Standard Finishes:
Bleached - Buttercream - Chestnut - Chocolate - Clear - Currant - Ebony - Fennel - Harvest - Honey - Java - Marsh - Natural - Redwood - Spice - Wheat - White
Premium Finishes:
Antique Cayman - Antique Maize - Antique Seagrass - Antique Onyx - Antique White - Distressed Cognac - Distressed Flaz - Distressed Gold - Distressed Ivory - Distressed Mulberry - Distressed Nutmeg - Distressed Sienna - Distressed Walnut
Heritage Finishes:
Heritage Almond - Heritage Brandy - Heritage Cameo - Heritage Cocoa - Heritage Dune - Heritage Fruitwood - Heritage Regency - Heritage Sable - Heritage Tobacco - Heritage Topaz
Choose from the following finish colors for Cherry product lines:
Cherry Standard Finishes:
Bittersweet - Blossom - Natural Cherry
Cherry Premium Finishes:
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Step 4: Choosing your Sheen Level
To complete your design, choose the sheen level you'd like applied to your finish color:
- Satin (S) – a medium sheen level
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Samples of the different sheen levels can be seen in your Saloom Samples Display.
Follow these simple steps and you'll have a dining set built just for you by our New England Artisans.


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"If you stopped yourself every time you said "I have to", and changed it to "I get to" it might change your entire experience."
Related quotes
"As of right now we deal with some weird stages of adulthood that is, having what we achieved (which is definitely not what we wished for) and dream with what we want. All we can do is play the game carefully, enjoy what could be considered wrong (acting upon those dreams) and hope you don't get caught (so that it doesn't fuck up what you already have)."
"Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get - only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything."
"Impressed with Chancellor Michael Harris' accomplishments. IUK. He knows how to get things done....Kokomo Indiana is fortunate to have him."


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Your Cat, Your Life
The Scoop
Cat News, Politics
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Cat Chic
Gear and Glam
Your cat loves a clean toilet -- don't we all? Catster's singing Cat Lady, Sarah Donner, explains why.
Cat Breeds
Foods & Treats
Health & Care
Behavior & Training
Cats & Cleaning
Cat of the Day
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Photo Comments
Hello i the biggest so i the spoke kitty hehehee hehehe stop it my brothers and sisters they silly. Oh my names Smokey Joe i Gray and yellow eyes i the biggest almost big as my big brother Jasper. See the one with the White and Black kitty with white stripe on his nose he ones comes out first and says there food he brave his name is Oreo Cookie McGee. Oh the tiny one that very shy and had one eye that my little brother name is Allie Opppsss McGee. Oh almost forgot last but not lease is Joe Jo McGee he likes to climb trees. We waving at everyone we are the McGee. Hope you all send pal request and group request and everything casue we excited to be here on catster heard so many wonder things about it from my big puppy brother maxi and from my big cat brother ernie. Momma calling us now so we must go we see you all later waving byeeee
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K&L Gates LLP
214 North Tryon Street, 47th Floor
Charlotte, NC 28202
- Andrew Murray, Mecklenburg County District Attorney
Mr. Murray received his B.A. in political science from UNC Charlotte in 1989 and his J.D. from UNC Chapel Hill in 1992. After serving as an Assistant District Attorney from 1992-1995, Mr. Murray entered private practice, eventually becoming managing partner of Goodman, Carr, Laughrun, Levine, Murray & Green, PA. Mr. Murray remained in private practice until his swearing in as District Attorney for the 26th Judicial District of North Carolina in January 2011. In addition to his legal career, Mr. Murray has served for more than 30 years as a member of the United States Coast Guard Active and Reserve forces, including six years of active duty, and currently holds the rank of Commander.
There is NO COST to attend this event. Please bring your own lunch; soft drinks will be provided.
RSVP required for security clearance. Please register by March 5, 2012.


