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RomaniaRomania is a country located in southeastern Central Europe, on the Lower Danube, north of the Balkan Peninsula and in north-western shore of the Black Sea. On its territory is situated almost all the Danube delta area and the southern and central Carpathians. Romania is bordered by Bulgaria to the south, Serbia to the southwest, Hungary to the northwest, Ukraine to the north, Moldova to the east and in the south-eastern part, the Black Sea coast is found.
Throughout history, different portions of the current territory of Romania were in or under the administration of Dacia, the Roman Empire, Ottoman Empire or the Austrian. As a sovereign state, Romania has started in 1859 by merging between Romanian country and Moldova led by Alexandru Ioan Cuza and its independence was recognized 19 years later. In 1918, Romania has joined Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia.
Romania was destroyed at the end of World War II, when the USSR occupied Bessarabia and northern Bukovina, action followed by the signing of the Warsaw Pact by Romania. At the time of disintegration of the Soviet Union and the removal of the communist regime installed in Romania (1989), the country has initiated a series of economic and political reforms. After a decade of economic problems, Romania has managed to introduce new general reforms (such as flat tax in 2005) and join the European Union on January 1, 2007.
Romania is a semi-presidential republic. It is a new country by territory area (238 391 sq. km) and the seventh by population (over 22 million people) of the Member States of the European Union. Country capital, Bucharest, is the largest city of Romania and the sixth city of EU by population (1.9 million inhabitants). Another well known city of Romania, Sibiu was elected in 2007 the European Capital of Culture.
Romania is a NATO member (since March 29, 2004), the Latin Union, the Francophonie and of OSCE.
EtymologyThe name "Romania" comes from "Roman", a word derived from the Latin "Romanus" ("Roman"). The fact that Romanians are named using a word derived from "Romanus" is mentioned since the XVI century by many authors among which the Italian humanists who have traveled to Transylvania , Moldavia and Wallachia.
The oldest existing document written in Romanian is a letter of 1521 (known as "Letter of Neacsu from Campulung") that announces the Mayor of Brasov, Johannes Benkner, about preparing an imminent attack of the Turks over Transylvania. This document is also the oldest document in which appears the name of "The Rumanian Country".
In late antiquity, the Roman Empire was often called "Romania" in Latin. Some historians say that the medieval Byzantine Empire should be called "Romania", but the proposal was not accepted. The name "Romania" is also used to describe all the European Latin countries speaking Romance.
Until the nineteenth century, in the territory between the Dniester and Tisza was used the name of "Rumania" instead of "Romania" and endonym of "Rumanians" instead of "Romanians". From the term "Rumanian" was formed in late eighteenth-century the modern exonym of the Romanian people and the Romanian state in case of the main European languages: "Rumanen / Rumanien" (German), "Roumains / Roumanie" (French), "Rumanians/ Rumania" (obsolete name in English), "Rumuni / Rumunija" (in Serbian).
However, for the Romanians from Timoc area was kept the exonym of "Vlach" until today, even if they call themselves in their mother language as "Rumanians") etc. In the past, all Romanians were called by foreigners as "Vlachs".
Dacia and the Roman EmpireIt is thought that the tribes that created the bronze culture in Romania belong to the Indo-European group of Thracians. The ancient Greek historian and geographer, Strabo, has mentioned in his work, "Geography" that the Getae had the same language as the Thracians and the Dacians had the same language as the Getae. For the vast tribe of the Thracians were individualized to the north of the Danube in the Iron Age, the Geto-Dacians.
Under the domination of Burebista was formed the first centralized state that threatened the Roman Empire regional interests. Julius Caesar, Roman military and political leader and one of the most influential personalities in history at that time, has planned a campaign against the Dacians, but was assassinated in 44 BC. A few months later, Burebista experienced the same fate, being assassinated by one of his servants.
After the death of Burebista, the Geto-Dacian state will crumble in 4, then in 5 kingdoms. State core is maintained in Sureanu Mountains, where consecutively ruled Deceneus, Comosicus and Coryllus. Then, the Dacian State unit is rebuilt by King Decebal. During this period maintain a series of conflicts with the Roman Empire, a part of the Dacian state being conquered in 106 AD by the Roman Emperor Trajan.
