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"Narnia," and "Dawn Treader" Are Leading Children and Adults into Witchcraft and Satanism...
"My children, you will make a concerted effort to take and purge from your schools the practice of the occult. Already, many of your children have entered into these secret societies without your knowledge, and they are propagating it throughout your country and the countries of the world."- Our Lady of the Roses, October 1, 1977
The story of a witch named Starhawk: "How Narnia Made Me a Witch"
C.S. Lewis's books helped bring me to the Goddess. For me, one of her names is Aslan.
When I was eight years old, the librarian at my elementary school handed me "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." The book took me into a magic world, where animals talked and nature was shimmering with enchantment. I devoured the book and avidly read the rest of the series, over and over again. Narnia was my comfort when I was sick and my escape when life was boring and dreary.
The books made me aware that something was lacking in my daily routine of school and Hebrew school, of TV cartoons on Saturday mornings and games of handball in the apartment garage. I longed to step into another world, one that would be wilder, more fluid, and more infused with wonder than the decidedly unmagical San Fernando valley where I lived.
That longing began my own spiritual search. I had a strong Jewish upbringing, and many years of Jewish education. I read Bible stories in the original Hebrew, and learned the wisdom of my ancestors encoded in the Talmud. But there was a different kind of Mystery I sensed in the Narnia books, something that was less about study and prayer and more entwined with nature and wildness, freedom and courage.
I know "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" is seen as a Christian story, and certainly C.S. Lewis meant it that way. Sometime in my ninth or 10th reading of the book, I suddenly caught the echoes of Jesus' story in Aslan's sacrifice. Being Jewish, I was probably slow to grasp this, as the whole story of the crucifixion was alien territory to me. I was dismayed, and immediately felt guilty. Would Narnia have to go into the category of attractive but forbidden Christian things, like the beautiful carols I didn't sing at school, or the Christmas trees I secretly desired? My mother would never have forbidden me to read the books any more than she would have stopped me from helping a friend to decorate a Christmas tree. It was my own sense of exclusion—that if the essence of this secret world was Christian, it could no longer be my secret world.
No, I swiftly decided; the Christian imagery was only one part of the book, after all, and subtle enough that possibly no one but I had made the connection. I could ignore it and continue loving the books and slipping between their covers into Narnia.
Grasping the book's underlying symbolism didn't make me a Christian. Perhaps it made me a writer: It was my first realization of the multiple layers of meaning that literature can convey. And "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" conveys more than Lewis may have intended.
Editor's comment: Starhawk is still a witch who travels and writes books promoting witchcraft. Please pray for her conversion and that she will tell of the evils of C.S. Lewis' and J.R.R. Tolkien's books and movies.
Narnia and Lord of the Rings are recommended reading on witchcraft web sites.
The Holy Bible
The Book of Deuteronomy 18:9-12
When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God shall give thee, beware lest thou have a mind to imitate the abominations of those nations.
Neither let there be found among you any one that shall expiate his son or daughter, making them to pass through the fire: or that consulteth soothsayers, or observeth dreams and omens, neither let there be any wizard,
Nor charmer, nor any one that consulteth pythonic spirits, or fortune tellers, or that seeketh the truth from the dead.
For the Lord abhorreth all these things, and for these abominations he will destroy them at thy coming.
The Book of Wisdom 4:12
"For the bewitching of vanity obscureth good things, and the wandering of concupiscence overturneth the innocent mind."
Background of C. S. Lewis...
Lewis' so-called conversion is described by one of his friends in Light on C. S. Lewis as having come about by thinking. On page 62 of that book it says, "It did not come by sudden intuition, or overwhelming vision, or even by the more usual path of conviction of sin calling for repentance and atonement. It came by taking thought and it added many cubits to his stature." It is not possible to be saved without recognizing the need to repent from sin, thus it is hardly surprising that Lewis' life showed no fruit unto righteousness.
In short, his "conversion" to Christianity was financially and socially good for him. These may be the only "reasons" for it, but we will learn more about what he actually believed concerning his conversion and salvation in general later in this article.
He was allegedly a bachelor for most of his life, but married Joy Davidman Gresham at age 58. She was supposedly converted partly due to Lewis' books. After meeting him in England, she returned to the U.S. where she was divorced from her husband. According to two of his friends, Gresham's husband divorced her on the grounds of desertion. She returned to England and made herself available to Lewis, who married her shortly thereafter.
C. S. Lewis' most famous books are perhaps the Chronicles of Narnia, his occult, fantasy books for children. In them he went to great lengths to glorify and promote many occult ideas. While some maintain that the spiritual idea behind the fantasy is the truth of scripture, the cold hard facts point in the completely opposite direction. He was introducing children to witchcraft through esoteric (hidden meanings) writings. Let's take a closer look.
First of all, it is necessary to get some background in order to see where C. S. Lewis was headed with his "fantasy" stories. Lewis was good friends with Charles Williams and J.R.R. Tolkien (author of the occultic Lord of the Rings Trilogy). All three were part of a group of writers called the "Inklings." Of this group, one friend felt that Williams, and maybe Tolkien, were the two that influenced Lewis' thinking the most. Williams, a professing Christian, was especially close to him and taught Lewis the "white witchcraft" delusion of being able to take someone's pain for them and suffer it in one's own body. They cast this "talent" in a Christian light, and Lewis later claimed to have this ability and to have used it on behalf of his wife.
As we look into these things we begin to understand why C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia are recommended by the makers of Dungeon's & Dragons and are (were) sold in occult bookstores. His imagery is designed to fool the Christian reader while at the same time "enlightening" those initiated in the occult, witchcraft and Luciferianism. Since Satan's religions are counterfeits of God's truth, it was, to some extent "easy" for Lewis to pull this off.
C.S. Lewis on the other hand, who wrote the books of Narnia, another fantasy world, used a Lion God (also a symbol for the "God" of the Illuminati - Satan/Lucifer). This Lion God he called Aslan, compared to the Brotherhood's "Asalam"
The Illuminati...
"There is a group in the United States and the world, a group that started many years ago, calling itself the Illuminati, coming from the word 'light bearer.' Naturally, My children, this light that they bear stands for Lucifer, and as such they have gone through the world secretly known as Luciferians. They have brought into your country, the United States, and your neighbor Canada, a group of witchcraft practices.
"Well have they laid their plan to destroy your children with drugs, using your school systems, your medias of communication, your newspapers, your televisions, your radios: every means of communication has been infiltrated by the members and submembers of the illuminati, a conglomeration of individuals and powers and principalities throughout the world, and banking systems.
"As you well know, My children, money has always been the root of all evil, and many have sold their souls to get to the head." - Our Lady, November 25, 1978
The following is taken from The Illuminati News website: http://illuminati-news.com/tolkien-occult.htm
Tolkien, the Bible and the Illuminati
Similar to many occult Masters, Tolkien got the idea to his masterpiece after he had been wounded in the first World War. He didn't know from where he got the idea, it just "came to him" (discussed in the Swedish book "Sagan om Tolkien", by Åke Ohlmarks, Norstedts 1971). Many occultists have had the same experience - some strange power(s) just channeling through them. Also, Tolkien was a professor in Oxford, which is controlled by the Illuminati. Question: was Tolkien a part of the Brotherhood to some degree? Did he know the occult technology, or is everything just a coincidence? He himself said he used parts of the Beowulf saga and the old Icelandic myths to create his own epos, but that doesn't explain everything. Hopefully we will understand this better as we continue the discussion in this essay.
Was Tolkien an occult or a Christian writer?
"Sadly, many professing Christians via the lie that anything done by a 'Christian' is acceptable, have accepted the occult. Tolkien was defined to be a Christian. Satan then got acceptance for his evil occult series of Lord of the Rings by gullible people that believe anything done by a 'Christian' is acceptable..."
"...Satan has used Tolkien and his occult series in very successful attacks against both the lost and professing Christians. The devil succeeded in getting the occult accepted by both groups, the lost and professing Christians and Tolkiens [sic] demonic works played a major role in the process.
Tolkiens [sic] occult stories were first published in the 1950's. It is interesting to note that Tolkien took 12 years to write his occult stories and he released them in the 13th year. He was a true occultist and the devil was pleased and blessed his work!"
"John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) was a man of many contradictions. For example:
Back in 1969, he wrote a letter affirming that "the chief purpose of life, for any one of us, is to increase according to our capacity our knowledge of God by all the means we have, and to be moved by it to praise and thanks." Yet the primary focus of his life was his mythical Middle-earth, headed by a distant and impersonal "God" who might confuse rather than clarify the nature of the Biblical God.
In his personal letters (many are included in a book titled The Letters of J. R. R Tolkien), he expressed caution toward occult practices. But he equipped his team of mythical heroes -- the fellowship of the Ring -- with the pagan powers that God forbids. For example, "Gandalf [a helpful wizard] is able to wield potent magic... To do battle with the forces of darkness, Gandalf the Grey can call upon not only his spellcraft, but also his staff of power and the Elven sword Glamdring."
He affirmed his faith in the One God who created the universe. But his mythical God stopped creating before the work was finished, then turned the rest over to a group of lesser gods or "sub-creators." In other words, Tolkien invented a hierarchy of deities that defied the Biblical God's wise warnings concerning both real and imagined idolatry."
Personally, no matter what Tolkien's intentions were, I believe that the effect his epos created was an increased interest in the occult. I can speak from my own experience; after had read his books, I wanted to know more about magic and sorcery, and directly or indirectly, his work eventually led me to one of the occult secret societies, where I became a member. However, I finally realized how I was used there for evil purposes, and left.
Today we have Dan Brown and "The Da Vinci Code", which also has helped to increase the interest in the occult. Brown says he is neutral regarding whether the secret societies are benevolent or malign, but his books present them as mysterious, and working for humanity.
"Magic and ingenuity made two series top sellers for both adults and children [my emphasis]. After five books and three movies, interest in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books are still strong. Now a boxed set collects the first five books of the adventures of the boy in wizard school..."
Tolkien's books have had a great influence on people and they paved the road for other forms of occultism. Games like Dungeons and Dragons were heavily influenced by Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings". In addition, his books influenced a numerous of other authors to write similar stories, which boosted an interest in the occult and magic.
There is nothing esoteric about it; actually this is a typical phenomenon. The same thing happens in the occult music industry. The book- and music industries decide the future trend and start promoting it on a big scale, and they know exactly how to get people interested; how to do that is already thoroughly researched by them. As with everything else in big business, politics and banking, the trends are always set in the direction of creating a New World Order, whether the artist, writer, or common man is aware of it or not. Those two media - books and movies - are excellent tools for the Illuminati, because their message reaches millions of people at once. Therefore, the fantasy genre is an introduction to the acceptance of the occult, which has to be looked at in a broader perspective, as we rapidly are heading towards a global, occult Super state. The occult rock group, Led Zeppelin, also used Tolkien's fantasy world in a few of their songs; the best known are probably "Ramble on" "The Battle of Evermore".
Now, was Tolkien a Christian or an occult writer?
"Decades ago, when witchcraft and wizardry were hidden from public view, young "Middle-earth" visionaries had no real-life place to test the new suggestions. That has changed. Through books, local covens, the Internet and other available sources, seekers can easily find tutors and practices that turn wizardly fantasy into practical occult reality. This sobering fact makes our world today radically different from the times when Tolkien and his friends shared their stories with each other.
Tolkien himself denies any supposed allegorical link between his myth and Biblical truth, it's not fair to hold his stories accountable to that truth. Nor is it wise to continue claiming that they teach us God's truth. Those who do could easily be tempted to lower their guard, set aside discernment, internalize the fascinating suggestions and be drawn to occult images.
Occult Symbolism in the Lord of the Rings
One thing is certain; J.R.R. Tolkien was very fascinated by occult symbolism. His epos has an abundance of it. Let us pick a few examplesof Masonic Symbology that correlate well with Tolkien's own: The most striking (so far) is this one: "It is a certificate of membership in 'The Societas Rosicruciana' in Anglia founded in 1886 by a group of Freemasons." This is the 'Rosicrucian Society in England'. 'The Rungs of the Ladder' (1999) by Michael J. Stayt emphatically notes that this is not a Masonic order, but a Society of Freemasons. Here is an image of the certificate on the left, and a detail on the right. Greg has highlighted the fiery Crown and seven stars symbolism in color:
Regarding the nature of the Masonic Rosicrucian Society, Michael Stayt goes on to write:
"The qualification for membership is to be a Master Mason and a Christian. Perhaps even more important is the need to be interested in the deeper subjects surrounding Freemasonry and a willingness to study them. The Society was formed in 1865...Each of the First Order ceremonies covers a specific aspect of esoteric study and marks a specific stage in the personal development of the Frater (Brother) involved... The Society encourages study of all arcane and esoteric subjects, but from a theoretical rather than a practical standpoint. Time is devoted to the presentation of papers and members are exhorted to write and present papers. These may be on any non-Masonic subject, but examples might include:...astrology, astronomy, alchemy, theosophy...and especially the Kabbalah."
"There is now a conspiracy of evil in your country, the United States. Recognize the meaning of Illuminati. It has been now interwoven with the churches of satan and the massive international organization of Wicca. They are now fighting My Son's Church. It is satan who guides them, for these people who have entered into the organization of Wicca and Illuminati, they are dead bodies and dead souls!
"You ask, My children, how this can be? Much that will take place now in the near future you will see and be astounded at. Remember, My children, that Lucifer has great power. However, his time is growing short, and realizing this he has accelerated his evil." - Our Lady of the Roses, December 7, 1977
Which is very interesting because there is an almost Gnostic flavor to this Christian Masonic area of study. It feels a lot like my Dark Star theory itself, in fact, where an unusual set of symbols can be found across a wide variety of religious, esoteric and mythological disciplines, requiring a wide net to be thrown. In the Rosicrucian certificate above, the Nibiruan [sic] symbols are elevated above the Sun, above the Zodiac and even above the Cross itself (much like the Talisman of Orpheus). It implies an extra-solar presence. They are also identical to Tolkien's symbolism.
This is a remarkable find, and I'm very grateful to Greg Jenner for passing this along."
Thus ends Mr. Andy Lloyd's comments.
I am constantly getting information from readers, and as I go along I will post what is relevant and interesting in this regard. This morning, on January 2, 2005, I got an email from a person who is an initiate in the A.'. A.'., which is a group of people who study Aleister Crowley's Magick and practice it, without being a member of a specific secret society. He told me that Tolkien indeed was an initiate for some time, but was excluded because of "incompetence" (in studying and practicing Magick?). This particular Crowley adept gave me the following comparison between some of the characters in the "Lord of the Rings" and the world today:
Frodo = aspirant
Gandalf = The Secret Chief of the A.'. A.'. (Aleister Crowley)
Saruman = Golden Dawn adept (Mathers, who was the Grand Master of the Order while Crowley was alive.)
Sauron = Choronzon
Aragorn = Spirit
Arwen = Body
The Ring = Magick powers
Volcano = Abyss
The Ring Wraiths = Initiate in the Black Brotherhood (The Illuminati)
In this aspect it is interesting to note that Frodo, the aspirant, after had completed his work, was fully accepted by the Brotherhood, was initiated and allowed to leave his old "ordinary, ignorant human [hobbit] life" and join the Illuminated Ones. This was symbolically done when Frodo left Middle-Earth together with Gandalf and the Elves at the end of "The Return of the King". Bilbo also left (was accepted into the Order) after he had shown that he could overcome his ego and be in control over the temptation from the "One Ring of Power". His final battle with the temptation from the Ring was in Rivendell, just before Frodo decided to go alone to Mordor. At that point Bilbo passed the requirements and were initiated into the Higher Order; became Illuminated.