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Clara Crop bell pants in vintage blue
Approx. USD 24.82
Product Description:
Look what's flaring up again? The Clara Crop Bell Pants features a snug fit and a flare cut after the knees with a wide hem and a cropped length. We love how it gives the illusion of longer and slimmer legs, and also how it fits so perfectly and comfortably! Pair it with a shirt and sneakers for the casual and chic look, or pair it with a cropped top and heels for the classy and stylish look. We're sure you will love it as much as we do!
XS: Waist 11.5"-12" Hip 16.5" Length 34"
S: Waist 12"-12.5" Hip 17" Length 34.5"
M: Waist 13"-13.5" Hip 18" Length 35"
L: Waist 14"-14.5" Hip 19" Length 35.5"
Model is Uk4/6 ; stands at 1.8m, wear XS size


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City of Burien installs ornamental pieces along 1st Ave. S
Press release:
The City of Burien has installed a series of ornamental art pieces on light poles along 1st Avenue South. The different-colored art pieces depict a series of hubcaps, stacked end-to-end, with the words "Burien's 1st Avenue."
"The art pieces were designed by an artist to reflect the character of the City's main thoroughfare, with its auto dealerships and other related businesses," said Brian Victor, City of Burien engineer for the 1st Avenue South improvement project, who added that the artwork is part of the overall project contract and has been planned for several years. Victor said the ornamental pieces were installed on light poles between South 140th and South 146th streets, and possibly will be installed south to South 160th Street at a later date.
Phase Two of the improvement project is currently under way on the segment between South 140th and South 146th streets. Improvements include new sidewalks, curbs and gutters on both sides; new asphalt overlay; new signals and street lighting,; undergrounding of overhead utilities; new storm drainage; and landscaping.
Phase One included the section between South 148th and South 160th streets. It was substantially completed in 2009, but the light poles were not installed until 2012.
We encourage our readers to comment. No registration is required. We ask that you keep your comments free of profanity and keep them civil. They are moderated and objectionable comments will be removed.


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Live talk and world real-time conversations on a large scale. Helping others while gaining world knowledge in the process. This is only part of the many features of this Network.
This Social Media Network will regulate in real-time to keep it continuously flowing with the public interest. It will put you in touch directly to the place you need for information or to help others.
Using cutting edge technology, privacy and security will be in place. Adding new types of features along with continuous check points.
Contact: email@example.com


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Date(s) - 11/06/2015
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Evans Mills United Methodist Church
The Evans Mills United Methodist Church is hosting our Annual Harvest Dinner Friday November 6, 2015 starting at 5:00 p.m.. Adults are $8.00, Children 5-12 are $4.00 and age 4 and under are free. Take out is available starting at 4:30. The menu includes ham, scalloped potatoes, corn, coleslaw, rolls, a variety of homemade pie and beverage. This dinner is to aid in our ladies group in world mission.


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Thunder Forest
Mindful Tease - Poem by Thunder Forest
My love pulses for you slowly seeping from an eternal ceiling, dripping of natural beauty deep in perpetual meaning. Our song echoes over the valley of my thoughts flooding them with our love. The flowers of these meadows sing of happiness fed from up above. With our touch skin on skin I soon begin to feel a soothing sensation gush from within. Our hot bodies tangled, glazed in complete bliss as our tongues dance to the music indulging in our addictive kiss. This eternal ceiling, dripping wet, teasing down our thighs... as I slowly feed my throbbing head into your blooming flower to feel you on the inside. Immense pleasure, so tasty, thusting deep into your belly. The rhythm of our hearts beat with such harmony that it melts me. Whenever we're together the most beautiful of weather I find... For when I am with you finally I am one with my mind.
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Caged Bird
Maya Angelou
Rudyard Kipling
Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
Robert Frost
A Dream Within A Dream
Edgar Allan Poe


