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JOHN: All right, this is a time for you to have some question and answers, the next 45 or 50 minutes or so. And we want to have you mention your question to one of our men. Let's see Jim Pyles to my right, and Tom is in the middle, and Rick is over on the left. Just so they can kinda see what's on your mind. Boy, they're coming at me here seriously.
We want to do our best to give a concise and biblical answer without getting too detailed. So we hope we can be of help to you. We'll give 'em just a second to find out what the questions are okay. Why don't we start over here on the right. And this is Stewart, so go right ahead sir.
STEWART: Okay, I'm Stewart. You may want to take this with two grains of salt here and there, but I think it's a question that needs answering because its there. I've heard ministers, including yourself, talking about giving and such. You say well, who does it belong to? Whose it all belong to anyway? Well, Paul taught that it all belonged to us, that we're joint heirs with Christ. He said all things belong to us. Even Apollos belong to the Christians back there. And Paul belonged to the Christians back there. We're not perfect, and giving is a spiritual principle, but never does it say we rob God when we don't give.
JOHN: I think I understand the question, and it's a good one. There are two ways to look at that. There is a sense in which the Bible is very clear that everything belongs to God. The cattle on a thousand hills are His. Now, local ranchers might wanna argue about that. Local shepherds might wanna argue about that. Local cattle owners might wanna argue about that. There's a sense in which, however, everything belongs to God. The Earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. So from that standpoint, everything is His.
But, from another standpoint, because we are in Christ, everything is ours. That is true. From the spiritual side, since God is the giver only of perfect gifts. Everything that is good in God's sight, everything is perfect in God's sight, He gives to us. Certainly in this life temporally, we don't get the fullness of all of it. We will in the life to come...the millennial kingdom and the eternal new Heaven and new Earth. And what Paul is talking about when he says "all things are yours in Christ," he means all those eternal things, all those spiritual things and all of whatever there is that exists for the joy and the blessing of believers. It is related to the temporal, because as we serve Him here we gain an eternal reward. As we honor Him here we gain an eternal reward. As we give, we lay up treasure in Heaven, which then accrues to us as a part of that eternal reward.
So, from one perspective, everything is God's. From another perspective, everything that lasts, everything that's eternal, becomes ours in Christ, because all that is God's is Christ's and we are joint-heirs with Christ. So, ultimately, all that is eternal becomes ours. And some of what is eternal we enjoy now...grace and peace and joy and all of the plethora of spiritual blessings. And we will enjoy the millennial Earth, a renewed and restored paradise of God across the Earth when Christ comes and sets up his Kingdom, as well as the new Heaven and the new Earth. So it's a question of perspective.
There are occasions when I would say that everything you have belongs to the Lord, and it's on loan to you as a test. That is true from the perspective from the Earth is the Lord's and everything it contains. But, on the other hand, as you freely give that up to God, even the material things that don't have eternal value, if they are used for things that are eternal then gain eternal value and are part of what will ultimately all be ours as God brings everything into the possession of His beloved in eternity.
Stewart: It's interesting that giving in the New Testament is according to Vernon McGee is a spiritual principle, but not a law.
JOHN: Right and I agree with that. In the New Testament, you don't have an amount commanded, but you do have a command given to give. Luke 6:38: "Give and it shall be given unto you." Paul says, I think, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit we'd all agree, that you are to give and to give on the first day of the week regularly as he says in that last chapter of I Corinthians. The amount is not prescribed. That's why we don't hold to the tithe as an amount. As a New Testament amount, you're free to give whatever's in your heart to give. Thank you, Stewart.
Ok, Ron.
RON: Pastor John, I read an article in a big city newspaper...to remain nameless...on the Pentecostal movement, and I'm still puzzled. These people, true believers, and if they are true believers, what are they doing in this movement? "Heal me right away, or maybe I'll walk away from Jesus Christ." Can you shed some light on that?
JOHN: Yeah. Ron, you're opening up a huge issue here of the Pentecostal movement. The Pentecostal movement, as a movement defined by its unique characteristics, is not biblical. Now, understand what I'm saying. I'm not saying all the people in it are not Christians. Some of them are. But, those things that define the Pentecostal movement are not biblical. It is not biblical to say that speaking in tongues is a sign of receiving the Holy Spirit, and if you haven't spoken in tongues you haven't received the Holy Spirit. That is not biblical. It is not even biblical to encourage people to speak in tongues as if that in itself was some spiritual gift that everybody had to have.
It is not biblical to believe that God is gonna heal you. And it is not biblical to believe that some people have the power to heal, and can go into great places, and can knock people over by the power of the Holy Spirit and that they yield this great supernatural power. So what I'm saying is the defining characteristics that label Pentecostalism, Pentecostalism as apart from general Orthodox Christianity, are not biblical. So the movement is defined by things that aren't biblical. If you, for example, compared it to the reformed movement, what distinguishes reformed theology is an accurate theology. It goes back to the reformation, and it's based on an accurate understanding of theology. What distinguishes Pentecostalism is an inaccurate wrong interpretation of Scripture. And all the distinctives are not all accurately interpreted from Scripture. So you have a movement defined un-biblically.
At the heart of it there, I think, are masses of people who are unconverted, unconverted, who couldn't explain the Gospel the way you heard it tonight. They could say that Jesus died for their sins and rose again, but they have no idea just exactly how God used the death of Christ to satisfy His justice and grant righteousness to those who believe. They do not understand anything more than a very shallow and thin grasp of the gospel.
Many of them, and this has been reiterated to me by people who come to our church from other large Pentecostal churches in the area, live under a strange and bizarre doctrine that they never articulate. But, it is definitive the movement and it is doctrine of the sovereignty of Satan. It is inherent that, temporarily at least, Charismania, Pentecostalism...by the definition of the current Charismatic movement, and the Pentecostals and the Charismatics are so blended now you can't separate them. But it is in amicable to that system to believe that Satan is sovereign, not God. God would like people to be saved, but He's not sovereign in salvation. God would like to keep people saved, but He can't so people can't get unsaved on their own. God would like to solve the problems in the world, but the Devil keeps messing things up. People in that movement are taught that when you get sick, it's the Devil. When your little baby gets sick, it's the Devil. When you lose your job, it's the Devil. When it's announced to you that you have heart disease or you have cancer or you have some other problem, when one of our children goes stray...whatever it is, it's the Devil.
So, you're living, literally, under the sovereignty of Satan in a mode of constant fear. That's one very unbiblical element of that. So you're always trying to bind Satan. You're always trying to cast out demons. God, in Pentecostalism, becomes the victim. It's a strange kind of thing where there's this pervasive fear of Satan. Parents who can't sleep, who live with anxiety and fears that the Devil's gonna come in and make their baby sick at night, or the Devil's gonna get in there house and they gotta pray the Devil out or the demons out of their house, or bind Satan someway. This is utterly unbiblical. We, as believers, have nothing to fear from Satan in the ultimate sense.
It is God Himself, who has made the blind and the lame and the _______, it says the book of Exodus. The enemy of God, who is Satan, is God's servant. I don't know if you've ever thought of it that way, but the Devil is God's servant. He can only do what God allows him to do. His borders and boundaries are established by a sovereign God. Some people came to our church from out of this kind of a background. They happened to come on a Sunday, I think, but when they heard me preach on the sovereignty of God. And they said it was the most liberating thing they ever heard. To find out that God was sovereign, that God was in charge was totally opposite everything they'd ever heard. Well, that is an abhorrent theology that says that.
Pentecostalism, also, because of its belief that people today can have the same gifts that the Apostles had...Benny Hinn and whoever the healers are...he's sorta the prototypical healer today...started out with A.A. Allen and Oral Roberts and down to Morris Siroulo and on and on it goes. Jimmy Swaggart and Benny Hinn...whoever it is, Benny Hinn is the latest edition of conmen in that area. This idea that they believe that these men can do what the apostles did...they had the power to heal the power to cast out disease. I heard Benny Hinn say with my own ears, I heard it...that if you have somebody if your own family die, leave their body in the living room, take their body over to the TV, drape their arms over the TV because "God is gonna use me to heal...raise the dead through the television." I can't think of a more insensitive thing for a man to do than to have some poor bereaved person drag a corpse of their family member and drape them over the television under some bizarre allusion that Benny Hinn is gonna heal them through the TV set.
RON: It's idiotic.
JOHN: Well, it's cruel is what it is. But that cruel, that's only the extreme form of cruelty. But there's a cruelty that goes along day-after-day, week-after-week with this bizarre expectation of healing and then this false staging of supposed healings that continue to raise people's hopes. And all that does is create false hopes that are dashed to pieces. And much of the fall out of that movement is people who reject the Gospel, reject Christ because they didn't get what they were promised they would get.
So, as I said, the defining elements of the movement itself give it its identity are unbiblical. And yet, at the core, there are many in the Pentecostal movement who are Christians who understand the Gospel. If you just took all the Pentecostal stuff...the Charismatic stuff...out, there would be a core understanding of the Gospel there. So, I believe that some of them are Christians. The Lord knows how many, but it's my own conviction that the vast majority are not.
And also that those people who purvey and ply the trade, particularly in the media, know they are deceivers, and they're very effective at it, raising millions of dollars. One such preacher along, T.D. Jakes, took in personally last year, $63 million. They're trading on a certain desperation. Like Jesus when he sent out the 70 said, "Go and heal, but take no money." You can heal people; you can be instantly rich. People get instantly rich who can't heal, but pretend they can. So, but at the heart of it, if you can just skip the trappings, there are some who know the Gospel truth. So, I guess I would say somewhere in that movement there's a true body of believers not to be confused with the movement, which is full of schemers and dreamers and conmen and people with abhorrent theology and false teachers who take advantage of people and then people in the middle.