Also, the comparison with Gandalf and Saruman is interesting, too. Aleister Crowley [1875-1947] and S.L. MacGregor Mathers [1854-1918] were friends at first, but became arch enemies eventually, when Crowley left the Golden Dawn and became the head of the OTO. Mathers never forgave him for bringing some of the "secret" knowledge out in the open, and the two magicians started a magic(k)al battle, which Crowley (Gandalf) won, and Mathers (Saruman) ended up as a broken man and eventually caved in mentally and physically, and died.
To me, contrary to the information I was given above, Aragorn is BODY and Arwen is SPIRIT. Arwen was half Elf and half human, which means she is "enlightened" and one of the "Old Race" (compared to the root races in Theosophy). When Aragorn became KING he symbolized the end of the Third Age (the "Old Order") and now became the first KING of the Fourth Age ("The New World Order"), the King of Man. By marrying Arwen he became "fulfilled". He was of the Illuminated Royal Bloodline, in direct line from Isildur (king Salomon). Arwen (Spirit) to me symbolizes the full circle, when the blue-blooded king of the Illuminati bloodline sits on the throne to rule over mankind, possessing secret knowledge through Arwen (Spirit).
The following is taken from Eric Barger's Take a Stand Ministries: http://www.ericbarger.com/lotr.c.c.2.htm
SIX MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE FANTASY OF J.R.R, TOLKIEN and C.S. LEWIS
1) The Identity of God - Tolkien wrote in a letter that the chief purpose of life is "to increase our knowledge of God," but the idea of God contained in his writing is very different from the Biblical revelation of God. Dr. Ralph C. Wood, an expert on Tolkien's work, described Tolkien's concept of God as "a remote supreme being who rules the universe through 'lesser gods' or ruling spirits, an idea much closer to Norse and Celtic mythology than the caring personal God of the Bible." This concept is indeed evident in his stories.
Interesting as well is the fact that Tolkien was fluent in several languages including Latin, medieval Welsh, Anglo-Saxon, and Gothic, a form of ancient German. I don't want to make too much of this, but could it be that in his obviously fertile mind, Tolkien simply mixed his study of the Dark Ages with the story of Christ where he produced a wizard hero with moral absolutes? Dr. Ralph Wood, the award-winning professor from Baylor and Wake Forest Universities and renowned expert on Tolkien agrees, stating: "Tolkien was caught on the cusp that joins two worlds: the traditional Christian world of angels and demons and dream-visions wherein the natural and the supernatural were inextricably interwoven, and the modern world where space and time have been radically relativized by scientific discovery, psychological exploration, and imaginative invention."
He also invented several new languages, one of which he deemed "Elvish." He was quoted as saying that the entire Rings came to him as a result of the new language he had created. Today there exists a society called the "The Elvish Linguistic Fellowship" dedicated to "the scholarly study of the invented languages of J.R.R. Tolkien." One has to wonder if the same spiritual forces that skewed his view of God may also have filled his new-fangled vocabulary as well?
While Tolkien exhibited some strange and cultic ideas about who God is, Lewis affirmed the idea of Godhood for man (misquoting Psalm 82) in not one but two of his books: Beyond Personality (London: The Centenary Press, 1945), p.48 and Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan Company, 1952), p.174-175. Though I didn't find information that indicated that he was endeared to any other Mormon doctrine, I was particularly sensitive to his statements on this.
2) The Finished Creative Work of God – Tolkien affirmed his faith in the One God who created the universe. But his mythical God stopped creating before the work was finished, and then turned the rest over to a group of lesser gods or "sub-creators." In other words, Tolkien invented a hierarchy of deities that defied the Biblical God's wise warnings concerning both real and imagined idolatry. - (The Letters of J. R. R Tolkien, Humphrey Carpenter, editor (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1981), page 284)
3) Tolkien taught reincarnation – Besides his extensive use of unbiblical themes such as elves, gnomes, dwarves and wizards and other creatures empowered with magical skills, he gave his elves the certainty of unconditional eternal life teaching overt reincarnation. Humans, on the other hand, are not afforded such in Tolkien's fantasy. Their lives -- with rare exceptions -- must end with their physical death.
In "The Fellowship of the Rings" Gandalf falls into the depths of Moria and dies, just to reincarnate later, much wiser, from Gandalf the Grey to Gandalf the White. Here is Tolkien:
"Gandalf is not, of course, a human being (Man or Hobbit). There are naturally no precise modern terms to say what he was. I would venture to say that he was an incarnate 'angel'...
And now this:
"This incarnate "angel" wouldn't fit into the host of Biblical angels. But he could well fit in the hierarchy of "devas" or "angels" and ascended masters in the elaborate spiritual system called Theosophy or "Ancient Wisdom." Popularized by Madame Helena Blavatsky, this esoteric blend of Hinduism and Western occultism received its doctrines from "ascended masters" or spirit guides such as Djhwal Khul who channeled his messages to the medium Alice Bailey."
Instead of the Christian's hope of eternal life, Tolkien's world offers reincarnation -- but only for a select group. This popular notion defies the Scriptures that tell us that "it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment..." (Heb 9:27)
Concerned about this contradiction, the manager of a bookstore asked Tolkien if he might have "over-stepped the mark in metaphysical matters." Tolkien wrote this response, "'Reincarnation' may be bad theology (that surely, rather than metaphysics) as applied to Humanity... But I do not see how even in the Primary world any theologian or philosopher, unless very much better informed about the relation of spirit and body than I believe anyone to be, could deny the possibility of reincarnation as a mode of existence, prescribed for certain kinds of rational incarnate creatures." (The Letters of J. R. R Tolkien, page 189)
Tolkien also overstepped the biblical mark by building ancestor worship into the storyline – one of the pagan world's most revered practices.
4) Both Tolkien and Lewis endorsed drinking alcohol and smoking and did so in their personal lives – This may seem trivial to some but it should be pointed out. Lewis wrote these themes in his children's books and also included swearing in the stories as well. Tolkien's Rings includes characters engaged in smoking.
5) Both J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were initiated in the H.O.G.D. (The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn), which is a deeply occult, black magic secret society. - A high initiated witch related that both Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were initiated in the H.O.G.D. (The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn), which is a deeply occult, black magic secret society. (The "Order of the Golden Dawn" was primarily made up of mystical "Christians" and former followers of Madame Blavatsky the founder of the Theosophical Society that still adhered to Luciferianism.) During a discussion about Tolkien and his work, this male witch commented that "The Hobbit" and the rest of the Middle-Earth series was merely an elementary 'primer' for witchcraft. He was even a bit irritated at the lack of background knowledge about Tolkien among the people gathered. Later he added C.S. Lewis to the conversation as another well known literary figure who was initiated in the H.O.G.D. If this is true or not is hard to say, but it is interesting and well worth looking further into. However, there are more indications that both Tolkien and Lewis had Golden Dawn connections. Charles Williams was a friend of Lewis and Tolkien and also a member of the H.O.G.D. Williams along with Tolkien and Lewis, were members of a close knit Oxford reading group known as "The Inklings." This is almost certainly where Lewis arrived at his extra-biblical ideas concerning the Holy Grail and other mid-evil myths.
6) Occult Desensitization – If it happened to Tolkien and Lewis then it could happen to us. I have pointed out consistently for several years that the Harry Potter books were conditioning unsuspecting minds worldwide to accept the occult as normal. It isn't that every reader of the Potter or Rings series is going to somehow automatically become a witch or sorcerer. The concern is that many will be endeared to these satanic ideas because of the psychological alliances they have made with the characters they've read about and cheered for through the pages of the books or on the silver screen.
If the mind lives for any substantial amount of time in the fantasy realm of the occult, sorcery and witchcraft, there is certainly a possibility that when facing the same occultism in real life that our human response will not be one that immediately opposes it. It is obvious that rather than rejecting the occult, what is happening is that entire generations are increasingly reacting in a positive fashion to its practices and practitioners. Smaller, yet more tragic are the numbers from this group who are not just favorably reading about Satan's playground of sorcery and spells but are instead desirous to actually participate in it! Our response as Christians is to understand that the occult – the same practices promoted by Tolkien's heroes – is repulsive in the site of God. He condemns such in no uncertain terms with the use of the word "abomination" three times in Deuteronomy 18:9-12. The Hebrew word here is the strongest condemnatory language used in the entire Bible on any issue! Dare we react in any other way? We had better call evil "evil" and never confuse it for "good."
- First, though Lewis and Tolkien may have been Christians and though their works may be endorsed by many fine evangelicals, this does NOT necessarily place God's stamp of approval on ALL they may have written. These men may have written some good works in the minds of some, but the use of "white vs. black magick" imagery in their fantasies is totally out of sync with Biblical truth.
- Second, as I close, I want to reiterate a previous point that in the day when these two men were composing their fantasies, witchcraft and the occult had not risen to such a prominent place of respectability that it has today. Again, this in no way excuses Lewis or Tolkien but does explain why their stories may have gone for so long without much consternation in Christian circles. Now we know better. Remember also that in the 1940s relative standards of morals had not become the norm for the culture. It is indeed a different day today. Because of that, we must react differently to fiction which offers the answer to overcome one evil ("black" magick) with merely a different dose of the same poison ("white" magick). Both are just as deadly and will surely take their toll unless recognized for the satanic tool which they are.
Though the Scripture tells us, "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. From all appearance of evil refrain yourselves." (I Thessalonians 5:21-22), we should rightfully be troubled by the lack of biblical thinking reflected in the worldview of many in the church today. Many Christians seem resolved to allow their feelings, culture and emotions to rule the entertainment choices that they make. The result is that some have allowed God's scriptural principles to take a back seat when making critical decisions about what to allow into their hearts and minds. As I have ministered on these issues over the last two decades, I have often wondered what part of this passage from I Thessalonians it is that so many Christians seem not to understand? Where is the biblical worldview and spiritual discernment that scripture clearly demands from followers of Christ? Tragically, it may be nearly nonexistent, for George Barna has reported that only 9% of born-again adults actually hold a biblical worldview! This fact should shock us all.
Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter are not the real problem, but merely a symptom. It is the lack of critical biblically-based thinking that is the problem. My prayer is that in every choice you make you'll allow the Scripture to solely and completely guide you. The only way this will be possible though is for each of us to feast on it daily, making it a lamp and light to guide our paths, that we might not transgress against the God of the universe. If we'll follow this rule we'll receive His richest and fullest blessings on our lives, families and homes.
The awesome
Bayside Prophecies...
These prophecies came from Jesus, Mary, and the saints to Veronica Lueken at Bayside, NY, from 1968 to 1995:
There is no such group as a good witch...
"They [children] must not join occult groupings. There is no such group as a good witch or a bad witch. My children, they all are under the rule of satan!" - Our Lady of the Roses, August 14, 1979
Sorcery and Mind - Control...
Our Lady - "My child and My children, the greatest anguish of heart that We suffer now is because of the sorcery that has come into the lives of many of your children. We call this sorcery, My children, because there has been a combination of the practice of the occult, witchcraft, with drugs. The minds of your children are being destroyed and distorted by the use of mind - controlling agents from hell. And I say from hell, My children, because it is a diabolical plan of satan to control the minds of your children.
"O parents, if I could only allow you to see into your near future - and I say near, because your near future is not counted by years but months now.
"You will find that sin is truly insanity. Children shall rise up against their parents and put them to death. Murder shall be rampant in your streets, My children. And why? Because you have now set up another god to worship, a god of materialism and atheism." (10-6-77)
No goodness in witchcraft...
Our Lady - "Now, My child, you will listen well and repeat.
"The practice of sorcery and witchcraft has become widespread in your country and many nations upon earth. There is no goodness in witchcraft, for it is directed by satan, the master of deceit.
"My children, there are only two forces now upon earth - good and evil, light and darkness. You are now being tested, and you must now make your choice. Which side shall you join - the road that leads to eternal damnation, the road of darkness of spirit, or will you walk the road to Heaven, the road filled with light?" (11-1-77)
Powers of witchcraft not to be tested...
Our Lady - "Your children are being debased and defiled through sorcery, drugs, and indoctrinated through your schools. The powers of witchcraft must not be tested, for forces are now loosed upon your earth. The supernatural must be recognized, for it is evident that too few are preparing themselves for these days you are living in." (11-1-77)
Witchcraft is diabolical...
Jesus - "He will promote in mankind a form of insanity, for sin is insanity. Man will descend to the level of the animal, degrading his body, committing murder, extermination of the elderly, extermination of the ill, destruction of the youth. Sorcery, drugs, witchcraft, My children. And don't laugh now: the snickers will be your downfall. Witchcraft is here now upon earth. It is no farce; it is no story; it is a fact. For it is diabolical and the coming force of demons." (2-10-78)
Purge from your schools the practice of the occult...
Our Lady - "My children, you will make a concerted effort to take and purge from your schools the practice of the occult. Already, many of your children have entered into these secret societies without your knowledge, and they are propagating it throughout your country and the countries of the world."- October 1, 1977
Crucifix to guard entrances to home…
Jesus - "I must reveal, My children, to the world again, that you are to keep a crucifix on your front door and your back door. All entrances to your home must be guarded by the crucifix. There has not been one home on Long Island that had a crucifix on its door that did fall to any evil. I do not speak of the trees, My child; I speak of mankind. You did not know a major disaster as has happened, My children, in Mexico. You see, My child, I set you down in that area to bring the word to mankind, and it was through these words that many listened and the passed through the horrible experience of a hurricane." (10-5-85)
Keep the sacramentals that have been given to you through the ages of your
world's time...
Jesus - "I bless you, My children, and I diffuse among you the graces for conversion and cure. Keep the sacramentals that have been given to you through the ages of your world's time. They have been given for reason. Do not cast them aside, for when you do thus you will cast aside your protection against satan and his agents who are loose now in full battle upon earth." (2-10-73)
Keep your sacramentals about your necks...
Our Lady - "Keep your sacramentals about your necks. I say about your necks, not for decoration, but because many shall flee with only what they have on their bodies! It is now a supernatural protection, My children, that you have: your medals, your scapulars, and even your Rosary, your beads of prayer about your neck, your children's necks and all those who wish to be saved.
"The monuments, the statues, must be kept in your homes. As it was in the days of old, the angel of death shall pass by those who retain the monuments in their homes." (5-18-77)
Directives from Heaven... http://www.tldm.org/directives/directives.htm
D9 - Sacramentals PDF
D13 - Secret Societies PDF
D44 - The Occult PDF
D45 - UFOs PDF
D116 - The Supernatural PDF
D149 - Satanism, Part 1 PDF
D150 - Satanism, Part 2 PDF
D151 - Possession PDF
D153 - Astrology PDF
D221 - Idolatry PDF
D222 - Paganism PDF
Common misconceptions about possession...
Pope Benedict opposes Harry Potter novels...
World-famous exorcist says that the devil is behind Harry Potter, luring children into the occult...
Rome's Chief Exorcist Warns Parents Against Harry Potter, Family Life Center International, January 2, 2002
Potter prompts courses in witchcraft
Harry Potter tops US 'complaint' chart
New Mexico church plans Harry Potter book burning
Witchcraft fears keep Fargo kids from Harry Potter
We encourage everyone to print or email copies of this web page to all the Bishops and all the clergy. Also, email or send this web page to the news media and as many people as possible.
"My children, My little humble children, I appeal to you as your Mother, go forward on foot, knock on the doors; bring the light to your brothers and sisters. For those who have been given great grace, much is expected of them." - Our Lady of the Roses, May 26, 1976
"As disciples of the latter days, My children, much shall be asked of you, but I assure you: all that you give in faith and charity shall be returned to you threefold." - Jesus, June 1, 1978
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Revised: April 02, 2012