Between years 271-275 AD Aurelian withdrawal occurs. The withdrawal actually signified a strategic rearrangement of the Danube borders of the Roman Empire for a more efficient administration and effective defense of the provinces in this area. Of Dacia in the north of the Danube were withdrawn also other occupation items (army), but the colonists and other elements of Roman population already got to found cities and a strong social life with the local population of Thracian origin have still remained in this territory so that, in the year 600 AD, Romanian ethnogenesis is almost completed.
Also at the end of the VIII century we can speak of the emergence of Romanian language, being Romance or Latin-derived. At its formation, the main role was played by the three main components: the Roman layer, the substrate alleged Daco-Moesia (composed largely of Albanian language shared vocabulary, about 160 lexemes) and the slave elements added after the formation of the idiom.
Middle AgesFormation of Romanian medieval states was the result of a long historical process. It can be traced during the first crystallization of principalities and voivodeships. After the Aurelian withdrawal, the Goths settled in the present territory of Romania. They were expelled by the Huns, a nomadic people, came from the steppes of Asia. Dacian territory was part of the Hun Empire until the death of Attila in 453. At 900, Petchenegs, a Turanian people, sits in the area between the Bug and Danube. Around 1000 also the Cumans occur, related to Petchenegs.
In 1241, a great Mongol invasion, led by Batu Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, devastated Europe. The Mongols formed a large territory on the territory of the old Khanate Principality.
In the eighteenth century, Moldavia and the Romanian Land still maintained their internal autonomy, but in 1711 and 1716 respectively, began the period of Fanariot rulers, appointed directly by the Turks from noble families among the Greeks of Constantinople.
Independence and monarchyTransylvania, originally a vassal of the Kingdom of Hungary, with Hungarian rulers, becomes in turn a vassal of the Ottoman Empire in 1526, then of the Austrian Empire in 1699, also with a wide autonomy, lost in 1867, when it is attached to Hungary in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Modern Romanian state was created by merging the principalities Moldavia and Wallachia (or Romanian Land), in 1859, with the simultaneous election in both states as ruler of Alexandru Ioan Cuza. He was forced to abdicate in 1866 by a broad coalition of parties of the time, called also the Monstrous Coalition, because of different political orientations of its members, who reacted against the authoritarian behavior of the ruler. In 1877, Romania obtained its independence and in 1881, is crowned King Carol I of Romania.
World War and Greater RomaniaIn 1913, Carol I push Romania in the II Balkan War, which will end with the defeat of Bulgaria. Treaty of Bucharest in 1913 confirms the Romania kingdom status as regional-Balkan power Romania and also brings a new province, southern Dobrogea, known as Cadrilater, with counties Durostor and Kaliakra. In 1914, King Carol I dies and king of Romania becomes Ferdinand I.
In 1916 Romania entered the First World War on the side of Entente. By the end of the war, Austrian and Russian empires will fall apart; the National Assembly in Transylvania, and the Country Council in Bessarabia and Bukovina proclaimed the union with Romania, and Ferdinand was crowned king of Romania in Alba Iulia in 1922. The accomplishment of the Greater Union, the union of Bessarabia, Bukovina and Transylvania with the Old Kingdom, was the result of the Romanians action in that happy turn of events at the end of WWI. Treaty of Versailles recognized all proclamations of union according to the self-determination right set by the Declaration of the 14 points of the U.S. President Thomas Woodrow Wilson.
On August 23, 1939, Nazi Germany and Soviet Union signed the Hitler-Stalin Pact, whose secret protocol providing the partition of Poland and Romania between the two totalitarian powers. In Romania, the USSR claim Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. In September, Poland was invaded and divided according to the pact.
After a period of neutrality for over a year, Romania changes the alliances once Ion Antonescu came into power. Allies with the Axis Powers in October 1940 and enters the war in June 1941, in order to recover the territories taken over by Soviet: Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina and the Herta County.
On August 23, 1944, the Soviet army was already in northern Moldova since March, King Michael agrees to remove by force Marshal Antonescu if he will refuse signing the armistice with the United Nations. After Antonescu;s refuse, King Michael relegated and arrested him and Romania joined the Allies.
CommunismLess than 3 years after Soviet troops occupy Romania (1947), King Michael I is forced to abdicate and was proclaimed the Romanian People's Republic, Communist state. In 1965, the main communist leader dies, Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, then Romania is entering a period of changes. After a brief struggle for power, Nicolae Ceausescu gained the lead of the communist party.