There's the serious, very serious errors, of the word-faith movement. Fred Price, Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagland. Marilyn Hickey, Joyce Meyer, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera who had an abhorrent view of the nature of Christ. They're the ones who say on the cross Jesus became sinner and had to go to Hell and suffer for his sins for three days and then the Father let him come out of Hell and that's when he was raised. They turned Jesus into a sinner and let him be punished for sins. This is a frightening view of Christ. Also, Kenneth Copeland is the one who said that Jesus wasn't anymore God than he is. So, you have aberrations all the way down the line. And, of course, because the movement is defined by its experiences and its phenomenon, they don't ever deal with the aberrations. Nobody polices the movement. You can turn on channel 40 and you can see them. They will literally advocate anything. They would advocate absolutely anything. Anybody can come on there and say anything they want about God, anything they want about Christ, anything they want about the Holy Spirit, anything they want to say about the work of God, any interpretation of the Bible will stand.
But what you can't do is go on channel 40 and say somebody's wrong. That's intolerable. And so that's why in some of their books they call me a heresy hunter. There's one book has a whole chapter on me as heresy hunter. Well, I am. I thank them for the compliment. I don't have any axe to grind with those people. I just am committed to the truth, and I want to bring the truth to those people. And it's really one of the wonderful realities that grace to your radio penetrates into those people who don't come to this church, but they turn on the radio, and they get the books.
The book, "The Charismatics," that I wrote back in 1978, I think it was...later on we wrote a new one called "Charismatic Chaos." Those books have had a great impact and continue to have an impact on the hearts of people who are questioning the movement. They're in it; they're questioning the reality of it.
But one of the...this is a final thought Ronnie, it's a big question...but one of the giveaways that there's something seriously wrong with the movement is its breadth. It embraces anybody and anything and any view of anything that reports to be of God. If you just say the Lord told me this or the Lord told me that or you had a vision or you saw this or you heard voices or the angels just told you. If you have the experience, or you supposedly experience some of the super-natural phenomenon, it will embrace you. The movement will take you in no matter how bizarre your theology is.
I remember when Benny Hinn first wrote his first book called "Good Morning Holy Spirit," I think it was, and in the book, he had nine members of the Trinity. Okay, now, it's not even good English to have nine members of a Trinity. You can have a double quartet plus one, but you can't have a trinity with nine people. Not a trinity. But in the book, he had nine members of the trinity. He had the Father having three parts, three persons, the Son having three persons and the Holy Spirit having three persons totaling nine. And I said to the publisher...who was having lunch with me wanting to sign me to a book contract...I said to him, "Why in the world did you publish that book? Why would you publish that?" And with a look of incredulity, he said to me, "What do you mean? We publish everything." He didn't even understand the question. It didn't even connect. "What do you mean, we publish everything." And I would say that has been the, that has been pretty much the reality with the Pentecostal movement. There's just no borders at all. And the way the movement has perpetuated itself, it's an infection in the body of Christ and spreading rapidly. It's a kind of spiritual AIDS.
AIDS is a deficient immune system, and this kills the Church's immune system. The Pentecostal Charismatic movement kills the immune system because it makes it a sin to question their theology. See, the only way error can survive is if truth doesn't prevail. It's the only way. The only way error can survive is if truth does not prevail. And so how do you get the truth out of the way. You have to silence the people who speak the truth. So how do you do that? You have to turn them into bad guys. Those people with discernment, those people who speak the truth, those people who draw lines that are biblical, you have to turn them into the bad guys, the non-spiritual. I remember a radio program where a man who was prominent in the Charismatic movement said, "I don't know much about John MacArthur, but I know one thing: He doesn't possess the Holy Spirit." And that created...this was on a radio talk show...that created an interesting dialect. I was being vilified as someone who didn't possess the Holy Spirit, was not there for God simply because called into question some of their unbiblical teaching. And what has happened is, they have been saying this long enough that...they have been working their way into the mainstream of the Evangelicalism simply by attacking the critics and silencing the critics. And most people just roll over.
I can give you an illustration. In 1980, after I had written the book, "The Charismatics," which was a bomb when it came. It was the first book that was out really taking on that movement. And it just hit the thunder. But, it was really an important statement. At the time, "Moody Monthly" was a monthly periodical put out by Moody as sort of a standard fundamental Evangelical magazine. They said this is so important we want to serialize the book. So the magazine picks up the book, they put the cover of the book on the cover of the magazine which had a circulation of, I don't know, I think maybe, let's just say for sake of argument, 150,000. During the time they serialized the book it went up 50% to 225,000...tremendous response. And this book was as direct attack on that issue. And Moody, at that time, says this needs to be heard; this is discernment.
Today, if I say I on Grace to You anything negative about the Charismatic movement, the Moody Broadcasting Network will remove it from the broadcast. Because what is happened over a period of time is Evangelicalism just rolled over. Because we've been vilified so much as being unloving and heresy hunters and divisive, and so they literally have shouted long enough and loud enough to silence people. And they've found a way into the mainstream, and now they dictate what is politically correct to say in the body of Evangelicals. Now that Evangelicals are so softened up theologically...now that we have this case of AIDS, this immune deficiency that can't fight off error, we can't stop the influx of disease, theological disease. The latest is called The Openness of God and I'm digressing, but I need to take you there for a minute.
You been reading about this? This is the last place you can attack. They've attacked the person of the Holy Spirit. They've attacked the person of Christ. They've attacked the Gospel. They've attacked the authority of Scripture by adding to Scripture revelations and visions and words of wisdom and words of knowledge and on and on and on and on. And they've created a fertile ground now for an all out assault on God, which is coming from some pretty heavy places. The parade is being lead by "Christianity Day" magazine, which finds a very open climate to question God. And the new view of God is that God is not sovereign. God not only doesn't determine the future; He doesn't even know what it is. That God is about as clear about the future as you are. He has got as much control over it as you do. And this is the re-definition of God. And I said to someone the other day, I said, "That is the end. Jesus has to come soon. Where else do you go when you've attacked the nature of God?"
I have a chapter in a new book that came out called "Whatever Happened to the Reformation?" I wrote one chapter. RC Scroll wrote one. A bunch of us wrote them. And Scroll, in his chapter, says "Call yourself a Christian if you want, but if you have the wrong view of God, you're a Pagan. You're a Pagan. That's idolatry." That's the last place you can go in heresy is to re-invent God. That climate to do that I think is largely aided and abetted by the utter disinterest in doctrine that has been created by this Charismatic pressure, Pentecostal pressure.
So, at the same time I say that, there are people in that movement who are Christians. And most of the Evangelical church doesn't have the discernment to know how to sort all that out, and many of these people don't either. They're subject to their leaders...like Hosea says, like people, like priests. They can't rise above it and so they just sorta take it in. But, in their hearts, they are truly trusting Christ for their salvation. Truly there are true believers in that movement. I said this before, and you can take the Charismatic movement. You can take the seeker-friendly church growth movement, and somewhere in those movements, there's a true church...not to be confused with a crowd.
But I think when you look at the legacy of the Charismatic and Pentecostal movement, in history looking back its not gonna be "Oh, they were speaking tongues." That's true, but you know, speaking in tongues to me is a minor detail. Fact they've even gone so far as to say if you have the choice between going in your closet and mumbling in tongues and coming out and gossiping, go in your closet and mumble in tongues.
So, I don't wanna overstate the importance of that. I don't' think that history's gonna look back and define the impact of Pentecostalism in tongues. I don't even think it'll look back and define it in terms of healing. Since everybody who goes into that movement with any kind of honest analytical and critical approach looks to Christ to find healing can't find 'em. And that's documented many, many times over. But, what is going to be history's verdict on the effect of the Pentecostal movement is the Pentecostal movement caused the church to become disinterested in sound doctrine. That, ultimately, is the greatest impact and that Spiritual AIDS. The church no longer has a functioning immune system to recognize deadly error. Okay?
RON: Thanks.
JOHN: So, when you see one of those conventions, Ron, your read one those reports, you see anything and everything there. It's, all of everything is gonna be there. Good question. I didn't mean to take that long, but that's a very important issue.
TROY: Hello, Pastor MacArthur. My name's Troy.
JOHN: Hi, Troy.
TROY: My question surrounds in Matthew, "Many will come to me, 'Lord, Lord' and say I don't know you," and make my election sure, I John. A person outside of Christ does things out of pride and everything out of pride and for himself. And a person in Christ does them, to my understanding, to please God. How can you look at ones own heart and know that yourself, that you're doing something to please God? I know that you say for saving faith is the Word, how much someone reads the Word. But, how can you really examine your own heart and know that it's to please God.
JOHN: Well, if you're looking to find a perfect and unmixed motivation, it's not gonna be there. And that's what prompts your question. Because even at our noblest as Christians, even if I say...I'll use myself as an example, somebody asked me the other day if I get nervous before I'm gonna preach. And the answer is no. Not unless I'm preaching in a hostile environment. Then I got a...there's a little more tension. But, when I prepare to preach and when I stand up to preach, I've one overpowering objective. And that is to bring the truth of God to bear upon the minds of people, in order that God might be rightly known and worshipped. That's the compelling motive. Is there any little mixture in there of, "I'm glad they like me, and I hope they think I'm good"? Sure. I can't get to the point of a perfect pristine motive, because as soon as I see the hand of God working, there's always that little, sort of thought that pops into your mind that commends yourself. That's just because the fallenness of man is what it is.
I'm simply saying don't be looking for that. Paul said, "Look. I look at myself, and I'm the chief of sinners." Now, if he...and he's saying this at the end of his life...if he saw himself as the chief of sinners, you might ask the question, then how could he examine himself and know that he's a true believer? Answer: only a true believer, only a true believer would see the reality of his sinfulness. So, what the true believer sees is not the evidence of his salvation by his perfection, it's the evidence of his salvation by the mixture of that righteous longing and that nagging inequity. Okay?