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2nd FASP February Minutes
Academic Senate
California State University, Chico
Chico, California 95929-020
(530) 898-6201
February 16, 2012
2:30 p.m., Kendall 209
Present: Clower, Cooprider, Deleon, Gampel, Gundlach, Hyunjung (Rehg), Kirchhoff, Kotar, Long, McCabe, Meadows, Miller, Mittman, Monet, Rehg, Schademan (Monet), Schierenbeck, Sistrunk, Smith, Traver Absent: Allen, Fairbanks, Payne, Postma, Root,
Meeting began at 2:40, Kotar presiding.
1. Minutes of the February 9, 2012 meeting were approved with no changes
2. Announcements: London Long – elections for A.S. legislative affairs applications closed
3. Proposed revision of The Constitution of the Academic Senate, to clarify membership qualifications. (Action). Refer to Senate Membership Proposal.
Kotar mentioned email from Debra Cooprider – concern on Article III, Sec 1. #7 Student Services Professional in capitals specifies a type of staff person; Cooprider had proposed lower case letters to indicate broader category of staff eligible to serve on Senate.
Clarification on phrase in Article VIII to also put it in Article III Sec 3. College Members. Moved by Meadows, seconded Kotar. Discussion: Some grammar changes should be made; this would open it to FERP faculty. McCabe (paraphrased): Not many faculty would opt for this position; those interested are likely to be involved with faculty issues anyway, but no damage to do this, it only opens it up for them to be elected. Sistrunk: concern as to whether a FERP faculty, as a retired member, should represent faculty, without actually teaching (since they are retired)? Should constitution be changed for an individual circumstance? Clarification was made that FERP faculty are under contract for the time that they are employed by the university, and thus are considered members of the faculty (Meadows). Concern over how FERP is taken – half-time for both semesters, or one semester on, one semester off approach. Comment that most take the one on/one off approach.
Clower – support for McCabe position; a retired teacher is still a teacher.
Gampel – active campaigns not usually run for this position; mostly an automatic process. Does it make sense to have a FERPer on a senate with 23 people total? Does not see a need to make a change to constitution for what may be for a specific individual circumstance.
Mittman: position of greater value to an individual earlier in career as opposed to later. For institution, what is better? Someone with knowledge of history or more of a vested interest in the institution? Gently inclined against it. Later added that it doesn't seem appropriate to make a change to constitution for one person's situation.
Kirchhoff – FERP has a listening voice, and can help with years of experience; FERP usually done full time for one semester, as opposed to half-time for year;
McCabe – broad descript of FERP faculty is not appropriate. Many dedicated.
Gampel – call for secret ballot, as it may affect a specific person; vote is for a change to the constitution; if approved, then language can be worked on. Result: revision to the constitution passed.
Wordsmithing ensued on specific language changes.
Motion to amend document to change Student Services Professional in Sec 1 #7 to lower case so others can also qualify (Cooprider; Sistrunk second) to clear up classification confusion. Motion passed by voice vote.
4. Revision of FPPP 8.1.b.2, to clarify that courses selected for student evaluation of teaching can be from self-support courses. (Introduction). Refer to FPPP Sec 8 Modifications document.
Kotar summarized the issue. Can a person self-select a course that they want to have SETs done on? Nursing, for example, has some courses only offered in self-support sessions. Recommends language proposed. Moved as an introduction item.
What is self-support? Clarified – courses offered through RCE, which means the cost is borne entirely by the student; no state funds support the course. What is downside? Kotar: none. Broadens courses available to use for SETs, instead of only state-assisted courses being allowed. Instructors were being told self-supported courses were not allowed, despite the FPPP not specifically forbidding SET use in self-support (i.e., RCE) courses. Passed by voice vote (Introduction)
5. Revision of FPPP 8.1.a.2 and 8.2.d.5, to remove ambiguity regarding required classroom visitation for faculty under review. (Introduction). Refer to FPPP Sec 8 Modifications document.
Kotar summarized issue; lots of questions from department chairs regarding visits; why differences for temp faculty. Question regarding on-line courses; Purpose of the revision is to standardize paragraphs. Discussion revolved around whether there is a need for class visits every year; could be a huge workload issue, depends on how department distributes workload – is it only the personnel committee involved or the whole department? Discussion showed that this differed across campus. Can we require reviews outside of the year when a faculty is up for review? Should we dictate to departments how or leave it up to them? Some members expressed favor for having more visits, as it helps to get feedback from peers on their teaching. Apparently, tenured faculty only have classroom visits once every five years.
This brought up comments from some members for a desire for more mentoring. Mentoring discussion: should we mandate a mentoring visit? Could be more valuable, but if it was outside of evaluation process, may be more realistic. Effectiveness of mentoring depends on several factors – willingness of both parties, whether it is done formally or informally, etc. Might be counter-productive to force it.
After discussion, Kotar withdrew the proposed revision to the FPPP for further evaluation and introduction at a later date.
6. Call for volunteers for a subcommittee on a resolution on shared governance. Tim Sistrunk, Kristina Schierenbeck. and Teresa Miller volunteered;
7. Adjourned at 4:10
Submitted by M. Rehg
Comments attributed to members of the committee should not be construed to be direct quotes.