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According to reports, the National Urban League will
return to Harlem to establish its headquarters and renew its relationship with the community.
Lynching is a horrific part of American history. The Tuskegee
Institute has recorded 3,446 blacks and 1,297 whites were lynched
between 1882 and 1968–and these estimates are most likely conservative.
Well, Indianapolis artist LaShawnda Crowe Storm doesn´t want this
history to be erased. She has created quilts that depict this chapter of American history—The
Lynch Quilt Project, part of which has been on display at galleries
across the country.
Stamp collecting is one of the world´s most popular hobbies. It is
estimated that there are more than 20 million in the United States. And
more and more African Americans, according the Ebony Society of
Philatelic Events and Reflections (ESPER), an international stamp
society, are becoming "philatelists".
Shaquille O'Neal is expanding his business ventures. The basketball star
has announced he will introduce coconut-flavored vodka early next year.
The former Los Angeles Lakers star has teamed up with Devotion Vodka to
create "Luv Shaq," a gluten-free, sugar-free, coconut-flavored vodka.
There are no second acts in America, wrote F. Scott Fitzgerald, but the
great writer never heard of Alvin Reed. After struggling valiantly to
hold on to his precious Lenox Lounge in Harlem, it became a daunting
task and he finally let the commercial space go, the doubled rent hike
was his own personal fiscal cliff.
In 1990, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum was founded in Kansas
City, Missouri, and is dedicated to preserving the history of Negro
League baseball in America. Recently, the United States Playing Card Company debuted the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum playing cards which have the potential of becoming collector's items.
Jan Carew, activist, author, scholar and professor of African American Studies at Northwestern University from 1973 to 1987, has died. He was 92.
After 14 years of being in operation, Justin's Restaurant in Atlanta
recently closed. Justin's was part of Sean "P. Diddy" Combs's chain of
high-end soul food restaurants.
Director John Singleton has praised it. Filmmaking legend Melvin Van
Peebles has even given it the thumbs up. No, it's not the latest film,
but an organization dedicated to empowering film journalists and
filmmakers, called the African-American Film Critics Association
(AAFCA), a collective of Black film critics.
Recently, the National Trust for Historic Preservation placed Atlanta's
Sweet Auburn Historic District, the Ella Little Collins-Malcolm X House
in Roxbury, MA, and Joe Frazier's Gym in Philadelphia on its 2012 list of
America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. The purpose of the list
is to protect such sites, although about a handful of listed
destinations have been lost since the list was started in 1988.


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Contact us 24/7: +1 877 678 9627
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- - Italian sizing
- - True to size
Jimmy Choo's biker boots are an essential part of every fashionista's wardrobe, and this supple gray suede version is a discerning choice. Pull this buckled pair on with a simple tee, adding a biker jacket for tough-luxe appeal.
Shown here with: IRO jacket, Zoe Karssen top, Alexander McQueen bracelet, bracelet, bracelet and ring, Citizens of Humanity jeans.
- - Heel measures approximately 40mm/ 1.5 inches
- - Gray suede
- - Adjustable pale-gold buckle-fastening tabs, designer-stamped plaque at back, round toe
- - Pull on
Product Code: 314959
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Product Code: 314959


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Drawing from her years as a ballerina, Jamie Wolf creates everyday masterpieces that exude delicate femininity. Rendered in vibrant hues with light embellished, her creations epitomize a clasically beautiful timelessness.
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Vital Signs Monitoring
Newborns require special monitoring features to support their fragile clinical condition. Their unique needs demand unique neonatal algorithms and parameters that address neonatal-specific needs such as:
- Respiration
- Apnea
- Temperature, and more
Having streamlined monitoring and IT systems that can seamlessly switch from wired to wireless creates a neonatal bedside that is more efficient for staff and less intimidating for families. Learn more about the importance of efficient monitoring systems and IT.
Videos and Lectures
Research Papers
- Reliability of Conventional and New Pulse Oximetry in Neonatal Patients
Pulse oximetry is widely used in the NICU, but clinicians often distrust the displayed values during patient motion, i.e., questionable oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) and pulse rate (PR) values.
- Evaluation of Pulse Oximetry as a Continuous Monitoring Technique
We tested a number of pulse oximeters in a neonatal ICU to assess their performance as continuous monitors.
- Mixed Venous Oxygen Saturation in the Newborn- Can We and Should We Measure It
Conventional measurements of oxygenation used in the critical care of sick newborn infants are limited to arterial blood.
- Toward the Early Diagnosis of Neonatal Sepsis and Sepsis-Like Illness
Abrupt clinical deterioration because of sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates, and earlier diagnosis should improve therapy of this potentially catastrophic illness.
- Mainstream End-Tidal Carbon Dioxide Monitoring in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Continuous noninvasive monitoring of arterial carbon dioxide (CO2) in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients would help clinicians avoid complications of hypocarbia and hypercarbia.
- Monitoring of End Tidal CO2 in Neonatal Intensive Care
The use of monitoring end tidal carbon dioxide pressure (PetCO2) in neonatal intensive care was studied in 19 infants with respiratory disease.