So, in recognizing both the work of God in my life and the compelling need to repent, I am then recognizing my true nature in Christ. Okay?
TROY: Thanks.
MICHAEL: Evening Pastor. My name is Michael.
JOHN: Hi, Michael.
MICHAEL: My question has to do with destruction of the wicked or annihilation of the wicked or the unsaved, I should say. The scriptural thoughts that some people use for that thought would be, like in this morning's Psalms 136, the perishing of the thoughts of the dead. Or in Ecclesiastes 9:5 and 10, which has to do with there's no activity in Sheol, as you know. And then also, in the New Testament, it has to do with Scriptures like the saved will be...they will go off into everlasting life, where the unsaved will go off into ever lasting destruction. The key point there is about destruction of those people. Could you comment on those Scriptures, Pastor, as far as _______...
JOHN: I can't. I will in general, without getting into too many specifics. There are simple answers to each of those. There is no normal human activity in Sheol. It's pretty obvious if somebody says, we have life, we have a family, we have a business, we have an enterprise. But, once you're dead, you don't have that anymore. There's nothing more implied than that in the statement you referred to. What you have to do is to take the complete symphony of Scriptures related to eternal life, both eternal life in Heaven and eternal life in Hell. You have to take all the Scriptures. You can't isolate out.
There are more statements made by Jesus about Hell than about Heaven, Jesus, Himself, so we just take the teaching of Jesus. And all the language that Jesus used was that Hell was an eternal place of conscious punishment, where the worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched. And the language, the use of tone, is used to refer to the life of the righteous dead and the life of the unrighteous dead.
So if we were to say then, that there was a termination point for the wicked, then there would have to be a termination point for the righteous, because the same terminology is used to describe the permanence of Heaven that is used to describe the permanence of Hell. We know, from Scripture, that the righteous are eternal are gonna live eternally, but it's the same eternal that is applied to the unrighteous. This is not a doctrine that is difficult to prove by Scripture. What happens? Then there's an outstanding book on this called "Whatever Happened to Hell?," and it's written by John Blanchard...who's preached in this pulpit...I commend that book to you. It answers everything. There was a book that came out some years ago called "The Fire that Consumes," written by a man with a funny name of Fudge. And I was asked to write a review of "The Fire that Consumes." This is a book that compounded the view of annihilation. The fire literally consumes and that's the end. And I wrote a response to that book. John Blanchard's book, "Whatever Happened to Hell?" is the most careful, thoughtful, comprehensive treatment that I've read on that doctrine. So, if you are interested in that, I would commend that book, "Whatever Happened to Hell?," by John Blanchard. Very biblical, very well thought out, very careful, deals with every single Scripture with regard to that.
But, to eliminate the doctrine of eternal punishment, one must eliminated many, many portions of Scripture. And, in particular, the teaching of Jesus, which dominates the subject. The only reason that people do that...and I admit that there's, in all of us, some, I suppose, motivation in that direction, is because they can't cope with the concept of eternal punishment. And so they back into eliminating it, because they can't cope with it. It's emotionally too much for them...to contemplate a family member, a friend, in eternal punishment. The history of humanity, all the unregenerate people have gone into this eternal punishment is more than human emotion, for some people, can bear. And so they create a theology that accommodates that emotion. But there really is no case at all to be made for that few in Scripture.
And the truth of the matter is it makes a mockery out of the whole plan of redemption. Because if the Lord is only redeeming of from non-existence, then why all the threats in the Scripture about the eternal judgment of God? Non-existence doesn't threaten anybody. So, again, it's just an emotional thing. I commend that book to you if you want a very detailed response. Okay?
MICHAEL: Thank You.
CORY: Hi, my name's Cory.
JOHN: Sure is.
CORY: Save that for the tape. I'm trying to understand how to articulate or teach to someone in the Charismatic movement about the following: When they are taught a story in the Old Testament like Israel being in bondage, they'll build a construct out of that, and then say we were born into this bondage principle, and then they'll build a theology out of that. And I don't know how to articulate...no, what you just did was wrong...you misapplied Scripture; you built a construct out of thin air.
JOHN: Excellent question, Cory. This is their stock and trade. This is their stock and trade. They can't interpret the Scripture accurately and come up with their theology. It's not there. So, where they gonna get it? Well, they have to invent it off of analogy, spiritualization and allegory. This is standard stuff. Most of those people have no biblical education, no formal education in the languages of Scripture. They do not have a sound hermeneutic. That is a principle for interpreting the Scripture, historical, grammatical, literal interpretation, because it would never yield their system. So, what happens is, they use analogies to create their theology. This is not new. But this is endemic in the Charismatic movement.
They will interpret portions of the Scripture, the Gospel, of whatever, in a straight-forward way. Jesus went here. He said that. That's pretty straight-forward, but they will go to the Old Testament, and novelty is king in the Charismatic movement, right? They're like those people in Athens who always wanted to hear some new thing tickle their ears. How are you gonna come up with a new thing if you just have the old Bible. Well, you gotta find stuff that's not there, but you gotta use the Bible to do it. One of the things that I commented on in my book, "Charismatic Chaos," was a Pastor, prominent Charismatic Pastor in Southern California, his series on the book of Nehemiah. You know what Nehemiah's about, right? The story about Nehemiah who was the cup bearer to the King, in captivity in Babylon. The King makes a decree...the people can go back; they go back under the leadership of Nehemiah. They build the wall, right? They rebuild the city of Jerusalem and Israel, after 70 years of captivity, is back restoring its nation again. Nehemiah's there, right? Everybody's building their little section of the wall. And some of the guys are armed, and they got the enemies and Sanballot and Tobiah trying to thwart the work. You know the story. The story's about Israel going back and rebuilding its country and its city and its wall and sorta re-establishing its nation again.
Well, this series on the book of Nehemiah went like this. Nehemiah is the Holy Spirit. The broken walls are the fallen walls of human personality. The building of the wall is the re-building of human personality. The mortar between the bricks is tongues. The pool, there was a pool referred to Nehemiah, in the city. The pool is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. There's what the book of Nehemiah wants to teach. Nehemiah, aka The Holy Spirit, wants to come into your fallen life, dip you in the pool of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and rebuild your life through speaking in tongues. This was like eight tapes of this. And you know people are sitting there saying, "This is deep. I've never seen that." You know why they've never seen it? It's not there. It's not there. Because, you see, the average person in the pew says, "Wow, this is fabulous insight." This is bunk. This is a misrepresentation of Scripture. But this is the stock and trade.
And, I remember years ago when some guy came in for counseling here. And he said, "I'm in a real bad situation." This is actually, this actually occurred. How did you get in that situation? "Well, I married the wrong woman." Well, why did you marry her? "Well, it was the sermon my Pastor preached." Really? What was the sermon? "It was on the walls of Jericho." The walls of Jericho? He said, "The principle of Jericho is that anything you want, you march around it seven times and it'll fall to you." So, he said, "There was this girl and I really wanted her." And so literally, he found himself in a position where he could go around her seven times. And the walls of her heart would fall down, and they did and they got married. No wonder the guy was in trouble. But see, that kind of novelty is the stock and trade of that movement.
Let me tell you how serious this it. Now, I want you to understand this. This is like Bible codes. This is attributing to God things God never said. And that, my friend, is serious stuff. You're not gonna be telling people, this is what God meant, if this is not what he meant. That's pretty serious stuff. And the only way you can deal with people like that is to say, "How is it that you know that it means that?" And their answer's gonna be, standard answer, "The Lord told me." And now you've got no revelation confined here. You've got Pandora's Box opened up. How do you answer people like that? I think you answer them right between the eyes. "This is an abhorrent, unacceptable, form of interpreting the Bible. This, kind of spiritualizing, allegorizing is serious error." And, in fact, you know that kinda stuff...I used to talk to Pastors about this...if you're gonna interpret the Bible like that, you don't need the Bible. You don't need the Bible. You can use anything. You can use Little Bo Peep. You could say, "Oh, the other night, I was reciting Little Bo Peep and the Lord showed me what it meant." Little Bo Peep. She was little. But, God can use the little.
You get the drift? Little Bo Peep, she lost her sheep. All over the world, sheep were lost. People are lost. You ever meet lost people? Lost people over here. Lost. That's exactly what they do. And she didn't know where to find...you ever felt like that? You just don't know where to find...that, you laugh at that. That is the stock and trade of that kind of preaching. Ah, but they'll come home. I haven't figured out what to do with the wagging their tales behind them.
All right, we laugh at that, but that's the point. The point is that the hermeneutic is so abhorrent to start with. And the only way to deal with that is to say. "That is not an adequate way to handle the Scripture." I said this so many times in...to students...the Bible is real people, actual history, normal language. You can't be spinning off these wild fantasies as the expense of Scripture and saying this is what God meant by what He said, because you are putting words in the mouth of almighty God and that is not a trivial matter. Okay? Good question.
Where are we? You guys are cranking me up here.
JIM: Hi John, my name is Jim.
JOHN: Hi, Jim.
JIM: I saw you at Grace to You this week and told you I was gonna ask a question. In Genesis 3:14 God goes through and curses the serpent. Then, in 15 says, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise you on the head and ye shall bruise him on the heel." Now, that's understood as being a prophecy of battle between Satan and Christ.
JOHN: Yeah, I think that's right.
JIM: So, who is the seed? Whose seed that it's referring to? Christ is referred to as the seed of the woman Mary.
JOHN: Yes, and I think putting enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed simply extends the enmity to the children of righteousness, as it were, and the children of Satan. I think the seed is the just extended metaphor that the battle is not just Christ and Satan. The battle extends from all that are Christ's and all that are Satan's throughout time. Okay?
JIM: Okay.
JOHN: All right. Good question. A couple more and we'll be done.
ARMAND: Hello Pastor, my name is Armand, and I've a question from a friend of mine. He doesn't speak English so I'm asking it for him.