subset: commoncrawl


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Sen. Blanche Lincoln helped sink the proposed Employee Free Choice Act, which would have made labor organizing much easier. Now the Democrat is headed to a primary runoff against Arkansas Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, thanks in part to a massive multimillion-dollar campaign effort by the AFL-CIO and the SEIU that paid off for the unions in Tuesday's primary.
Lincoln is seeking a third term in the U.S. Senate.
Even if Lincoln wins the primary runoff, she faces a tough fight in the general election. The labor movement, by targeting Lincoln and other imperiled Democratic incumbents who opposed the Employee Free Choice Act and health care reform, has really been showing its teeth. —PZS
Washington Post:
Working America started eight weeks ago with six organizers. At its peak, the group sent 45 paid workers a day to knock on doors, Holmes said. In all, the group spoke to about 90,000 people in 27 towns and sent 1.75 million pieces of pro-Halter mail.
A pairing of the Service Employees International Union and the Communications Workers of America reached an additional 85,400 prospective voters who agreed to discuss the Senate campaign, said Jon Youngdahl, SEIU national political director.
SEIU, which has only 1,000 members in the state, spent more than $1.5 million, including a $1 million television buy, Youngdahl said. The national AFL-CIO spent $3 million or more on Halter's behalf, spokesman Eddie Vale said.
Flickr / AFL-CIO (CC-BY)
Bill Halter (wearing tie) will be Sen. Blanche Lincoln's opponent in a Democratic primary runoff for the U.S. Senate.


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You're sitting in front of the idiot box minding your own business, watching some innocuous program, just a little diversion to take you out of the realities of your daily life, when suddenly out of nowhere you're hit with a guilt trip. A commercial for a worthy charity comes on using graphic images of its pathetic victims, playing on the viewer's emotions in an attempt to shame you into giving. The idea of the spot is to rip my heart out so much that I will jump up and run to my checkbook, and with tears in my eyes, write out a substantial donation to the organization.
Well, here's a news flash for all you charitable organizations who employ this technique: It doesn't work … at least not with me. I don't run for my checkbook; I run for the TV remote and either mute the ad or switch channels altogether. And I mentally cross that particular organization off my giving list. You see, I don't appreciate being emotionally manipulated. It feels like I'm being conned, and I don't like getting conned. Some of these spots remind me of pitiful beggars on street corners reaching to grab you as you walk by, crying out, "PLEASE…. HELP ME … PLEASE!"
My wife and I give to many worthy causes all year long. It's something that we have always done and we believe everyone should give what they can to their favorite charities. But I really resent being shamed into it. Don't parade the crippled children in front of me, don't show me starving babies in Africa with flies crawling over their crying faces, and don't show me wounded veterans unable to hold their kids in their arms because they have no arms.
The Department of Health and Human Services has jumped on the bandwagon of late and has cranked up the horror with their anti-smoking ads. They show people literally dying in beds, hooked up to tubes coughing their guts up. They think the only way to get people to quit smoking is to scare the crap out of them.
I know horrible things happen all over the world all the time and we, who are more fortunate, need to help those who are in trouble and hurting — I get it, really. You don't have to shock me into doing what's right; just ask me nicely for help without rubbing my face in it. You don't have to freak me out with horror images; if you make your case in a tasteful way, chances are I'll pitch in with a few bucks to help. It's all in how you approach me.
Watching this year's Westminster dog show I was happy to see that the new sponsor, Purina PetCare, has taken a more positive approach to their commercials than those of the previous sponsor, Pedigree, which ran spots in years past of sad dogs in cages waiting to take that final walk. This year we didn't have to look away when the ads came on showing pitiful little faces peering out from behind dirty, rusted bars of a cage and practically saying, "PLEASE … HELP ME!"
Westminster spokesman and longtime TV host David Frei said, "The feedback we got from our primary audience was that they were seeing commercials that made them want to turn the channel." Frei said he thought the Pedigree commercials took the wrong approach. Backed by viewers who either muted the spots or flipped the channel and didn't turn back, he said to Pedigree, "Show me an ad with a dog with a smile. Don't try to shame me." Frei said, "We told them [Pedigree] that and they ignored us." So Westminster switched to Purina.
"Our show is a celebration of dogs," Frei said. "We're not promoting purebreds at the expense of non-purebreds. We celebrate all dogs. When we're seeing puppies behind bars, it takes away from that. Not just because it's sad, but it's not our message." Purina's main spots feature dogs running on the beach, catching a Frisbee, frolicking in the snow, and riding a surfboard: wonderful, positive, loving images of dogs, not guilt trips.
Purina's ads are based on a theme: Inside every good dog is a great dog. Its main 60-second spot shows lots of wagging tails — there are therapy dogs, rescue dogs, guide dogs, show dogs, household pets, and a playful pooch greeting a serviceman. If only charities would take a page out of the Westminster approach I might start running for my checkbook again instead of the TV remote.