In early 1960, the Romanian Communist government began to assert a certain independence from the Soviet Union. Ceausescu became general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party in 1965 and head of state in 1967. Ceausescu denunciation of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 and a brief relaxation in the internal repression helped to create a positive image of the dictator, both west and home. Rapid economic growth caused also by the external credits gradually gave way to a distorted austerity and severe political repression. The rule of several decades long of President Nicolae Ceausescu became increasingly brutal in the 1980s.
Present-day DemocracyAfter the collapse of communism in the rest of Eastern Europe, a protest in mid-December 1989 in Timisoara has turned into a popular uprising spread throughout the country against the regime. Ceausescu was arrested immediately, and after a framed up trial, he and his wife were executed on December 25. An improvised coalition, the National Salvation Front, was installed to power and proclaimed the restoration of democracy and freedom.
Parliamentary and presidential elections were held on May 20, 1990. Competing with the National Peasant and National Liberal parties, Ion Iliescu, a former communist activist, won 85% of the vote. NSF has received two thirds of the seats of Parliament, appointed na university professor, Petre Roman, as Prime Minister and started reforms for a free market.
Since the new government was still composed largely of former communists, anti-Communists protested in University Square in Bucharest in April 1990. Two months later, "hooligans" were brutally dispersed by the miners from Jiu Valley, come to Bucharest to calm down the agitated crowd. Petre Roman's government fell at the end of September 1991, when miners returned to Bucharest to demand higher wages.
A technocrat, Theodor Stolojan offered to lead an interim government, until the coming elections. In national elections in 1992, Ion Iliescu has won the right to a new term.
With parliamentary support from the nationalist parliamentary parties: the Romanian National Unity and Great Romania and the former communist party PSM (The Social Party of Moldova), was formed in November 1992 a technocrat government, under Prime Minister Nicolae Vacaroiu, an economist.
Emil Constantinescu of the electoral coalition Romanian Democratic Convention (CDR) defeated president Iliescu in 1996, after a second ballot and replaced him at the head of state. Victor Ciorbea was appointed prime minister. He remained in this position until March 1998, when he was replaced by Radu Vasile (PNTCD) and later by Mugur Isarescu. 2000 elections were won by the Social Democratic Party, and Adrian Nastase was appointed Prime Minister.
In 2004, following the elections, Traian Basescu obtained the position of head of state, leading a coalition of Liberals and Democrats (PNL and PD), along with the United Democratic Party of Magyars and the United Party (then Conservative Party), and as Prime Minister of the Government of Romania, was appointed Calin Popescu Tariceanu.
Since 2004 Romania is a NATO member and in 2007 became a member of the European Union.
GeographyRomanian state space has gone through many changes imposed mainly from the outside. Outside Romania, there was another Romanian state, the Republic of Moldova. The Romanian space is called the "Carpatho-Danubian-Pontic" space as Romania (and Moldova) overlaps a European territorial system, outlined by the circle of the Romanian Carpathians and the adjacent regions imposed and additionally subordinated to Carpathians. As a state, Romania belongs to the Central Europe.
Romania is situated on latitude 45 N and the meridian 25 E. Its area is 238 391 square kilometers plus 23 700 square km of the Black Sea platform. Romania's borders extend for 3150 km, of which 1876 km have become, in 2007, the EU's borders (for Serbia, Moldova and Ukraine). Black Sea border is 194 km on the continental shelf (245 km offshore); here, Sulina port has become the EU's eastern tip. Also, Romania has in its center the Romanian Carpathians circle (28%), fragmented by several valleys, with 340 interior lowlands, inhabited during the Daco-Romans, with the floors of deciduous, coniferous and alpine meadows, but also gold, copper , coal, iron and uranium.
Inside the Carpathian is located the Hilly Depression of Transylvania, with deposits of salt, agricultural land, towns and medieval castles. On the outside is a ring of hills - Subcarpathians and Western Hills - the most densely populated places, because rich underground resources (oil, coal, salt) and favorable conditions of culture of grape-vine and fruit trees. In east and south extend three large plateaus (Moldova, Dobrogea, and Getic), but also the little Mehedinti Plateau and at the southern and western edges are the granaries of Romania: Romanian Plain (narrowed eastward to the Danube Delta) and the Western Plain. Together, the plains occupy 28% of the total territory.