JOHN: Sure
ARMAND: His question is regarding Romans 11:21, 22 and whether these verses teach someone can lose his salvation.
JOHN: Romans 11:21-22? It says, "For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore, consider the goodness and severity of God on those who failed severity but toward you goodness; if you continue in this goodness, otherwise you also will be cut off." What you need to understand is that those two verses are not addressed to an individual. Starting in chapter nine, Paul, for the first eight chapters, is giving us this grand understanding of salvation. In chapters nine through eleven, he speaks of that might saving work of God with reference to Israel and the Gentiles. And what he is saying here is Israel was the natural branch. There was...look at it in this analogy, and you can use analogies when they're in the Bible. You just can't invent them. The stock of blessing is like a great trunk of life. And originally, the blessing of God flowed out of the branches of Israel. Israel was the blessed nation of God. But, by Israel's unbelief, she was cut off. Cut off from blessing through unbelief...the nation. There were individuals Jews, of course, who were true believers. They didn't lose their salvation. But, on a national level, there was a separation and the people of God were no longer viewed as the people of God.
You remember that Jesus pointed in this direction when he said the parable about the feast for the king's son. And he said, "Go call the invited guests." None of them wanted to come and that was Israel. And so he said "Go into the highways and byways and find anybody you can find and tell them to come." And that was sort of a prophecy that since those were the invited guests...would be Israel refused to come, we'll take anybody who will come. And that was sort of the way it was in the Church. So, the original natural branches through which the blessing of God flowed, Israel, are cut off in The Church, which is Gentile, primarily...there are obviously some Jews, but...are grafted in.
And, what Paul is saying here is, "Look, don't think that because of that God has forgotten Israel." Early in chapter 11 he says, "God does not repent of his callings. And there's gonna come a time when God is gonna bring Israel back," he says. "So all Israel shall be saved. And don't you think, you Gentiles, that because you've been grafted in, you are permanently going to be the people of blessing. Because the truth of the matter is, if you drift away, if the Gentile church defects and apostatizes," and frankly folks, that has already happened. We start out with early Christianity. Christianity apostatizes. You have a thousand years of the dead Orthodoxy of Catholicism. And a mass of quote, unquote "Christians" in the world today aren't believers in Christ in the true sense. So, there's already a serious defection. And we're watching it happen all the time as the Church continues to fall increasingly into apostasy. We've talked about some of that tonight.
And what we're saying here is, if God didn't spare the natural branches, if God judged Israel, who were the initial people of blessing, don't think that somehow you're place is secure no matter what you do. Fact of the matter is, the day is gonna come that the apostate church is gonna be collected around the anti-Christ, right? They're gonna destroyed and the Lord is gonna give the Kingdom back to Israel...the Millennial Kingdom. In the time of Israel's salvation, when they look on Him who they pierced, and a fountain of blessing is open on them as Zachariah says it. So, you have to look at that in its context of Israel and the Church, rather than a threat to an individual. Okay?
ARMAND: Thank You.
JOHN: Good question. The last two, real quick.
BRIAN: Hi John, thanks for taking my question.
JOHN: Glad to do it.
BRIAN: My name is Brian, and my question is: In light of some of the statements that people like Billy Graham and others have made publicly, at what point do you go from saying this person made a heretical statement to saying...just writing the person off as a heretic?
JOHN: Well, talking about labels, you know, Brian, it's hard. I mean, heresy is a...a person can be a true Christian and buy into something that we can call heresy, because that's simply a word that speaks to something that is an error, the severity of which, varies form error to error. I mean, you can be wrong about some things that doesn't affect the Gospel.
In the case of Billy Graham, Billy Graham believes the Gospel. He believes the Gospel. That is true. He knows the true Gospel, believes the true Gospel, preaches the true Gospel. And so, because he believes the true Gospel, he therefore, is a believer. But, he goes beyond that to say that somebody can be saved that didn't believe the true Gospel. That's wrong. That doesn't eliminate him from the redeemed because he believes the true Gospel. You know what I'm saying? We're drawing a fine line here. But, it's such a dangerous thing to say that. It's not something new, something he said back in 1978 in "McCall's" magazine and even before that. I don't know what sentimentality causes people to say things like that.
But, I've never found myself in a position where I needed to go around labeling everybody. You know, heretic, non-heretic, whatever. I just try to deal with the truth, try to give somebody the benefit of the doubt. There are a lot of people in that category. There are lots of people through the years that we've discussed and talked about and read their writings and we would say, well this person believes the Gospel, completely understands the Gospel, affirms the Gospel. But, they don't think everybody has to believe the Gospel to be saved. Billy Graham isn't alone in that. There are a lot of people who take that position. Lot of people. They're wrong about that. Their emotions get carried away, because that's a very, very clear biblical issue. But, while that in itself is heresy, I think to label someone a heretic is pretty, that's a pretty loaded statement. So, I would be hesitate to drop that label on someone, unless they do not preach the true Gospel, do not believe the true Gospel. Then that's when heresy becomes fatal. Okay?
BRIAN: Thank you.
JOHN: Good question. Yes?
TOM: Hi, Pastor MacArthur. How're you doing? My name's Tom.
JOHN: Hi, Tom.
TOM: I just wanna thank you for your faithfulness. That's a great encouragement and I thank God for that. My question is on predestination, and free will. No, it's not. You're getting all riled up, so I thought, let's keep it going. Actually, my question is, in I John, the last verse of chapter five, he writes, "Little children, guard yourselves from idols," and then leaves us hanging. How do we guard ourselves from idols? If you can just kind of expound on that. I'd like to know, how do you guard yourself form idols on a daily basis? Maybe some practical insight on how can we as a body guard our self? How can I as an individual believer? Because, I think it's also kind of directly related to the soil and the fourth one with the thirty, sixty and a hundred. I mean, you've got a hundred or sixty and I pray I can get thirty...I mean...
JOHN: Yeah, right. You're sorta leap-frogging off the text. But, it's...
TOM: Yes, I mean is that...correct my thinking if...
JOHN: Well, no, let me just start with the text. If you go to the end of verse 20...well, go to the beginning of verse 20, "We know the Son of God is come and given us an understanding." Okay, Christ is come; we have a true understanding of the Gospel. We know Him, who is true. We are in Him who is true. Now, notice the language. Know, understanding, know, true, true, and then this is the true God. This is all about truth here. So your question really is pertinent tonight.
Verse 21 then says, "In opposition, little children keep yourselves from idols." Idols are views of God and Christ that are not true. We have created a false God. He's not so much talking about the idol of money or the idol of this or that or the other thing. What he's talking about here is this...we're all about knowing the Son of God has come. We have been given an understanding. We know Him who is true. We are in Him who is true. And His son, Jesus Christ...this is the true God, so don't get tangled up with false representations of God and Christ. That was exactly what we're talking about tonight. It's not the idols or the petty idols of life that he has in mind here.
One of the things we're gonna learn next Sunday when we talk about John, who's the next apostle in our list, is that John was passionate about truth. I think we all maybe come to think of Paul as the theologian, as the person concerned with truth. John was at least as passionate as Paul about truth. In fact, he goes so far in one of his epistles, second epistle, to say if anybody comes into your house and doesn't tell you the truth about Jesus Christ, throw him out. He was passionate about truth. This is exactly the point that we've been saying all along. The Lord is greatly dishonored when He is misrepresented. The battle for truth is not some kind of personal thing. It's not all about whose king of the mountain humanly. It's not all about whose right. It's about the truth.
And what I feel so compelled about is to make sure that we keep the Church at large, from worshipping idols, from viewing God the wrong way. You know, I think what they're doing in Christianity today to undermind the biblical character of God is to create an idol. It's a pagan idol. And people are buying into it all over the place. And what they're saying in the Charismatic movement about Jesus Christ is to create a Christ that doesn't exist, that Christ is somehow a victim of Satan, a victim of sin, has to go to Hell, be judged by God. That is exactly what John is saying for us to keep ourselves away from. And again, the call here is for discernment.
And I'll take your question to the direction you intended it originally and that is this. You're not gonna be able to deal with the issues of life until you have a true understanding of who your God is and who your Christ is. And I think you heard that in a testimony somewhere tonight. I think it was Mary Ann who said she got into the Word of God and began to see the wholeness of God, the character of God, the nature of God, that is the most compelling thing in your life. That is what controls your conduct. It's your view of God. It's not a sermon, a clever sermon, an illustration you remember, a thought that flies by your mind, some whimsical thing, some serendipitous circumstance that controls you. What controls you is how you view God and Christ. And the more majestic they are in your view, the less likely you are to worship something else in your life. Starting with a wrong view of God, a wrong view of Christ and descending there to any other idol. Okay?
TOM: Thank You.
JOHN: Good question. All right. That's it.
ANNOUNCER: You've been listening to Pastor, Bible teacher and author, John MacArthur, and we trust that you've been encouraged. John is featured speaker on Grace to You, a daily half-hour teaching program available on Christian radio, streamed audio and podcast. For more information about the minister of Grace to You or a catalog of all of John's print and audio resources, visit www.gty.org. That's gty.org or call 1-800-55GRACE.
This article is also available and sold as a booklet.
This sermon series includes the following messages:
Please contact the publisher to obtain copies of this resource.Publisher Information


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MySarkariNaukri.com is the best website to look for Asansol government jobs or sarkari naukri for Asansol. Get full details of Asansol jobs such as eligibility criteria, number of posts, qualifications required, application process, Asansol Jobs Recruitment process and lots more. Browse all 2019 Asansol Government Jobs in India
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Press the down arrow key to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.
Press the down arrow key to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.
Not living up to its name (Güzel means 'Pretty'), this option near Basmane Garı (train station) is only worth considering by those on a tight budget. Most rooms are dark, bathrooms are pokey and amenities are few and far between.