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About the Book
Let's face it…even if you really, really love a blog, there is almost no chance that you are going to go back and read months and months worth of material. It's just too difficult and not yet comfortable enough.
This book is a response to customer demand. Or perhaps I should say, community demand?
"Jeremy, I really like your blog. How can I get caught up with your past posts?"
So, the idea of the "Blook" (blog + book = blook) summarizing the first year of post-Microsoft blogging was born. Although I had been blogging personally for 8 years and professionally for about 2.5, the year of leaving Microsoft, starting a business (in a recession), and trying to revolutionize the way marketing is done, was full of material that my wonderful editor, Mary Mygie Capina, and I thought would be a great primer for those trying to understand the radically changing future of marketing.
So, here you go….enjoy!
(Note: the term "blook" was introduced to me by Seth Godin while reading "Small Is The New Big." I didn't invent it.)
And when you are done, visit the actual blog at www.neverstopmarketing.com
Features & Details
- Category Blogs
Standard Portrait, 7.75×9.75 in, 20×25 cm
38 Pages
- Publish Date Jan 27, 2010
- Tags social media, community, marketing
About the Creator
A "Marketing Navigator," Jeremy helps companies build Community Driven Marketing engines, a patent-pending methodology for identifying "Raving Fans" and then activating those fans into cost-effective marketing asset . Jeremy spent almost 6 years at Microsoft developing revenue-producing communities and authoring one of Microsoft's most successful marketing blogs (over 110k views/month). A two-time entrepreneur, with international business experience in Germany and Japan, and a passionate technologist (don't get him started), Jeremy's current clients as head of Never Stop Marketing include Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, Yes To Carrots, and NY Times best-selling author, Dan Pink . A native of Washington, DC Jeremy is married to a former NYC Narcotics prosecutor (no, that's not how they met) and has 3 children under the age of 6 (so coffee is a food group!) You can read his blog at www.ignitingtherevolution.com or find him on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Plaxo, and FriendFeed.
Log in or create an account to post a comment.


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Another video sees the Olympics swimmer missing his final competition, thanks to ticket-scalper duo Patrick Stewart and Maisie Williams.
Fresh off his multiple wins at 2012 Olympic Games, Ryan Lochte makes an acting debut in not just one but two Funny or Die videos. One of the sketches reveals what to expect from the Gold medalist post his Olympic Games.
Making fun of his own comment about peeing in a swimming pool, Ryan says he has a book "Fifty Shades of Yellow" and an album by his alter ego Peeablo coming out. He also plans a campaign that targets youngsters.
Grimacing at the idea of using a toilet, the 28-year-old swimmer says, "The way I see ... the pool is the biggest and most expensive toilet and it's all mine. Yes I can only pee in the pool. I usually just hold it in until I get to the pool."
In the other video, Ryan gets robbed by Patrick Stewart and Maisie Williams when running into them while on his way to the final Olympics event. He ends up being knocked out cold by the two and loses his most precious Olympics ticket of all.
The ticket scalper and his young assistant then sell the ticket to a passerby who happens to be Simon Pegg. The "Star Trek" actor looks so happy until he is handed swimming trunks and shows up among the competing swimmers.
Pee in the Pool:
Ticket Scalper:


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Flames NewsFlames Home > Field Hockey Home > News
Liberty Falls at Home to William & Mary
The Liberty Lady Flames field hockey team saw its two-game winning streak come to an end Sunday afternoon, falling to the Tribe of William & Mary, 3-0.
With the loss, Liberty drops to 2-2 on the year. Meanwhile, the Tribe remains unbeaten at 4-0 despite being limited to a season-low three goals on the afternoon.
Early on in the contest, William & Mary applied pressure to the Lady Flames' defense with seven shots. The Liberty defense was up to the task, turning away each of those shots to keep the game scoreless. Liberty goalkeeper Brooke Morley recorded two saves in that span.
With 13:34 remaining in the first half, the game was halted due to lightning in the area. The delay lasted for two hours and 32 minutes.
After play resumed, the Tribe continued to pressure the Liberty defense before finally breaking through with just under two and a half minutes left in the first half. William & Mary's Jesse Ebner converted from close range off of a feed from Maria Caro to give the Tribe the 1-0 lead heading into the half.
In the second half, Liberty's defense once again played tough, but the William & Mary offense was too much as they were able to find the back of the cage twice more in the half.
Allison Moran converted from the right wing off of a pass from Brittany Hopkins to push the lead to 2-0. The goal was Moran's third of the season.
With less than eight minutes remaining in the contest, Moran came out of a scramble in front of the Liberty goal with the ball and fed teammate Pip Saunders who snuck it past Morley for the Tribe's third and final goal of the game.
Liberty's offense remained without a shot until the six and a half minute mark of the second half. Off of a penalty corner, shot attempts by the Lady Flames' Natalie Barr and Abby Batdorf were both stopped by the Tribe's defense.
For the game, William & Mary outshot the Lady Flames, 21-2, and had five penalty corners to Liberty's two.
Morley finished with six saves for Liberty, while William & Mary goalkeeper Elizabeth Frey pitched a shutout without having to make a save.
The win marked the 300th career victory for William & Mary head coach Peel Hawthorne.
Liberty's three-game homestand concludes on Saturday at 11 a.m. as the Lady Flames play host to Penn.


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'Dads Split Doubleheader in Hagerstown
Crawdads take game on 7-3; fall 4-3 in heartbreaking game two
By Aaron Cox / Hickory Crawdads | May 1, 2014 11:24 PM ET
Hickory, NC - After sitting for two days with back-to-back rainouts in Hagerstown the Hickory Crawdads were finally back in action Thursday night, splitting their doubleheader against the Suns with a 7-3 win in game one and a 4-3 loss in the nightcap from Municipal Stadium.
Game one saw the 'Dads offense come through with seven runs on nine hits, including a 3-4 night with 3 RBIs from Evan Van Hoosier. The second game was a back and forth affair that included four lead changes before the Suns scored the winning run on a Hickory error in the bottom of the 7th for a 4-3 'Dads loss.
Van Hoosier got the Hickory offense rolling in the first inning of game one, doubling off the center field wall before scoring two batters later on an RBI groundout by Ronald Guzman for a 1-0 Crawdads lead.
The Suns quickly tied up the game at 1-1 with a run in the bottom of the first, but the 'Dads took advantage of a costly Hagerstown error to plate four unearned runs and take a 5-1 lead in the second. Following a Kellin Deglan single to start the frame, Eduard Pinto laid down a sacrifice bunt that Suns pitcher Austin Voth threw high to second to allow both runners to reach safely. Travis Demeritte followed with a bunt single to load the bases with nobody out.
Strikeouts to both Jairo Beras and Nick Urbanus threatened to undo the inning, but Van Hoosier came through again with a 3-RBI, bases clearing double off the center field wall. Nick Vickerson followed with a double of his own to center to score Van Hoosier and put the 'Dads up by four.
The Suns narrowed the deficit to 5-3 with a pair of runs in the 4th, but the Crawdads answered with single runs in the 6th and 7th for the final 7-3 margin. Van Hoosier ended the game 3-4, with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored, while Vickerson finished 2-4 with two doubles, a RBI, and a run scored.
Hickory relief pitcher Ryne Slack (2-0) earned the win with two shutout frames out of the bullpen. Voth (0-2) took the loss for Hagerstown after allowing a season-high five runs, one earned, on six hits and five strikeouts over five innings pitched.
The nightcap started much quieter than it's predecessor, with an unearned run by the Suns in the second giving the team a 1-0 lead through three innings. The Crawdads responded in the 4th when Demeritte lined his team-leading 4th homer run of the year to right, a 2-run shot to give the 'Dads a 2-1 advantage.
Hagerstown quickly came back with a run in the bottom of the 4th to tie the score at 2-2, before third baseman Drew Ward hit a solo blast to right for a 3-2 Suns lead in the 5th. Ward would finish the game going 4-4 with a homer, following a game one in which he walked in all three plate appearances.
The Crawdads had one last rally in them, as Nomar Mazara drove in Van Hoosier with an RBI single to right to tie the game again at 3-3 in the top of the 7th. The 'Dads would eventually load the bases in the inning with only one out, but Demeritte grounded into an inning-ending double play to keep the score tied.
In the bottom of the 7th it was a pair of errors by Urbanus at third that proved to be the Crawdads undoing. The Suns used Urbanus' first miscue to help put runners at second and third with two outs, before Hickory reliever Cody Kendall induced a ground ball to third. Urbanus threw wide of first however, allowing the run to score from third and giving the 'Dads a 4-3 loss.
Hagerstown reliever Justin Thomas (1-2) earned the win despite blowing the save in the 7th with one run allowed on two hits. Kendall (1-2) was the hard luck loser for the Crawdads, after allowing the unearned run in the bottom of the 7th.
Van Hoosier had another good game in the loss, finishing 2-4 with a double and a run scored. Beras went 2-3 with a double while Demeritte ended the night 1-3 with a home run, two RBIs, and a hit-by-pitch.
The twin bill split leaves the Crawdads (12-13) seven games back of the Suns (19-6) in the South Atlantic League Northern Division. The 'Dads will now travel to Kannapolis to start a 4-game series with the Intimidators. Game one on Friday is scheduled for 7:05 pm.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.View More


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How To Live A Life With All Heart & No Regret – Jenna Phillips Ballard
Jenna Phillips Ballard is the founder of Ascension Leadership Academy, which is an elite training center for individuals who are committed to elevating every area of their life.
In this episode, Jenna breaks down how her hardships that have allowed her to help other people to self-discovery through motivational speaking and life coaching. She encourages others to be true to their authentic selves as they move forward in the journey of life. Her perspective on life is incredibly inspiring and she enjoys sharing what she has learned with others.
Check out this podcast interview with Jenna to learn how to embrace your heart and live without regrets:
Amazing. This audio was extremely inspiring.
Wow!! This is a must listen! I was going through certain phases in life and I was not sure what it was. This helped me label them and understand where I was going wrong. Moreover, I could relate to so many situations Jenna has been through. A lot of wisdom to be absorbed. I downloaded the file and will be listening to it numerous times. Keep up the good work 🙂


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/5/2014 (1158 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
As Winnipeg's self-proclaimed biggest cheapskate, Jeremy Bradley has been cutting costs and looking for creative ways to save money.
Bradley, a syndicated radio host and entertainment reporter, is author of The Official Guide to Being a Winnipeg Cheapskate. He joins the Free Press Business section as an occasional video columnist.
This week's tip:
We have got more dining out tips for you this week in the Winnipeg Cheapskate segment at www.winnipegfreepress.com. Last time, we talked about beverage selection and feeding the kids. But what about other menu options? Have you ordered off the seniors menu even though you aren't quite old enough? If not, why not? I'll tell you why in this week's video.
Plus, do you like card games? I've got tips for how you can swap gift cards and still enjoy a free meal.