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This modern pendant features jewelry-grade lures and clear glass bead strands for a truly stunning look in any room. Perfect for everything from Bauhaus inspired to transitional decors, its framed in polished nickel for an understated feel. Hard wired with a round base.
Founded in 1970 in a California garage, Maxim Lighting has grown into a lighting leader known for its high standards in quality and design innovation. Offering a wide selection of elegant fixtures as well as specialty items such as under cabinet and party lights, the company imparts the family-run values of hard work and earned loyalty into every lasting design it creates.
Our team has over 100 years combined experience with contemporary lighting.
Every EuroStyleLighting.com order is backed by our 100% Satisfaction Pledge.
Shipping and Delivery Information - For item EU3W571 if ordered by 1 pm Pacific Time


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By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
A high school teacher has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old student in her classroom during school hours. Jennalin Garcia-Calle, a 28-year-old teacher at Plainfield High School, was arrested in Florida on Thursday after she fled New Jersey when she found out the relationship was discovered. Police found her at the Recovery Institute of South Florida, a drug and psychiatric treatment center that also facilitates healing for sexual compulsivity and depression.
She was charged with second-degree sexual assault and fourth-degree child abuse.
The student told a family member about the relationship which is said to have started in December. The police were then notified.
Garcia-Calle is being held on $200,000 bail in Florida, awaiting extradition to New Jersey.
She has been placed on administrative suspension and had been teaching math at the school since 2008. She earned a salary of $50,00 last year. The sex encounters took place in her classroom during school hours, Union County Prosecutor Theodore J Romankow told mycentraljersey.com. 'What made this particularly...unusual is that they actually had sex in school, in her classroom when classes were in session,' Romankow said. 'Evidently they blocked the windows and locked the door.'
blakfyahking wrote: »EBRC................
MzGrahamBitches wrote: »Lmao..damn is the lip mole that serious?
Smh @ females being the new child predators.


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Anyone here have a suggestion as to how they did this:
Attachment 1235
Check out that tow hook. I'd like for mine to stick out like that, only in orange to match my rims ;).
Printable View
Anyone here have a suggestion as to how they did this:
Attachment 1235
Check out that tow hook. I'd like for mine to stick out like that, only in orange to match my rims ;).
I was just going to take mine off completely. It looks like something broken and hanging down... Maybe they bolted a different hook in the factory spot?
I would like some specifics on the wheels, tires, and spacers though if known.
This is the real race car hook look. If you look closely all real race cars have tow hooks that are brightly colored so the turn marshals can hook up the truck that is going to tow your dumb ass out of trouble.
It is a good look. I dig it.
If you want to complete the look you need an arrow pointing to the hook too.
And a parachute ;)
StoneAxe: Dig it, Want it! ;) :D
I've never been a fan of tow hooks unless the car is actually tracked. An acquaintance of mine had one at his rear bumper, he was rear ended and according to insurance, the car(fairly new too) became a write off because the impact (which normally would be just rear bumper damage) at the tow hook compromised the structural integrity.
Anyone care to spread insight on this?
Paint the existing one black and no one will ever notice it.
I found the screw-in front tow hook in the spare tire area and this got me thinking about this again. And I also went to the Petit LeMans over the weekend and saw lots of tow hooks too.
After considering painting it red or getting a real race hook it dawned on me that is was actually a very bad idea. The tow hook mounts on any production car are attached to the subframe and not to the energy absorbing assemblies of the "bumpers". These assemblies are designed to collapse and protect you from G forces and be replaced if the collision does not compromise the subframe. If you were to get in to an average collision the tow hook would be protruding past the "bumper" assemblies and would transfer the energy to the subframe without providing any protection and it would almost assuredly damage the subframe which will total most modern cars.
After inspecting 43 real race cars with race hooks they are more recessed now on the GT cars and sit behind the bumpers, some of the prototype cars still have them protruding but they don't have bumpers and rely on the cockpit monocoque for safety.
But I'm not giving up so easily. I still like the subtle track look that isn't too flashy and only race enthusiasts will "get".
It seems to me that plastic tow hooks would provide this look without compromising safety. A lot of plastics can be flexible enough to bend on impact but have enough sheer strength to be capable of light towing duty.