Guzel Izmir Hotel has been at your service for the past 65 years.Located in the center of downtown Izmir, right across from Basmane Train station, Metro, and International Fair. If you are looking for affordable clean relaxing room with free continental breakfast and Wi-Fi internet access, and Fitness room and darts we are here to wellcome you with friendly English speaking staff 7/24 open reception.
Location Details: Only 100 meters from the historic Basmane-Izmir train station (direct train from the Adnan Menderes Airport you can come by train to Basmane in 20 minutes cost of 2.5-TL), and the Metro and train station is the same place. Once you exit the train station you will simply cross the street and we are on the first street behind September 9 square on the right hand side.
Izmir International Fair and and the newly renovated Konak-Pier Shopping center are within walking distance, When you arrive to Izmir Bus Station (Otogar) there are free shuttles from the main bus station to Basmane where the International Fair is. We are located e few meters away from the bus compaines.
Hotel is located near bus companies.You can go to Ephesus, Pergamnet , Kusadasi and Cesme easily.
20 minutes walking distance from Kadifekale
15 minutes walking distance from Agora ( Open historical museum)
100 m. from Izmir International Fair
100 m. from the Basmane Train Station and Metro station which takes you to Airport, Ephesus and Virgin Mary Church.
350 m. away from Konak Pier Shopping Center ( walking distance)
100 m. away from Kemaralti Bazaar (walking distance)
8 km. away from Izmir International Airport (direct train and bus to the hotel)
200 m. away from water front (walking distance)
Tours Are Also Provide to Ephesus & Mary's House, Pergamum & Asclepium, Pamukkale (Hierapolis), Priene, Miletus & Dydima and Sardis.All you need is to contact with reception clerk.
Room Description: Guzel Izmir Oteli offers 30 Air-Conditioned rooms which have mini refrigerator and equipped with satilite TV and Wi-Fi internet access. Rooms have feature city views. These individually decorated and furnished accommodations include double sofa beds. Beds feature triple sheeting and down blankets. Televisions come with premium satellite channels. Bathrooms include bathtubs or showers with handheld showerheads, makeup/shaving mirrors,hair dryer , clean towels and slippers.
Business-friendly amenities include desks and phones; free local calls are provided (restrictions may apply). Irons/ironing boards, extra towels/bedding, and wake-up calls can be requested. Housekeeping is provided daily.
There are no room charges for children 6 years old and younger who occupy the same room as their parents or guardians, using existing bedding.
Continental Breakfast is complimentary.
Wi-fi internet Access is FREE of charge in the house. Guest who does not come with a lap top we offer a PC for FREE.
Secure parking is available near the hotel at 10 TL per day.
We have a FITNESS ROOM and CAFE lounge for you to relax


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Deena of 'Jersey Shore' Dishes About Her Girl-on-Girl Makeout Session [VIDEO]
On 'Jersey Shore,' random hookups are as commonplace as fights between volatile couple Ronnie and Sammi. But even hardcore fans were no doubt surprised when straight cast member Deena Cortese engaged in a full-on makeout session with another girl in last week's episode of the reality show.
Cortese discussed the moment during an interview with Arsenio Hall and Kit Hoover on 'Access Hollywood Live' yesterday. "I was just, like, she was cute and I'm very out there and very open," she said. "At that moment, that's what I wanted to try and do. So, I went for it and you all got to see it."
Deena also said the hookup wasn't simply a stunt for the cameras. "I enjoyed it. I'm not going to lie," she said. "When I'm, like, there, nothing is for television. I'm just being myself and I make out with girls when I drink sometimes."


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Global Update ♦ April 2012
2011: A Look Back at the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Market and Outlook
SEMI Educates Policymakers on 450mm Transition
also: Update on 450mm Standards
CAST Workshop Explores Barriers to Expanding Adaptive Test
SEMI Advocates Bold Action to Expand U.S. Solar Manufacturing
LED Fab Investments: Capacity Expansion Cools Slightly
Manufacturing Solutions for Growing MEMS, LED and Printed Electronics Markets
OEMs and Precision Engineering Companies Matched Up in New SEMI Singapore Program
Russian Semiconductor Industry Envisions 65nm Technology and Beyond
Flexible, Wearable Electronics for Biometrics and Medicine
The ConFab Finalizes Programs and Speakers
April 14-17
Global FPD Partners Conference
April 24-26
SEMICON Singapore
May 8-11
Semiconductor Processing Tech Tutorial 2012
April 24
Beyond 300mm Workshop
April 25-26
MiNaPAD conference
May 12-13
CS Europe
May 15-16
SEMICON Russia 2012
June 13-15
Intersolar Europe 2012
April 19
Silicon Valley Lunch Forum
April 24
Arizona Breakfast Forum
May 1
Pacific Northwest Breakfast Forum
May 9
Austin Breakfast Forum
May 15-17
Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Conference
June 6
SEMI Northeast Forum: Semiconductor Market Trend Update
2011: A Look Back at the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Market and Outlook
By Lara Chamness, SEMI Industry Research & Statistics
2011 was a record year for the semiconductor industry in many regards. First and foremost, semiconductor revenues approached the long elusive $300 billion mark. Secondly, semiconductor materials passed the record high set in 2010 to reach $47.9 billion.
SEMI Educates Policymakers on 450mm Transition
By Jonathan Davis, SEMI Semiconductor Business
With estimates for the R&D cost of the 450mm wafer transition running in the tens of billions of dollars, public-private partnerships will have a critical role throughout the world. Already, the State of New York is anticipating a $400 million investment in advanced chip research over the coming years.
Related article: Update on SEMI 450mm Standards
CAST Workshop Explores Barriers to Expanding Adaptive Test
Test industry experts from chip manufacturers, electronic system manufacturers, ATE suppliers, and Adaptive Test software providers gathered to discuss the opportunities, challenges and barriers to successful and cost-effective Adaptive Test implementation.
SEMI Advocates Bold Action to Expand U.S. Solar Manufacturing
The SEMI PV Group recently released a white paper, "Manufacturing Solar Photovoltaic Products in the U.S." with specific policy recommendations to stimulate and support the growth of the U.S. solar manufacturing industry.
Semiconductor Packaging News
Electronic-media continues to expand as industry professionals seek daily updates on news and events shaping the semiconductor packaging and micro-electronics market. We search industry news, so you don't need to.
Subscribe today
LED Fab Investments: Capacity Expansion Cools Slightly
By Clark Tseng and Dan Tracy, SEMI Industry Research & Statistics
Following a built up of 60 percent capacity expansion in 2011, LED fab investments will slow down somewhat with expected capacity expansion of 39 percent and 26 percent in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
Manufacturing Solutions for Growing MEMS, LED and Printed Electronics Markets
By Paula Doe, SEMI Emerging Markets
SEMICON West again features programs on manufacturing technology solutions to enable the next round of growth for MEMS, LEDs and printed/flexible electronics markets.
OEMs and Precision Engineering Companies Matched Up in New SEMI Singapore Program
On March 20th, SEMI Singapore hosted the inaugural OEM Supplier Search Program, co-organized with SPRING Singapore, an agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Russian Semiconductor Industry Envisions 65nm Technology and Beyond
By Heinz Kundert, SEMI Europe
After my first visit to Russia after the Presidential elections on March 4th, I'm more optimistic about better investment conditions for semiconductor and related technologies in the years to come.
Flexible, Wearable Electronics for Biometrics and Medicine
Flexible, wearable electronics will create more effective, safer and less expensive methods to provide health care monitoring of trauma patients, the elderly, military personnel, and athletes.
The ConFab Finalizes Programs and Speakers
The ConFab, an invitation-only global conference and networking event for semiconductor industry executives, takes place June 3-6 in Las Vegas.
Thank you for reading this newsletter. We hope that you find
SEMI Global Update
informative and relevant. Let us know if we can improve the content and quality of
SEMI Global Update
. Please send your ideas, comments and suggestions to:
Deborah Geiger
Content Manager, SEMI
3081 Zanker Road, San Jose, California, 95134
Tel: 1.408.943.6900; Fax: 1.408.428.9600; Email:
Copyright © Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), all rights reserved


text:
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Vistas of Dusty Libraries
Robert Buchanan (1841-1901), The Bookworm:Newer› ‹Older
With spectacles upon his nose,
He shuffles up and down;
Of antique fashion are his clothes,
His napless hat is brown.
A mighty watch, of silver wrought,
Keeps time in sun or rain
To the dull ticking of the thought
Within his dusty brain.
To see him at the bookstall stand
And bargain for the prize,
With the odd sixpence in his hand
And greed in his gray eyes!
Then, conquering, grasp the book half blind,
And take the homeward track,
For fear the man should change his mind,
And want the bargain back!
The waves of life about him beat,
He scarcely lifts his gaze,
He hears within the crowded street
The wash of ancient days.
If ever his short-sighted eyes
Look forward, he can see
Vistas of dusty Libraries
Prolonged eternally.
But think not as he walks along
His brain is dead and cold;
His soul is thinking in the tongue
Which Plato spake of old;
And while some grinning cabman sees
His quaint shape with a jeer,
He smiles, — for Aristophanes
Is joking in his ear.
Around him stretch Athenian walks,
And strange shapes under trees;
He pauses in a dream and talks
Great speech, with Socrates.
Then, as the fancy fails — still mesh'd
In thoughts that go and come —
Feels in his pouch, and is refresh'd
At touch of some old tome.
The mighty world of humankind
Is as a shadow dim,
He walks through life like one half blind,
And all looks dark to him;
But put his nose to leaves antique,
And hold before his sight
Some press'd and withered flowers of Greek,
And all is life and light.
A blessing on his hair so gray,
And coat of dingy brown!
May bargains bless him every day,
As he goes up and down;
Long may the bookstall-keeper's face,
In dull times, smile again,
To see him round with shuffling pace
The corner of the lane!