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A Tale of Two Liebermans.
"Is America a great country or what? (APPLAUSE)
Yes it is. God bless America, land that we love."
– Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, Los Angeles, Aug. 16, 2000
Like most American Jews, I'm a Democrat by tradition and temperament. Still, I understand why some Jews might not vote for Joe Lieberman. Nowhere is it written that you should vote for someone just because he's a Jew. For some American Jews, Lieberman is too liberal. For others, too conservative. Another reason why I like him: He doesn't quite fit in any box.
But what I don't get – I mean really don't – is how Jews can be so gripped by anxiety (even if filled with pride) over the nomination of a Jew for vice president. From where I sit in Jerusalem, to which I emigrated from Los Angeles 12 years ago, the collec-tive worrying of my American Jewish cousins over the candidacy of the honorable and immensely qualified Lieberman is a source of considerable ironic amusement. Ladies and gentlemen, what's your problem?
First of all, consider the contrast between the Old Country and the Old-New one, which can be boiled down to a Tale of Two Liebermans. Ours is called Avigdor, who landed here years back from the Soviet Union, began public life as a bouncer at a Hebrew University student pub, and ripened into a right-wing strongman with a small but strident Knesset party of his own called Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel is our home).
Adamantly opposed to a peace deal with the Palestinians and an embittered veteran of police investigation, he has lately been busy plotting the comeback of his buddy Bibi Netanyahu – with whom he shares a gift for the demagogic exploitation of the resentments that luxuriate in Israel's torrid social climate – on the shoulders of an implaus-ible but potentially formidable entente between politicians of Russian and Moroccan extraction, whose loyalists share little by way of values save a feeling of exclusion from the Israeli mainstream. If your Lieberman signals a new wind in national politics, with unpredictable ramifications, ours, I regret to tell you, does the same.
Next, on the matter of an Orthodox guy in the executive mansion: I fully understand how so many American Jews, brought up to believe with perfect faith that opening the store on Saturdays and eating like a normal person make a man wealthy, wise and upwardly mobile, are knocked off-balance, even made uncomfortable, by someone who won't drive on Shemini Atzeret and turned out anyway to be the most accomplished Jew – at least till November and hopefully beyond – in American political history. I also recognize that Lieberman is prone to invoke the Divinity with a frequency more usually associated with the kind of folks who give Jews willies, but let me remind you that you – as opposed to us – are protected from religious excess by a very high wall separating synagogue and state. Prime Minister Barak, his political future growing dimmer by the day, has just uncorked a plan to establish civil marriage and do away with the Ministry of Religious Affairs. A swell idea, so far as most Israelis are concerned, but about as likely at the moment as Arafat trading in his fatigues for an Armani suit. Is America a great country or what?
Here in the Holy Land, we have a brand-new president named Moshe Katsav, an amiable Likud apparatchik whose election by the Knesset over the heavily favored Nobel laureate Shimon Peres was no less shocking than Al Gore's anoint-ment of Joe Lieberman. Katsav is also an Orthodox Jew who wears his skullcap selectively, but there the resemblance ends.
Lieberman, in his debut interview with Larry King, said he had davened in Reform and Conservative shuls, and even a few churches in his time. Katsav's political patron is Shas party puppeteer Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, whose scurrilous comments about Arabs and Holocaust victims the new president was reluctant to denounce, preferring to scold two leading secular politicians for insufficient respect for religion. Katsav met with Israeli rabbis from the Reform and Conservative movements, the big news being that he told them he planned to be the president of all Israelis and would be happy to attend the movements' conferences – abroad, in order to promote aliyah. Presumably, if half a million Reform Jews move to Israel tomorrow, he may also attend their gatherings here.
Finally, what's gonna be? If Gore loses, will the Jews take the rap? If Bush wins, does it mean it will be a hundred years before another Jew gets picked? And if the Democrats win and God forbid something happens to Gore, there's Joe with his yarmulke in the Oval Office. But even if, God willing, Gore should live and be well, it's proof positive of the Elders of Zion – just look at the Internet!
Theodore Roosevelt, who named Oscar Straus commerce secretary back in 1906, first Jew in the cabinet, predicted there'd be a Jewish president someday. But is it healthy for us to be so successful, so conspicu-ous? What about the backlash? Look at Germany, look at Spain. What if the dot-com economy goes south? What if there's a war in Israel? What about dual loyalties, if the Arabs shut off the oil? Who'll get blamed? Won't it feel like a conspiracy? Greenspan, Rubin, Berger, Albright the Marrano, Lieberman?
Dear friends, it's only nervous Jews and anti-Semites who enjoy so fertile an imagination. In his classic story "The Sermon," the Israeli writer Haim Hazaz described the "moonlight psychology" of the Jews: "Persecution preserves us, keeps us alive. Without it, we couldn't exist. Did you ever see a community of Jews that was not suffering?" As an Israeli, I swell with pride that my American brethren, so often accused of assimilation, have upheld – in the face of such overwhelming obstacles – this glorious tradition.


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Boxing Day
The Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park
Friday, December 26, 2014 from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM (CST)
Who's Going
San Francisco, California
London, United Kingdom
Florence, Italy
Event Details
Join The Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park in celebrating the Hemingway Family's tradition of generosity on December 26th!
In medieval times on the day after Christmas, nobles presented gifts to people who lived on their land. Their gifts, intended to welcome outsiders as family, were presented in boxes, hence the name of the day. Traditional English music and food will entertain guests.
Once again, the Foundation is proud to partner with Books to Devour, which distributes reading material to food pantry patrons and builds community through literature and learning. Donations of books will be accepted at the Hemingway Birthplace and Museum during the month of December, and donors will receive admission to Boxing Day. Simply bring in your books on or before the day of the event, and receive a coupon for one free admission!
When & Where
The Hemingway Birthplace Home
339 N. Oak Park Ave.
Oak Park,
Friday, December 26, 2014 from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM (CST)
Add to my calendar


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I recently went through a difficult uninstall process with Adobe and their
technician had me create a new Administrator account to do this
(successfully). He did this by a process other than the regular Control
Panel|Users Accounts route but I do not remember the details. I had
previously not had to log-on because I was the only Administrator User. Now
I do and want to get rid of the Adobe-created administrator account that is
dictating this required log-on. Adobe tells me that they are only authorized
to create such accounts, not removed them!?*#$%
Can someone please tell me how to get rid of the unwanted Administrator


text:
Dotsies is an alphabet that uses dots instead of letters. It was invented by Craig Muth and is optimized for reading. The letters in each word smoosh together, so words look like shapes. Each letter has 5 dots arranged vertically that are either on or off (black or white). It currently has a mapping for English.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They
are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another
in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
More information about Dotsies
A Dotsies font is available from:
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text:
Kevin Mason
As the world crumbles apart and all beings, all objects, all atoms explode away from each other, the clutches of faith and hope seem to remain strongest, binding people together. And as every new morning comes without the glory of the sun, the senses of men grow cold like the darkness around them. And as the darkness flushes out the light as the light once flushed it out, we come closer to God, for we need Him now more than we ever have before. It seems that sometimes it takes desperation to make us into who we should have been all along. It is never to late to become what you might have been. . . .
We were exactly where we wanted to be. No, not quite, but closer than ever before. We were almost home. The overcast skies began to darken further as night grew closer. I continued down the road, staring at the ominous black apartment building. Every other structure around it had been leveled, but it stood strong. My home still stood strong. Our home.
"I've waited quite some time to see it. All these years," Micah breathed. "All these years. . . . "
Memories rushed back to me. The dark sky seemed barely as bright as I remembered it. The smells of smoke and death faded away and I remembered the smells of my home. The aroma of cake being baked in the small oven filled my senses. I could see my family around the table as my mother brought the freshly baked cake in and set it before us. My eyes began to fill and I pushed the memory away, blocking it out.
I looked back up at the black edifice and pulled my trench coat around me tightly. It was so cold. The wind never blew anymore, but it was still cold. The sun never shone anymore, and I still waited for it to cut through the oppressive clouds and shine its glory into my lost world.
I knew who had destroyed my home. And this city. And the world. They did it, all of it. The mysterious members of an evil cult with no name. The taste, the smell, and the color of blood attracted their vicious attacks. They had attacked this entire city destroying everything in their path and killing everything, but we survived, and we were the only ones who did; my brother and I.
I remembered what this place use to look like. The building standing tall and proud. The people walking down the sidewalk and driving past in their cars. The sun showering the bustling city with its golden rays. The smells and sounds and sights of a prosperous and happy city.
When I recalled the memories of the city, it seemed that it was a different place altogether. This city seemed so much different in my memories, so alive. But now, the city was dead. I desperately wanted the place I remembered back. That was all I wanted.
It had taken us only three years to get away from this place, but to get back it took five. Why is it always easier to runaway than to come back? Why is it always easier to give up than to stand up? Why is it always easier to shut up then to rise up?
Ahead of us, we heard the sounds of vehicles moving toward us. As the sound grew louder we heard the whooping of madmen. The cult was still present in the city. Micah and I looked at each other. No words were said, we knew what was going to happen now. We were not going to run away.
We smiled at each other and walked down the broken road toward our foes. Why is it always easier to give up than stand up? It's not, but most of us try the former without giving the latter a chance.
God is nowhere.
God is now here.
I am home.