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"I designed two mugs for my son and daughter-in-law as part of their first wedding anniversary gift. The design has their monogram initials and pictures from the wedding. Can't wait to give this personalized gift to them.The mugs look great."
"The printing for the mug is good, I got 4 mugs from this website and give them as gifts. Everyone likes the mug as well as the style and pictures. It's a good gift to give"
"This is my second mug ordered from Tiny Prints. Both have turned out beautiful. The creation of the mug was easy. I really like the 360 degree view in the preview section so I can literally see how the mug will be seen."
"Okay, let me just say I've tried Walgreens, CVS and Walmart to help make me this wonderful mug for my dad all cropped the pictures horribly and you couldn't see anything but their heads. So weird. I come to Tinyprints.com, upload my 3 photos and that's it. They're perfectly cropped! The quality of the phot on the mug was amazing. Even the design was so cute. I'm cannot express how utterly please I am! I definitely will be using Tinyprints again and cannot wait to give this mug to my dad for Christmas."
"I put pictures of my dog on the mug and it makes me happy every time I use it. Very fast service and a great product as always from Tiny prints"
Copyright © 2004-2017 Shutterfly, Inc | Tiny Prints | Terms of Use. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.


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Letter to the Editor: Vote may drive farm market out of town
Tuesday night the Indiana Borough council voted 7-5 to deny the request from the Indiana County Farmers' Market to relocate to IRMC Park on North Seventh Street. The move was requested because the space they have been using in the borough parking lot on Church Street is too small and cannot be expanded.
It seemed like a win-win proposal: The market would get the space they need, and the borough would benefit from the increased foot traffic in downtown and from the greater visibility of this health-promoting, family-friendly activity.
Those who opposed the market offered no explanation for their votes. In Wednesday's Gazette, council President Nancy Jones is quoted as referring to a traffic study indicating that a lot of cars use the street during the time the market would be there. Of course, the traffic counts were done in bad weather when IUP is in session, not in good weather (the only time the market operates) or summertime (when most of the market days occur). Perhaps there is a count from the appropriate time last year? Oh, sorry, the street was closed then. Another concern that has been expressed is the cost to the borough, a cost that is only real if the borough council decides not to do anything about it.
Robinson-Lytle has concerns about people shopping in the market disturbing people visiting the funeral home. Curiously, Monday's Gazette has a letter indicating that there are no visitations during the principal times that the market would be open. Traffic noise is surely louder than any noise coming from the farmers' market.
The effect of the vote will be to drive the Wednesday market out of the borough. Pedestrians, bikers, parents with strollers, people who live in town will no longer have easy access to the healthy food and friendly atmosphere that come with the market. Shoppers will no longer be drawn to nearby stores and restaurants.
All of us will suffer from the loss of this attraction, one of those things that make Indiana such a great place to live. Indiana Borough deserves better than this from its elected council.
Peter Broad
Indiana Borough council member