Delta is the lowest region of the country, less than 10 m high, with lands of swamps, lakes and reed. Little higher are the fluvial and marine banks (Letea, Caraorman, and Saraturile) on which are grouped villages of fishermen. The territory is described since antiquity by many scientists of the times, such as Herodotus, Strabo, Ptolemy and Pliny the Elder. Over time it obtained several studies on genesis, evolution, the environment, tourism etc, based on detailed studies and research.
Delta entered into the UNESCO world heritage in 1991 as a Biosphere Reserve.
Romania has all types of water units: rivers and streams, lakes, groundwater, marine waters. Hydrographic and hydrological peculiarities of Romania are determined mainly by the country's geographical position in the temperate continental climate area and the presence of the Carpathian Arc. Anthropogenic factor has contributed to some modifications of these features.
Have been identified in Romania 3700 plant species of which to date 23 have been declared natural monuments, 74 missing, 39 are endangered, 171 vulnerable and 1253 are considered rare. In Romania are three different vegetation zones: steppe zone, the forests and alpine area. Romania's fauna is one of the richest and most varied in Europe, containing rare or even unique species on the continent. Here there are 89 species of mammals, of which one is in imminent danger of extinction (sea cow), one in danger (mink), 4 endangered and 13 vulnerable.
Geographically, the Romania's temperate climate zone is located on one side in an area of transition from oceanic to the continental climate characteristics, and on the other hand, the extension of influence of polar and subtropical areas. Rainfall is moderate, ranging from insufficient quantity of 400 mm in Dobrogea to 500 mm in Romanian Plain and up to 600 mm in the west. With altitude, precipitation increases, sometimes exceeding 1000 mm per year.
Under the cultural aspect, the current Romanian space has been called the "mioritic space" (Lucian Blaga), representing the creative spirituality of the native village, with a unique specific in the diversity of European cultures.
DemographicsAccording to the 2002 census, Romania has a population of 21 680 974 inhabitants and is expected in the next years to register a decrease of the population due to negative natural growth. The main ethnic group in Romania is formed by Romanians. They are, according to the 2002 census, 89.5% of the total population. After the Romans, the following important ethnic community is the Hungarians, which represents 6.6% of the population, ie a total of approximately 1 400 000 citizens.
According to official data, in Romania are living 535 250 Roma. Other important communities are those of Germans, Ukrainians, Lippovans, Turks, Tatars, Serbs, Slovaks, Bulgarians, Croats, Greeks, Ruthenians, Jews, Czechs, Poles, Italians and Armenians. Number of Romanians or people with ancestors born in Romania living abroad is approximately 12 million. Shortly after the revolution of December 1989, Romania's population was over 23 000 000 inhabitants. But since 1991, it entered a gradual downward trend, currently reaching about 21 000 000 inhabitants. This is due to free movement in states outside Romania, but also very low birth rate.
The official language of Romania is Romanian, which belongs to the group of Eastern Romance languages and is related to Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan and, further, with most European languages. Romanian is the language with the largest number of native speakers that represent 91% of total population, followed by languages spoken by the two main ethnics, Hungarians and Roma. Thus, Hungarian is spoken by 6.7% and respectively Roma by 1.1% of the country's total population.
By the 90s, in Romania there was a large German-speaking community, represented in most of the Germans. Although most of the members of this community emigrated to Germany, but they still remained present in a significant number of 45 000 native German speakers in Romania. In countries where a particular ethnic minority is more than 20% of the population, that minority language can be used in public administration and in the judiciar. English and French are the main languages taught in schools in Romania.
English is spoken by a total of 5 million Romanians while French by about 4-5 million and German, Italian and Spanish every 1.2 million each. In the past, French was the most popular foreign language in Romania, but recently, English tends to gain ground. Usually, connoisseurs of English are especially young. However, Romania is a full member of the Francophonie and in 2006 hosted in Bucharest a major summit of this organization. German language was taught mainly in Transylvania, due to traditions that have survived in this region during the Austro-Hungarian domination.
ReligionReligious life in Romania is taking place under the principle of freedom of religious beliefs; this principle is enshrined in Article 29 of the Constitution of Romania, along with freedom of thoughts and opinions. Even if it is not explicitly defined as a secular state, Romania has no national religion, respecting the principle of the secular: the public authorities are obliged to neutrality towards religious associations and worships.
Romanian Orthodox Church is the main religious institution in Romania. It is an autocephalous church that is in communion with other churches belonging to the Orthodox Church. Most of Romania's population, namely 86.7%, was declared as the Orthodox Christian confession, according to census 2002. Also important religious communities belonging to other branches of Christianity than orthodoxy, are: Roman Catholicism (4.7%), Protestant (3.7%), Pentecostal (1.5%) and Greek-Catholic (0, 9%).