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Leaf Rubbings Clipart
The Cut out Style Black and White Leaf design is part of our Leaf Menu Graphics collection. This clip art design is available exclusively from MustHaveMenus in EPS or JPG format.
black and white , leaf , leaves , nature , autumn , camps , fall , outdoors , retreats , fall graphic , leaf graphic , leaf accent


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The Oxyrhynchus Papyri Collection
The Oxyrhynchus Papyri Collection, which comprises the papyrus texts excavated by Grenfell and Hunt at Oxyrhynchus and other sites in Egypt and related materials, belongs mainly to the Egypt Exploration Society (apart from some personal items of Grenfell and Hunt), and is housed by Oxford University in its Sackler Library.The Society owns over 500,000 papyrus fragments, the largest collection of papyri in the world. The collection mainly comprises literary, documentary and other texts in Greek, dating from the third century BC to the seventh century AD, but also includes a few hundred texts each in Egyptian (hieroglyphic, hieratic, demotic, mostly Coptic), Latin and Arabic, and a very few in Hebrew and Aramaic, Syriac and Pahlavi. Most of these papyri come from the excavations of Bernard Grenfell and Arthur Hunt at ancient Oxyrhynchus in 1896/7 and from 1903 to 1906/7. Some of the Greek and Latin texts come from ancient village sites in the Fayyum and from the cemeteries of el-Hibeh where Grenfell and Hunt (see image at right) dug between 1895 and 1903, and from the 1913/14 excavations of John de M. Johnson at Antinoopolis. The Society also holds various records of the excavations and the distribution of the finds, including several hundred photographs taken by Hunt and Johnson (see here for further information on the Society's archives).
The Sackler Library provides a room equipped for the restoration, photography and decipherment of the papyri. Work is also carried out at University College London and the Institute of Classical Studies of the University of London. In the earlier years some papyri were sent to the Cairo Museum after publication, and others were distributed to appropriate museums and educational institutions in Great Britain and the North America to encourage interest in papyrology, but now all published papyri are retained to facilitate future re-examination and the possible joining of fragments.
Financial support for the care and publication of the collection, which is designated as a British Academy Major Project, is currently provided by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy.The EES appoints a Management Committee to oversee the collection and its publication. The current chairman of the committee is Professor D.W. Rathbone, King's College London. The basic work of organising the publication of the papyri is undertaken by a group of General Editors, at present Dr N. Gonis, Dr D. Obbink and Professor P. J. Parsons. They are appointed by the Management Committee and are jointly responsible to it for the assignment of papyri and the preparation of texts for publication in the annual volume of The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, a part of the Society's Graeco-Roman Memoirs series. They draw on the regular assistance of the Advisory Editors, currently Professors A. Benaissa, A. K. Bowman, G. B. D'Alessio and J. D. Thomas, and also contributions by many other papyrologists in the UK and abroad.
There is no single project or Director. The editing and publication of the papyri is a Major Research Project of the British Academy which provides some financial support. The physical publication is funded by the EES members who subscribe to the Graeco-Roman Memoirs. The preparation of texts for publication is funded mostly by a five-year grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, which includes the employment of two Research Associates. For the current quinquennium (September 2010 to August 2015) the grant-holder and Principal Investigator is Dr N. Gonis, University College London. The current Research Associates are Dr Daniela Colomo and Dr Ben Henry.
The collection website, POxy: Oxyrhynchus Online, provides digital images of most of the published papyri (except those which were distributed). These images are created by another project, 'Imaging Papyri in Oxford', directed by Dr Obbink. Requests to reproduce the images require the approval both of the Imaging Papyri project and of the Oxyrhynchus Papyri Management Committee.
Dr Daniela Colomo is responsible for the curatorial work and daily running of the collection. Requests to visit the collection, queries about published papyri and requests to reproduce images of them should be addressed to her in the first instance, at: firstname.lastname@example.com.
From 1898 up to 2014, 100 volumes of the Graeco-Roman Memoirs have been published, including 79 volumes of The Oxyrhynchus Papyri. All are available for consultation in the Society's Library. About 6,000 texts have been published, all with translations and commentaries in English. This makes it the best published of the world's big collections of papyri.
Permission to use Oxyrhynchus Project images
Requests to use images of the Society's papyri for books, films or electronic resources should be sent by e-mail or post to the London Office. Applicants should first check whether there is an image already available, and of adequate quality, on the website of the University of Oxford Imaging Papyri Project. Identify the papyrus text in which you are interested. The site has an online database of published items which can be searched by author, genre (type/content), date or keywords. Record the publication number (e.g. 2340; the volume number is not needed), and type it into the query box at the top left of the page.Note that the Society has photographs of some but not all of the papyri which were distributed to other institutions (that means documentary papyri which do not currently feature on the database of digital images), and permission to reproduce them must be sought from the institutions which now hold these papyri.
The Society normally charges a fee for reproduction of images in commercial books, films or electronic resources. Rates are available from the London Office. Fees are normally waived for use in academic or educational studies if the images are already online, although a charge to cover costs will be made if the request involves making an special image. If several images are used or the publication is commercial, the Society may also require a copy of the work - book or CD-ROM of film - for its Library.
All images of the Society's papyri must be acknowledged: 'Courtesy of the Egypt Exploration Society' and if acquired from the Imaging Project must be acknowledged 'Courtesy of The Egypt Exploration Society and the University of Oxford Imaging Papyri Project'.
Digital images created by the Oxford Imaging Papyri Project must not be made available on any open website.
EES Oxyrhynchus Papyri Assignment Policy (February 2015)
In line with other major papyrological collections, the Oxyrhynchus Papyri Management Committee (OPMC) of the Egypt Exploration Society (EES) is introducing a 5-year limit on assignments of texts for publication, after which the assignment of a text will lapse. Lapsed assignments can only be renewed, if the circumstances justify it, by application to the OPMC. The 5-year period for each text will begin from the first 1 January after the date of assignment. All assignments made before 2015, if the scholars wish them to continue, will be deemed to have re-started on 1 January 2015. Assignments may not be transferred to other scholars without the express permission of the OPMC.
Scholars experienced in publishing papyri are welcome to apply to the OPMC, normally through a General Editor, to publish texts relating to their research interests. Students being trained on degree programmes or workshops at Oxford, London and elsewhere, for which texts have been allocated by the OPMC, may also be invited by a General Editor (normally their supervisor) to publish a text.
The policy of the OPMC is that all texts from Grenfell and Hunt's Oxyrhynchus excavations on behalf of the EES must be published first by the EES in an Oxyrhynchus Papyri volume.
Further reading
P. Parsons, City of the Sharp-Nosed Fish. Greek Lives in Roman Egypt (Orion Books 2007).
A.K. Bowman and others (eds.), Oxyrhynchus. A City and its Texts (EES 2007).
M. Mountford, 'A day at the races in Byzantine Oxyrhynchus' in EA 41 (2012), 5-7
D.W. Rathbone, 'Grenfell and Hunt at Oxyrhynchus and in the Fayum', (in) ed. P. Spencer, The Egypt Exploration Society - The Early Years (EES 2007) 195-229.
E.G. Turner, 'The Graeco-Roman branch', (in) T.G.H. James (ed.), Excavating in Egypt. The Egypt Exploration Society 1882-1982 (EES 1982) 160-78.
Online images and other information: http://www.papyrology.ox.ac.uk/POxy/


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Kristen Stewart Lands in Vancouver to Film 'Breaking Dawn' (PHOTOS)
Kristen Stewart is back in town! The Twilight actress skipped the Oscars on Sunday to fly back to Vancouver to finish up filming for Breaking Dawn Part 1 and 2 with the rest of her cast mates.The young celeb flew in solo, despite reports that she was kissing and dancing with beau Robert Pattinson at a pre-Oscars bash at the Chateau Marmont on Friday. (Robert, for his part, was rumored to be presenting at the Oscars on Sunday night but was not present at the ceremony.)
Kristen, who recently broke her thumb during filming for Breaking Dawn in Louisiana, sported a bright blue cast on her hand.
Are you excited for the inevitable Breaking Dawn hysteria? Check out more photos of KStew at the airport and share your thoughts in the comments.


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It's time for the St. Louis Rams to leave the shelter of their Dome and come into the Jungle and face our 8-2 Cincinnati Bengals! And it's time for the Bengal Bomb Squad to tailgate!! Break out your recipes and ideas, bring a hearty appetite for fun, and come join the Bengal Bomb Squad in Lot 1!!
The theme is "Ram Roast in Da JUNGLE!" ... so think of some St. Louis recipes, something tasty to do w/ rams/sheep/lambs, or think of some creative names for your best recipe, and bring it to the party! We'll update the menu here as we here from attendees, so keep us posted what you're bringing
We'll be giving away a Bengal Bomb Squad koozy FREE w/ every tailgate donation of $10 or more! Donations also include raffle ticket, tailgate button, free lanyard, and discount coupons!