A good old Ragpicker is he,
Who, following morn and eve
The quick feet of Humanity,
Searches the dust they leave.
He pokes the dust, he sifts with care,
He searches close and deep;
Proud to discover, here and there,
A treasure in the heap!


text:
|2009-03-22, 23:01
|Link #1
Lost in Thought
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: New Hampshire, USA
Age: 31
Looking for a Kick ass Anime.
I'm kinda drawn to an anime where the hero is untouchable, and completely obliterates the enemies... Hellsing is kinda like this, Claymore is a little bit, Bleach is at times, Anything where the fight scenes give me chills is awesome ie: Bleach.
Naruto would be an example of the opposite of what I'm looking for, hes portrayed as an idiot for 99% of the show, which hurts to watch. Deathnote while having no real fight scenes is a good example also of the main character know what they're doing and accomplishing it.
Trigun was also in the category of a powerful main character. Looking for melee combat for the most part, or mixed.
I'm trying to narrow it down as much as possible, if you think you know of a few good suggestions toss em my way, I'll leave feedback and whatnot. Thanks alot
|2009-03-22, 23:13
|Link #3
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Age: 33
You need to watch Shura no Toki. I recommend just the first two arcs though (through episode 14). The last arc is disappointing and unnecessary (all three are different stories with different characters, focused around a successor to the Mutsu Enmei-Ryu fighting style). You will see the two protagonist Mutsus barehandedly wipe the floor with armed swordsmen.
You might also take a look at Rurouni Kenshin if you haven't done so. Kenshin is similar to Vash.
|2009-03-22, 23:59
|Link #4
Lost in Thought
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: New Hampshire, USA
Age: 31
I've watched a season or two of code geass, and yes its an awesome anime. Little odd and.. poor euphie.
As for the others I'll confess that unarmed combat isn't exactly my thing, I'll give them a shot either way.
And I recently just got done watching Afro Samurai, its pretty decent, if a little short in length and fight scenes. And somewhat cliche, though oddly enough I liked the music.. O.o
Any others? Keep em comin. Currently checking out Blood + and Elfen Lied Also.
|2009-03-23, 00:10
|Link #5
Master Blaster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Age: 32
You'll definitely like Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal. Kenshin is a certified untouchable badass. It's a prequel to the series so it won't ruin anything if you haven't watched the series yet.
You might also like Scrapped Princess. The main character isn't what you're looking for but her brother (swordsman) and sister (magician) are at the top of their game and beat up on a lot of people.
|2009-03-23, 00:26
|Link #6
Lost in Thought
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: New Hampshire, USA
Age: 31
Added to my list, Should prove for some interesting watching tonight
Keep the suggestions coming, I'll get around to em as I do.
And so far all of these look good, A friend suggested Samurai Champloo, and its definatley down the same alley.
|2009-03-23, 06:23
|Link #7
Join Date: Dec 2005
Seconded on ruroni kenshin, though I intensely disliked it. You may want to try berserk or bakumatsu kikansetsu irohanihoheto.
|2009-03-23, 08:45
|Link #10
Master Blaster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Age: 32
Ah, I completely forgot about Tenjou Tenge. It is unarmed combat, mostly, but it's pretty good.
Watch from about 6min.
|2009-03-23, 09:32
|Link #11
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
|2009-03-23, 11:39
|Link #12
Master Blaster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Age: 32
sshhhh =)
There's also a good ones between Aya/guy-with-staff, Maya/Emi, and Shin/Mitsuomi.
It's a shame they cut off the anime so early. There's some cool stuff that happens as the manga continues.. even if it does get convoluted as hell.
|2009-03-23, 19:40
|Link #13
Lost in Thought
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: New Hampshire, USA
Age: 31
I've seen Berzerk, It took a long time for me to be able to get past the anime drawing, but it was pretty good. And had a WTF twist like no other lol.
I'll Check out the last few, Kenshin is pretty good, Just watched the betrayal series last night, pretty good.
Also watched a bit of Elfen Lied and Blood, So far they look good, but not what I'm looking for. The main character in each of these doesn't seem all that bad ass to me. I dunno.
So far I'd say Samurai Champloo is the closest, and its still kinda stretching it. I'll check out the others though
|2009-03-23, 20:10
|Link #16
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Perth, Western Australia - Down Where The City Meets The Sea
Age: 30
Hey Drimear definitely have to check out black lagoon as it is exactly what you are looking for.
could also check out:
Full Metal Panic
Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X
Vampire Hunter D
Ninja Scroll
|2009-03-24, 03:09
|Link #20
Lost in Thought
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: New Hampshire, USA
Age: 31
Seed, Thats a pretty good anime. I might watch that one through.
I've watched atleast a little bit of every suggestion in here so far, While some of them look like fine anime the ones that have interested me so far have been
Samurai Champloo
Kaze no Stigma
I dunno, Gun fights don't really do it for me. Nor do very annoying characters. heh
Keep em rolling though, Never can have enough anime to watch at once. XD
|Thread Tools


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Results 1 to 2 of 2
14-09-2013 #1
The Twin-Cooled Twin Cam 103 Test Ride its a Rush
ScottishHD, along with selected Dunedin Chapter members from Dundee, were invited to try out the new 2014 all-new liquid-cooled V-Twin Ultra Limited stabled at Edinburgh Harley-Davidson. Dunedin member, Joe Day, had first dibs on the ride and he will be quoted through this article.
Here is my report.
First Glance:
Right away, you see it as you approach from the front of this new offering from the Motor-Co. They have a vent in the fairing. Yes, it is a vent. Its the very first thing that riders who own or have owned an Ultra will spot. You are drawn to it right away. Why is it there? What does it do? How does it work? DOES it work? (answers in a moment) Once you take that in, you them begin to look further at the bat-wing its a new shape, it look more aerodynamic. It has a longer almost aggressive look about it. The other easy to spot changers are the luggage profiles are angled for a more flowing look. The new floating brake rotors open up the front wheel, the better to admire its sharp-looking contrast-cut. The air cleaner cover also brandishes a different shape than the standard 103.
OK, looking further into that vent. Its a retractable vent located on the top of the fairing and underneath the windscreen, which is supposed to relieves the back-pressure turbulence. You can close this vent (one button push) if you miss the eye-blurring buffeting (when wearing your open faced helmet) via a quick button, tucked behind the screen. The vent works, simple as that. I had the bike up to motorway speeds and tried it in both positions and would wonder why you would close it (unless its raining of course) And speaking of aerodynamics, we are told that the Harley development engineers took the new bikes route comforting airflow around the rider, but in such a manner as to eliminate the dastardly effect of beard lift. Thats right, just ask Joe!
Joe Day That 'vent' on the fairing (bat-wing) that everybody's going on about is a fantastic addition to the ride comfort/turbulence. When I opened and shut it at around 70 mph it was like chalk & cheese.
Bright Light:
Check out the dual Day-maker LED headlamps, standard on the Ultra Limited and the air-cooled Ultra Classic, are ultra-bright attention grabbers. Its about time these babys came to the UK. Its a bit silly that they have made the effort to fit braw LED headlights but leave standard bulbs for the indicators! Still, there are always upgrades!
Swinging around to the drivers view of the new Ultra reveals Err, a TV? Well, the Motor-Co call it an new Boom! Box Infotainment system. Thumb joysticks on both of the handlebar switch-gears navigate the info menus, which are easy to read on the fine central display (available in 4.3 and 6.5-inch versions). The system takes getting used to, not because the thumb controls are difficult to operate, but because of the massive amount of information available radio, iPod/phone, navigation and plenty of set-up options. I am told that you can also access the system via accessory voice control audio headset. Thumb the voice command prompt on the left switchgear, and then give commands into the helmet-mounted mike Say, play, ACDC and, boom, you have them screaming away ASAP either on the standard issue Boom speakers, or routed through the headset. I could not try this out as I dont have the required speakers and boom mike on my helmet so I can only take their word for that J The dash does look similar to the Goldwing dash (shock horror) but it does have a neat glove box on the right of the screen (that the Goldwing does not have, phew) that flips up and allows you to connect your phone or music player to the system then close the lid back down keeping it secure and dry. I did have a wee play around with the navigation (while stationary or coarse) and this is a definite plus for those who like to tour. Its a clear viewing screen and the voice is not too annoying.
Bagger got Betta:
Yep, the bags on this tour bike have undergone a huge change and for those of us who have got the skint knuckles to prove it, a great and long awaited change. The designers have knocked this out of the ballpark here. The saddlebags are now a sweet one-touch, thumb-operated latching system thats effortless, closes securely and allows the rider to access saddlebag contents while seated on the bike. Its such a simple design one wonders why its not happened before. To me, its a huge change and one not to be ignored. The tour pack receives the same technical touch i.e. one touch. You click open the one latch and open the lip, simple. The lid is on a cord tape retractable roller so no more cord being trapped when youre struggling to shut the lid. Again, its so simple yet very effective. The tour pack does not lose any of its size and will still take two full face helmets. Overall, the saddlebags and the tour pack have been reshaped and given smoother lines. The UK also gets an LED light bar across the back of the tour pack (used to be standard in the USA and an extra here in the UK) This has also received a cool touch up, blending into the new tour pack style.
Water V Twin?
The excessive heat is a long-standing issue that the company partially addressed with its cylinder shut-off feature, made standard in the 2009 model year, in which the ECU deactivates the rear cylinder at high temperature. This cylinder deactivation system continues to be employed on the new engine as well. And the primary purpose of the new liquid-cooling is to slake off additional heat for rider/passenger comfort. The twin-cooling system also retains engine performance that the standard 103 loses under thermal stress.
Similar to the BMW R1200GS, a long-time air-cooled platform which switched to liquid-cooling in 2013, the Ultra Limited is also described as precision-cooled. The deep cooling fins surrounding the 103 jugs carry away the brunt of the engine heat. Liquid coolant routes through the cylinder head only, targeting heat from the exhaust valves. Fluid cycles through a pair of flanking radiators, mounted in the Ultra Limiteds lower farings, with a thermostat and water pump at the base of the frame down tubes.