Thus, the Christian population of Romania represents 99.3% of the total population of the country. In Dobrudja there is an Islamic minority composed mostly of Turks and Tartars. Also, at the 2002 census, in Romania there were 6179 people of Mosaic religion, 23,105 of atheists and 11,734 people who have not declared their religion.
By the union of 1918, most of the population in Transylvania was made up of believers of the Roman Church United with Rome, following the passage of much of the Romanians, until then Orthodox, to the Church of Rome, in the late eighteenth century. Catholicism and Protestantism are present especially in Transylvania and Crisan. In Bihar, for instance, is the Baptist worship center in Romania, the community counting 22,294 of believers here. Also, in Romania there are other religions, such as the old style Orthodox, Armenian and others.
CultureDue to the location on the map of Europe and the vast territorial expanse of the country or state formations of past, current Romanian culture has been permanently receiving influences from neighboring populations, migrants or from ethnic down here.
Most folk culture of the Romanian space works as the synthesis of elements borrowed from other populations, consisting in its original mode of compilation and their selection. Instead, about a high culture (academic) on the Romanian territory, we can speak only beginning with the humanism entry (sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, some scholars incorporates components of Eastern cultures). However, such culture remained inaccessible to the public until the early nineteenth century.
Since then started the process of taking the elements of Western culture: it establishes a media inspired by the western model and efforts are being made to establish a national high culture. This goal overlaps with other contributions to the strengthening of Romanian identity, formation of a territorial administrative unity and establishing a representative of the Romanian political class.
Cultural and philosophical doctrine that guides the new ideals of Romanians is romance, as, under its influence, national school to be created in all areas of cultural activity (literature, arts, music, theater and then cinema, philosophy, ethnology and folklorist etc.).
They have as a starting point Romanian folk culture and loans (more or less well adapted) of western high culture, wishing to create a mixture of the two for settling the Romanian culture in line with the West and at the same time, recognition of the distinguishing note of the Romanian typical.
Although the romantic trend was exceeded, this model of cultural creation remains valid until after World War II.
During these decades, Romanian creators were released who enjoyed the European or global recognition for longer or shorter time periods. Erroneous impression under which Romanian successes abroad were often and exceptional is due to the press, which very often distort the news for its own advertising or those that are talking. In the second half of the nineteenth century also date the first manifestations of mass culture (also coming from the wetern pathway), as light music, cartoons, tabloids etc.
In the first decades of the twentieth century (until the end of wars), the culture of the cities population adopt most fashionable attractions practiced in the West: cabaret, Variety Theater, jazz music, movie, new society dances (Tango, Foxtrot, and Charleston) and so on.
From late 1920, the press extends through radiophone. In sync with the West, Romanian interwar period give rise to artistic vanguard some international ecoes; the area in which it operates is especially literature.
The situation of Romanian culture changes unexpectedly in the late 1940, through the rise of the socialist regime. It imposes a severe censorship, whose target is especially the high culture (many of its authors had aristocratic origins, so-called "unhealthy"). Forms of aesthetic manifestations specific to the high culture are not understood properly by the new political leadership (that holding a poor education) and violently rejected under the accusation of Gongorism, the remoteness of large audiences.
Place of modernism is taken over by proletcultism; the manifest of the new trend is incompatible with the idea of art. Therefore, its creators give birth to unvaluable works, significant only as part of propaganda (ie political).
Trying the "planning" of a new culture in which to be capitalized the national-industrialization civilizing folk mixture fails. The fate of mass culture is another; while some practices of the interwar period are discouraged and qualified as "bourgeois", others thrive (bans do not follow a coherent program - exceptions made are not ideologically justified): light music (which would evolve dramatically to the end of the 1970s, then declined), the popular and jazz music, society life and dances etc. Journalists always keep the laudatory tone, despite the emergence of claims of "critical media".
Late '50 mark the introduction of television as a new opening for journalism, but also as a way of entertainment. Along with other forms of culture, the media is tightly controlled by censorship organs being partially transformed into a tool of propaganda (laudatory tone used by the press in the interwar period is preserved and immoderately praised achievements and personalities of Romanian industry and culture). Nationalization operated in late 1940 will turn Romania into a closed society, capable of producing most goods to people.