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This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Ca2+ is a universal signalling molecule involved in regulating cell cycle and fate, metabolism and structural integrity, motility and volume. Like other cells, red blood cells (RBCs) rely on Ca2+ dependent signalling during differentiation from precursor cells. Intracellular Ca2+ levels in the circulating human RBCs take part not only in controlling biophysical properties such as membrane composition, volume and rheological properties, but also physiological parameters such as metabolic activity, redox state and cell clearance. Extremely low basal permeability of the human RBC membrane to Ca2+ and a powerful Ca2+ pump maintains intracellular free Ca2+ levels between 30 and 60 nM, whereas blood plasma Ca2+ is approximately 1.8 mM. Thus, activation of Ca2+ uptake has an impressive impact on multiple processes in the cells rendering Ca2+ a master regulator in RBCs. Malfunction of Ca2+ transporters in human RBCs leads to excessive accumulation of Ca2+ within the cells. This is associated with a number of pathological states including sickle cell disease, thalassemia, phosphofructokinase deficiency and other forms of hereditary anaemia. Continuous progress in unravelling the molecular nature of Ca2+ transport pathways allows harnessing Ca2+ uptake, avoiding premature RBC clearance and thrombotic complications. This review summarizes our current knowledge of Ca2+ signalling in RBCs emphasizing the importance of this inorganic cation in RBC function and survival.
Ca2+ is a universal and ubiquitous signalling molecule [
This review summarizes the current knowledge on the regulation of RBC Ca2+ levels, Ca2+ dependent processes and the potential role that Ca2+ might play in the development of RBC pathologies. For obvious reasons this review makes no claim to be complete, but wants to draw attention to open questions and mechanisms to be resolved in the field of Ca2+ signalling in RBCs.
It was realised very early on that the inhibition of the energy supply in RBCs leads to a Ca2+ increase [
Increases in the intracellular free Ca2+ are sensed by the PMCA and occur in response to the interaction of the Ca2+ calmodulin complex with the
RBC-derived plasma membrane vesicles contain factors activating PMCA, such as arachidonic acid, ceramide and acidic phospholipids, whereas sphingosine suppresses its function [
Ca2+ influx through the plasma membrane of healthy human RBCs is extremely slow but increasing up-to 5-fold in cells of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and several other forms of hereditary haemolytic anaemia [
Voltage-activated non-selective cation channels [
Furthermore, a P-type Ca2+ channel was pharmacologically identified [
A recent report provided evidence for the presence of a transient receptor potential (TRP) channel of subtype C6 in the RBC membrane [
In addition, the expression of an NMDA receptor channel was initially reported for rat [
Recently, the protein PIEZO1 was reported as being mutated in RBCs in hereditary xerocytosis [
Furthermore there is evidence for an AMPA receptor related channel activity in RBCs [
All the channels mentioned above were reported to be present in human RBCs from healthy donors. However, some currents were only shown to be present in cells of patients. An example is an increase in non-selective cation conductance on RBC of SCD patients mediating or contributing to P
When in the cell, Ca2+ activates numerous Ca2+ dependent proteins. Each of them has its own activation threshold. Thus, gradual increase in Ca2+ levels is associated with gradual activation of various groups of Ca2+-sensitive proteins involved in physiological and pathophysiological processes in RBCs. In
Another class of "true" Ca2+ sensors (~650 proteins included) contain Ca2+ binding C2 domains interacting with 2–3 Ca2+ [
Changes in phosphorylation are among the most important modulations of protein activity in RBCs. Among the kinases there is a group of Ca2+ activated protein kinases, the conventional protein kinase C (cPKC) [
Opening of cation channels in response to mechanical stress and the presence of activators, such as amino acids, proinflammatory cytokines and others, result in local transient increase in Ca2+ levels in the vicinity of the plasma membrane. The latter, most likely serves as a signal to mediate rapid reversible changes in cytoskeletal flexibility.
The calcium-calmodulin complex (Ca-CaM) plays a key role in regulation of cytoskeletal stability. Selected elements of the cytoskeletal architecture interacting with Ca-CaM are schematically shown in
It is shown in
The Ca2+ concentration required for half-activation of calmodulin is 100 nM [
Ca2+ dependent phosphorylation is a second mode of action of Ca2+ on cytoskeletal proteins. Phosphorylation of the 4.1R protein at serine 312 and serine 331 by PKC was reported [
In RBCs transaminase 2 responds to Ca2+ entry with a rapid release of its inhibitory GTP and activation resulting in formation of Nɛ (γ-glutaminyl)lysine cross-linking (
RBC volume regulation is a complex process with contributions of numerous molecular players including, e.g., band 3 protein [
Scramblase is a protein responsible for bidirectional transmembrane movement of phospholipids [
Numerous reports emphasize the possible role of the Ca-CaM system in regulation of activity of glycolytic enzymes including pyruvate kinase [
In RBCs there is a direct link between the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration and the haemoglobin oxygen saturation. In cells of healthy individuals, passive Ca2+ uptake was unaffected by deoxygenation, but the
Increases in the free Ca2+ were recently linked to a lower oxygen affinity of haemoglobin promoting the release of oxygen [
Aside to the control of haemoglobin oxygenation, Ca2+ is also involved in the regulation of the RBC's redox state. Ca-CaM complexes are co-activators of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) activity [
While the Ca2+ dependent cysteine protease μ-calpain (calpain-1) was mainly detected in human RBCs, m-calpain (calpain-2) was found to be virtually absent [
Targets of activated calpain are mainly transmembrane or membrane-associated proteins including PMCA, and bands 1, 2, 2.1, 3, 4.1, 4.2 proteins, but also calpain itself [
Recently, RBCs of a μ-calpain knock-out (KO) mouse displayed an improved deformability [
Cleavage of the PMCA by μ-calpain was associated with an activation of the pump, rapid ATP depletion, inactivation of the pump and gradual loss of the transmembrane Ca2+ gradients [
Calpastatin, an endogenous inhibitor of μ-calpain, is a natural regulator of the enzyme activity in RBCs. Both major and minor components of calpastatin, calpastatin H and L were detected in human RBCs [
Due to the protein activity and lipid remodelling described above one would expect changes in rheological properties of RBC suspensions and indeed in numerous studies provoking increased cytosolic Ca2+ levels, an altered rheology was observed [
A participation of RBC Ca2+ channels in blood clot formation was proposed previously [
Ca2+ uptake is of key importance for promoting differentiation and proliferation of erythroid precursors at the stages of burst-forming units erythroid (BFU-E) colony-forming units erythroid (CFU-E) [
For a long time, the physiological function of Ca2+ in mature RBCs was obscure and was believed to be limited to the involvement in RBCs aging and clearance [
Very recently, additional evidence in favour of a physiologically important Ca2+ associated mechanism was reported. Here, rises in the intracellular Ca2+ appear to promote the ability of RBCs to deliver oxygen [
At present it is suggested that in senescent RBCs the intracellular Ca2+ levels exceed those in reticulocytes and young RBCs [
Activity of the PMCA in RBCs was shown to decrease with progressing HbA1c accumulation [
Independent of its origin, hereditary haemolytic anaemia is often associated with an increase in the intracellular Ca2+ levels [
Downstream events triggered by augmentation of free intracellular Ca2+ comprise activation of μ-calpain [
Cross-linked polymers have been observed in RBCs of patients with SCD suggesting hyperactivation of transglutaminase [
Oxidation of membrane proteins and impaired NO production by eNOS [
Ca2+ overload is involved in dramatic reduction of the life span of stored RBCs used for transfusion [
Additionally, unwanted modulations of the Ca2+ entry into RBC may cause side effects of drugs involved in therapies unrelated to RBCs. An example is photodynamic therapy, where the oxidative stress produced by the photosensitizer leads to the activation of cation channels in the RBC membrane and the consecutive Ca2+ entry triggers the mechanism described above, which is the major cause of an increased formation of blood aggregates as well as haemolysis [
The role of Ca2+ in RBCs physiology and pathophysiology cannot be overestimated. Many links between Ca2+ and RBC related diseases still need to be explored [
For many years the RBC was the cell of choice for membrane transport investigations. In the age of genomics, interest in RBC research decreased, but numerous signalling cascades—also in respect to the second messenger Ca2+ that occur in other cells and may involve several organelles—have been rediscovered in a modified and/or simplified form in RBCs.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Overview of concentration dependence of Ca2+ activated events in RBCs. The yellow column indicates the estimated range of RBCs' resting free Ca2+ [
Ca2+ and RBC cytoskeleton. (


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The rest of the strip is here
So That's Why the Church Opposes Dungeons & Dragons…
Related posts from Friendly Atheist:
Hemant Mehta is the editor of Friendly Atheist, appears on the Atheist Voice channel on YouTube, and co-hosts the uniquely-named Friendly Atheist Podcast. You can read much more about him here.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=773692362 Jansen Waddell
forever alone.
- http://northierthanthou.com/ northierthanthou
Hey now that's not funny. You guys with your damned sick joking prejudices and screwy, damn, damn, damn, You YOU,you, damned you bastards for this one. You just can't post stuff like that and expect to just about about a saturday like this, and I don't even think this mak…
…okay, it might be just a little close to home.
- TiltedHorizon
I'm interpreting this comic as portraying those who play D&D too geeky to win the affections of the opposite sex. Therefore D&D is a form a birth control.
I would cry foul but it does explain the entire period of celibacy during my adolescence. Damn you multi-sided dice!
- http://www.facebook.com/billyup Jesse Jones
Most of the gamers I know have wives or husbands…
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=553145445 Gordon Duffy
Also in D&D when a priest prays to their god, something happens! D&D presents a world as it would be if the claims religion makes about prayer were true.
- advancedatheist
Notice that when a fictional story shows religious woo working, we usually call it "myth," "fantasy" or "horror." Of course, fictional accounts can also show, say, firearms working, but we usually call those stories by other names depending on the context like "Westerns," "detective stories," "political thrillers" and so forth, because we know that firearms, unlike prayers, work in the real world.
- John F
If it weren't for D&D, I would never have met or hung out with my wife, so it kind of had the opposite effect for me.
- HowlerUK
I'd say 95% of the gamers I know are atheists…
- Ida Know
Ahahaha! D&D players and geeks in general are pathetic virgins! Hohoho! Never heard that one before!
I guess my D&D friends who have kids must have used the Summon Baby spell.
- Jennifermn21
I love Dungeons and Dragons. Depending on who you play with, it can be a really exciting (and often really funny) game. The stereotype that it's just for introverts, nerds, and virgins is ridiculous, because once we're in character, we'll run down the halls of my school attacking random people with our imaginary swords if we feel like it, and I know a lot of the guys that play with us are way too hot to be virgins by anything but choice.
But yeah, we're all nerds. 😀
- MegaZeusThor
As an aside, Dungeons and Dragons was the first place I came across a definition for raise dead and resurrection. (I may have heard of resurrection before, but didn't really clue into what it was supposed to be all about.)
DnD made religious ideas seem like they should be in a fantasy novel, not real life. Good stuff.
- MichaelD
Roll eyes….
- Edmond
I didn't think it could be the dragons, just ask Ken Ham…
- Dukebooty
Wait, D&D is for virgins? I can remember at least one occasion where I encountered a Giant Beaver, and let me tell you, I slayed it.