The new engines (gasp!) radiators will cause some H-D clientèle to instinctively froth at the mouth on pure principle, but from an aesthetic standpoint the water-cooling is no more intrusive than the familiar oil-cooling already employed. If anything the radiators are less prominent than the oil cooler, and the water hoses are discreetly mounted between the frame down tubes. Its so innocuous that at a glance the water-cooled Ultra Limited and air-cooled Ultra Classic are indistinguishable. The liquid-cooled 103 delivers plenty of usable, immediate torque with modest improvement in high-end acceleration. You do loose the leg pods for those little extras you carry but lets face it, the last time I had an Ultra, those pods carried dust for the most part.
Twin Braking?
I was most pleased with the performance of the new Reflex Linked Braking system and ABS, another Rushmore update. The linked system engages at speeds above 25 mph, with independent rear/front braking below that threshold useful for, say, dragging the rear brake during low-speed manoeuvres. Again, Im not sure how many of H-Ds hard-core enthusiasts were clamouring for linked braking and ABS but theres no bike class that benefits more from these electronic aids than mammoth-sized cruisers and touring platforms. In practice on the street, the stopping power is much improved, with steady, even stopping power exerting a more controlled halt. I tried my best to trick this system and it worked flawless.
Joe Day : "The bike can certainly shift and it can certainly stop!
Lets Ride:
Jumping onto the glide, you do note that the stance is slightly wider. The riders seat is a revelation, it puts you in the correct position for controlling this bike. Sitting comfortably and relaxed, I just know I could ride 500 mile days with no issues. You start the bike in the same trusted manor, nothing changed here. The clutch (now a new hydraulic clutch) engages smoothly and the same clunk when you engage first gear. Within 20 feet, you should by now feel the solid change in this bike. Forget the cosmetic changes that grab your eye when you first see this bike. The handling has come into the modern day. This is the real revelation on this bike. You just feel solid with a larger 49mm fork with stiffer settings that promises (and delivers) a more composed ride for the Rushmore Touring chassis and by lord its not a lie. At slow speeds there is no more wobbling shake, you point the bike and go. I took the bike from EHD down to Peebles going through town, country, long bending roads, twisty roads and non-head buffeting straits. There are no nasty surprises with this bike. Yes you can scrape the boards and yes, I did on some of the twisty sections but thats when the smile gets just that little bit wider. This Harley-Davidson knows how to hold the road.
Joe Day: "Well, after a test ride on the new Ultra Ltd, I can only say that it is by far the best bike I've ridden this year and I've had many different bikes out, believe me.
Yep Joe, youre not wrong. This bike lives up to the Rushmore launch in every way. If youre thinking about changing your touring bike, dont wait, get yourself down to EHD and book yourself a test ride. Oh, you better bring your check book as well cause youre going to be buying one.
14-09-2013 #2
Re: The Twin-Cooled Twin Cam 103 Test Ride its a Rush
Hey, that's a very professional report.....nice one!....
(that guy wi' the quotes ken's his stuff, eh?...)
By the way peeps.....everything in the report is accurate....I should know!...


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conflits ado/parent (185 topics, 231 messages)
Topic ". Or watch the race without a contract for" (Messages 1 à 1 sur 1)
Dernier message par corse178, le 04/12 à 07:09:43
CHICAGO -- Not only did Matt Garza pitch the Chicago Cubs to a victory Friday, he might also have boosted his trade value. Garza worked into the ninth inning and Anthony Rizzo hit his first home run since May 18 to lead the Cubs over the Houston Astros 3-1 after a rain delay that lasted more than 3 hours. The subject of trade speculation, Garza (2-1) allowed four hits and struck out eight in eight-plus innings for his first win since beating Arizona on May 31. It was an outing that certainly could make Garza more attractive on the trade market. The rebuilding Cubs began the day 17 games out of first place in the NL Central, and Garza can become a free agent after the season. The right-hander, however, didnt say much about the chatter surrounding his future. "Im looking forward to the next five days," Garza said. "That day I face Milwaukee in Milwaukee and Ill be ready." Cubs manager Dale Sveum is well aware of all the speculation about Garza but doesnt want to lose a pitcher who has allowed one run over his past 15 innings, his best stretch since coming off the disabled list May 21. "You dont want to give up those guys," Sveum said, "but obviously its a business and thats not my part of my business." Darwin Barney and Scott Hairston also homered for the Cubs, who had lost four of five. Garza, who threw seven scoreless innings Sunday in a no-decision against the Mets, was three outs from his first complete game since Sept. 21, 2011, against Milwaukee when he went out to the mound in the ninth. But he walked Jose Altuve to begin the inning and was replaced by Kevin Gregg, who earned his 11th save in 11 tries. "Im a little upset I didnt finish it, but thats on me," Garza said. "I walked a leadoff guy in the ninth and theres no reason to leave me in there. Youve got a guy thats closing games really well now, so you just hand it over and watch." Rizzo, meanwhile, will be with the Cubs for a while and is a key to their rebuilding efforts. The first baseman, who entered in a 4-for-40 slump, finished with two hits after the start was delayed by rain for 3 hours, 18 minutes. Rizzo agreed to a $41 million, seven-year contract on May 13 and has struggled since the deal, hitting .200 with one home run and 11 RBIs entering Friday. Chris Carter broke up Garzas shutout bid with a leadoff homer in the seventh. Barney was a triple short of the cycle for Chicago, which had scored 11 runs in its last five games. Hairston added a solo home run off Dallas Keuchel in the sixth to make it 3-0. Barney has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games and has had at least two hits in three of those games. "Ive just been ready to hit every pitch, not assuming that the first pitch is going to be a ball or anything like that," Barney said. "Id be lying if I said I didnt learn something from watching those Cardinals hitters as well." Barney said the Cardinals, who beat the Cubs three out of four this week, "have a good approach." That helped the Cubs beat the Astros, who had won six of eight. It was the first interleague matchup between the teams after 705 meetings in the National League. Keuchel (4-4) lost for the second time in three decisions, pitching six innings and giving up three runs and nine hits while striking out a career-high nine. Keuchel hadnt allowed multiple home runs in any outing, and only eight all season before giving up three Friday. "I thought he made a couple of mistakes and they made him pay for it," Astros manager Bo Porter said. "They were all solo home runs and he did a good job of keeping us in the game. Unfortunately, offensively we couldnt muster too much off of their guy." NOTES: The Cubs traded Triple-A infielder Brent Lillibridge to the New York Yankees for a player to be named or cash. Lillibridge had one hit in 24 at-bats before being sent down to Iowa on April 18. . Carlos Pena, who led the 2011 Cubs with 28 home runs, played the 1,458th game of his career but the first against Chicago. Facing Garza, a teammate on the 2008 AL champion Tampa Bay Rays, Pena was 0 for 3 before grounding out against Gregg to end the game. ... Astros RHP Edgar Gonzalez began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Gonzalez went on the 15-day disabled list with a right shoulder strain May 26. ... Houston 1B-OF Marc Krauss made his major league debut in the eighth and struck out swinging. ... Bud Norris (5-7, 3.64 ERA) pitches Saturday for Houston against Travis Wood (5-6, 2.74).


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Not normally a purple person, I have seen some of the prettiest shades of lilac and heather purple lately… seems very fresh and pretty for spring!
Certainly a departure from your ordinary grocery store rose colors!
Who would ever think purple curtains in a dining room could ever be so elegant? I love the muted tone of these by Pamela Pierce.
This pop of color makes the room seem so current!
One last shot of a pretty table scape with pretty flowers!
Images from Style Me Pretty, Pinterest, Pamela Pierce, and Inspired Design.


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Attorneys Wanted and Needed
Each month, hundreds of people nationwide contact the Association for help with discrimination matters.
The most common requests concern problems in employment and education; other requests involve police custody, correctional institutions, licensing, and places of public accommodations.
You Can be a Part of the Solution!
Any attorney concerned about the legal rights of people with diabetes should be part of The American Diabetes Association's Advocacy Attorney Network. Expertise in discrimination law is less important than a passion to fight discrimination based on diabetes.
When legal action is required to resolve a problem the Association helps people with diabetes find lawyers. In key cases, the Association has also been both a party plaintiff and an amicus curiae. And where the law stands in the way of fairness for people with diabetes the Association initiates -- and has passed -- legislation on the federal and state levels.
Network attorneys assist all of these efforts either through pro bono representation or in the regular course of their practice.
Become a part of a team making a real difference in the lives of people with diabetes.
Join the American Diabetes Association's Advocacy Attorney Network today!
Read more about our efforts to end discrimination in the workplace, in schools, in correctional institutions, and in public places.
Are you handling a diabetes discrimination case? Check out our bank of attorney materials for case information, briefs, pleadings, sample complaints, papers and other helpful information.
Are you looking for training on diabetes discrimination? Learn about our Fighting for Fariness program and find other training resources.
Are you facing discrimination because of your diabetes? Learn how to get help from the American Diabetes Association.


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Monday, 29 October 2012
Reality TV Casting Calls
Reality TV Casting Calls - Guidance and Instructions
The reality television has become an impressive show to many people. Almost all the fans of the show wish they could have a chance to take part in the event. Nonetheless, it is practically impossible to determine what the directors are looking for. If you have been looking for a casting call but you have never got it, the following tips could get you there.
The first step is to trace the latest reality TV casting call. There are numerous television sites looking for reality shows to broadcast in their stations. Some of the reality tv casting call tasks are done by independent casting agencies hence information regarding the shows is available in their sites as well as other sources as the TV station in which eligible candidates will be broadcast. There are some reality shows prepared online while others require the participant to attend the casting process in person at a certain time in the course of shooting the event. If the reality show you are enrolling to take part in requires applicants to show up at the studio in person, you should then be ready to travel to the headquarters of the TV stations which are mostly located in large cities.
A Reality TV Casting call is versatile since the casting crew can be looking for characters meeting certain qualifications. Examples of qualifications they can be on the look out for include residential place, gender, athletic abilities, relationship status, age, talent and sexual orientation among other demographic characteristics. Some reality tv casting crews are in search of families instead of individuals.
Be On Reality TV
There are a number of advantages associated with participating in the reality television casting call. One of the advantages achieved is gaining popularity. If you have been looking for some means to get into the show business; and you are want a way to get to the limelight, the program can put you to the limelight as it is broadcast live on the TV. Even if you got rejected at early stages, you will still have a chance of appearing on the live broadcast. Some of the participants are offered chances to talk to students and give them advice. Other participants have written movies and books based on their experience on the show and used them to make money.
Now you are thinking how to get on reality tv? Don't worry you can participate in tv reality show.There are many online sources for finding out when and where live auditions are held for reality tv shows. Some blogs or audition sites list audition schedules for multiple reality shows. If you are interested in a specific show only, for example The Amazing Race, you could go to the Web site of the TV network that s athe show is on to find audition information. Once you know when and where auditions are, you'll need to figure out the logistics of being available for and getting to the audition. There may not necessarily be an audition in your home town or city. In this case, you'll need to arrange travel to the nearest audition site.
Before you apply to be on reality tv you have to prepare for every situation.May be you have to leave your city.Also you have to prove that you are the right applicant.If you are auditioning via mail or video, be brief. You don't want to fill your application with your whole life story, just a few interesting things about yourself that you think are unique or standout factors about your life or personality. People who try and do too much, or over rehearse come across poorly to directors. There needs to be some element of originality and roughness about your application that comes across as reality. After all, over rehearsed and planned out, isn't very conducive to the highs and lows of reality television.
Learn Here For More Facts About How To Get On Reality TV along with Reality TV Casting
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texasenergyrates.net is not affiliated with Reliant Energy.
Texas Energy Rates > Reliant Energy > D > Dickinson
Reliant Energy: Dickinson Texas Services
Like many people in Maryland, Massachusetts and other areas of Texas, consumers who live in deregulated parts of Dickinson are able to choose which electricity retailer provides their energy supply. If you choose Reliant Energy, you might be able to secure a variety of services.
|Alta Loma
|Bayou Vista
|Clear Lake Shores
|Deer Park
|La Marque
|La Porte
|San Leon
|Santa Fe
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|Taylor Lake Village
|Tiki Island
Reliant Energy electricity in Dickinson: Account Management
Account Management is ideal for the Dickinson customer who wants to take control of their electricity service online. You can receive details and updates from Reliant Energy in order to stay completely informed regarding your family's energy usage. You can keep track of how much electricity your household uses on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis. Another feature is neighborhood comparison. With Reliant, you can compare your home's energy usage to that of other homes in your area. Also feel free to use your online account to make monthly payments or sign up for automatic billing.
All of this useful information is also easy to retrieve by computer, phone or from your weekly summary email from Reliant Energy in Dickinson. Text alerts are ideal for customers who are always on the go. Sign up for this service and you can be notified:
- When your current monthly bill surpasses your budget.
- When your predicted monthly bill surpasses your budget.
- When your household surpasses its daily usage.
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- Five days before your bill is due.
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With service from Reliant Energy, Dickinson residents may be able to sign up for customer rewards. Select plans offer clients the chance to receive discounts on electricity that is used at night or on weekends. Another variation of this reward is a discount from Reliant Energy for using energy during off-peak hours in relation to seasonal demand. Plan to use your appliances that are big spenders of energy, such as washers, dryers and dishwashers, during the right times and you could potentially score significant savings on your monthly Reliant Energy electricity bill.
Reliant Energy: Electricity in Dickinson, and your Home Energy Monitor
Reliant Energy offers products so you don't have to leave the house or pick up the phone to get the scoop on your electricity bill. Keep constant surveillance of your family's energy use with cutting-edge technology right in your own living room. There's no need to call a customer service number when you are able to monitor your own consumption of electricity just a few feet away from your favorite chair.
What are the benefits of access to information about your home energy usage? A wealth of knowledge can help you make more informed decisions about your family's electricity service. Learn your real-time net home electricity usage, the current price for electricity per kWh and your family's month-to-date cost. With the proper data, you can carefully budget your household energy allowance and save on energy. Energy monitoring products can potentially save you money and reduce your impact on the environment.
Reliant Energy is one of many electricity retailers featured on TexasEnergyRates.net. Reliant Energy promotions and service feature are subejct to change.


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I was fortunate to create this lettering for Yosi Sergent and the Get Out The Vote project.
Be sure to check out more at: http://govotenov6.tumblr.com/
A portion of the preliminary sketch used as a template layer for the finished lettering.
A compilation of hand drawn lettering treatments created by Alan Ariail since the begining of the digital era to present day.


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Staying Safe and Secure in the Public WiFi Wilderness
Jun 28, 2012 5:00 AM PT
With the apparent clamp-down on formerly liberal U.S. data quotas by mobile operators, public WiFi hotspots -- like cafes -- for daily Web consumption may become an ever more likely Internet environment for many of us.
Europeans have been used to limited mobile data quotas under various euphemisms like "fair use policies" and "data plans" for some time. It's now time for North Americans to hunker down, and figure alternatives to the mobile network, because we're seeing the same thing in the U.S. this year.
Having recently used up my entire month's allocation of mobile data in one evening watching television in a hotel -- and then, adding insult to injury, being told by my mobile operator, that for "fair-use" reasons I was now restricted to Web browsing for the rest of the month and couldn't buy more data, I decided to explore alternatives.
My Options
One approach would be to purchase a broadband SIM card for each day of the month that I was away from home and wanted to watch television. That could conceivably result in me acquiring and managing 31 SIM cards -- ridiculous, even for me, a self-confessed phone nut.
The practical alternative, however, is public WiFi -- the kind you find at coffee shops, airports and hotel lobbies.
I've written on how to go about finding and using public hotspots before. Here's how to use them safely.
Look for HTTPS
Verify that sensitive websites that you're using implement Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). Banking websites invariably use this protocol, called "SSL/TLS."
You can identify an SSL secured website because the address bar in the browser will use the "HTTPS" hypertext transfer protocol designation, rather than the "HTTP" protocol. The "S" refers to "Secure."
HTTPS authenticates the website and encrypts the data. This restricts packet sniffing eavesdropping of the kind you can get in a public WiFi environment. All electronic spies will see is gibberish.
Virtual Private Networks
What if a site you are visiting -- a Mom-and-Pop e-commerce site, for example -- doesn't use SSL and you still want to protect yourself from eavesdroppers?
Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
VPNs create a tunnel through the Internet from your location to the destination location, and everything in the tunnel is encrypted.
Step 1
Perform a Web-based search for a VPN. Open Source VPNs use code called "OpenVPN." However, free services can restrict the amount of data that you can use or bombard you with ads.
I've used a paid VPN with dedicated physical server and a shared IP address that costs a few dollars a month. This kind of solution is bandwidth-robust.
Step 2
Sign up for the account, and then follow the instructions to configure the VPN.
On a Windows machine, select "Network and Internet" and then "Network and Sharing Center" from the Control Panel. Choose "Set up a new connection or network" and then "Connect to a workplace."
Follow the wizard and enter the VPN account's supplied IP Address, User ID and Password. Check the account setup email for any network-specific configuration instructions.
Step 3
Launch the VPN by selecting it from the network options in the Windows task bar. Then open a Web browser. Your traffic will be encrypted. Tips: For further housekeeping security, verify that the computer's firewall is turned on. In Windows, the firewall control is accessed within the Control Panel under "System and Security."
Turn off your WiFi radio when you've finished using it in a public WiFi environment. Most computers have a hardware switch for this. It's the same switch you'd use on a plane for Flight Safe Mode.
Want to Ask a Tech Question?
Is there a piece of tech you'd like to know how to operate properly? Is there a gadget that's got you confounded? Please send your tech questions to me, and I'll try to answer as many as possible in this column.
And use the Talkback feature below to add your comments!


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Rail passengers are facing delays this morning (Sunday) because of a catalogue of troubles on the rail network in Sussex.
A replacement bus service is running on Southern between Three Bridges and Brighton, and between Three Bridges and Lewes due to engineering works.
A replacement bus service is also operating on Thameslink between Three Bridges and Brighton due to engineering works and there is a revised service on Thameslink between Bedford and Brighton, and between Bedford and Sutton due to engineering works.
At East Ginstead today a replacement bus service running on Southern between Uckfield and Oxted, and between East Grinstead and Oxted due to engineering works.
In Lewes
There are no reported road incidents at this time but we will be checking throughout the day and updating with any news.
Coming up this week refurbishment work continues on the A27 Fitzalan Bridge in Arundel.
Work to maintain journeys by carrying out essential bridge refurbishment work continues this week. The carriageway and footbridge will be closed in both directions between Ford roundabout and the Causeway roundabout from 8pm on Saturday October 17 until 6am on Monday October 19.
Pedestrians will be escorted over the bridge when it is safe to do so. A clearly signed diversion via the A259 will be in place and all work is due to be complete by the beginning of November.
On the A27 maintenance work will start on the Southwick Tunnel in West Sussex.
Work to maintain journeys by carrying out tunnel maintenance work will start and the A27 will be closed at the Southwick tunnel overnight, between 8pm and 6am, from Friday October 16 for two consecutive nights. A clearly signed diversion will be in place via the A270 and A293.
Don't miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.
Here are four ways you can be sure you'll be amongst the first to know what's going on.
1) Make our website your homepage
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