The situation is prolonged in the culture so few publishing houses, movie houses, recording studios, record labels etc. are controlled by the central government and not allowed to publish works without prior censorship agreement, which acquaint themselves with works contents through organizing views. Cultural elements strainedly brought by the political regime - such as wooden language, characteristic bureaucracy, socialist jargon - permeated mass culture, leaving noticeable traces to this day.
Taking over the political power in 1965 by Nicolae Ceausescu give rise to a considerable permissiveness towards the arts; during these years grows impressively the mass culture, that imitate the society life of young people in the UK and USA, inclined to entertainment and libertinism, but also for meditation, pacifism or artistic experiment. Are imported fashionable dances and music, but also the attitudes of the avant-garde art.
Rock, known by the public since the beginning of the decade (around 1961) is printed on the disc by Romanian bands since 1968; the band's concert repertoire may contain one song in English in five. The moment is propitious for the reinstatement of the Romanian literary modernism, its new authors sometimes called "Neomodernists" (neomodernism supporters). The works of the new trend are drawn around of complex symbols
TourismCrossed by the waters of the Danube, Romania is a sensitive scenario, including the handsome and forested Carpathian Mountains, Black Sea coast and the Danube Delta, which is the largest European delta so well preserved. With the role of pointing out the natural landscapes are the rustic villages where people live and keep the traditions for hundreds of years. In Romania is an abundance of religious architecture, medieval towns and castles.
Tourism in Romania focuses on landscapes and its rich history, having also an important contribution to the economy. In 2006, domestic and international tourism has provided 4.8% of GDP and about half a million of jobs (5.8% of total employment). After trade, tourism is the second major branch of the service sector.
Of the Romanian economic sectors, tourism is a dynamic and rapidly developing process, being also characterized by a great potential for expansion. After World Travel and Tourism Council estimates, Romania ranks in the top 4 countries that are experiencing rapid development of tourism, with an annual growth of tourist potential of 8% from 2007 to 2016. Number of tourists rose from 4.8 million in 2002 to 6.6 million in 2004. Also, in 2005, Romanian tourism has attracted investments of 400 million euros.
In recent years, Romania has become a favorite destination for many Europeans (more than 60% of foreign tourists coming from EU countries), competing with countries like Bulgaria, Greece, Italy or Spain. Resorts such as Mangalia, Saturn, Venus, Neptune, Olympus and Mamaia (sometimes called the Romanian Riviera) are among the main tourist attractions during summer.
In winter, ski resorts in the Prahova Valley and Poiana Brasov are the preferred destinations of foreign tourists. To their medieval atmosphere and castles that are there, many Transylvanian cities such as Sibiu, Brasov, Sighisoara, Cluj-Napoca and Targu Mures have become some important attraction for tourists. Recently also developed the rural tourism that focuses on promoting folklore and traditions.
The main points of attraction are the Bran Castle, the painted monasteries of Northern Moldavia, the wooden churches from Transylvania or Merry Cemetery from Sapanta. Other major tourist attractions in Romania are the natural as the Danube Delta, Iron Gates, Cave Scarisoara and many other caves in the Apuseni Mountains.
With its complex functions, the position in the country and the many objectives with historical, architectural and other values, Bucharest is one of the main tourist centers of Romania. Bucharest is distinguished by an eclectic mix of architectural styles, starting from the Old Court, the remains of the palace of the XV century of Vlad Tepes - who was the founder of the city and also the inspiration for the character of Dracula - Orthodox churches, the Second Empire style houses, the heavy Stalinist architecture of the communist period and ending with the Palace of Parliament, a colossal building with six thousand rooms, the second largest in the world after the Pentagon.
The most important tourist attractions of Bucharest are: the Romanian Athenaeum, the Arc de Triomphe, National Bank Palace, Parliament Palace, National Theater, Bucharest University, Cismigiu Park, Botanical Garden, Herastrau Park, Village Museum, National Art Museum of Romania, National History Museum of Romania, National Museum of Natural History Grigore Antipa, Stavropoleos Church, Manuc's Inn, Caru 'cu Bere (The wagon with beer) and others. Also, in Bucharest is organized every year the Romania's Tourism Fair.
Bukovina is located in northern Romania, in northwestern Moldova. Picturesque mountain region, with ethnographic traditions that persist unaltered, Bukovina distinguishes through a dynamic tourist activity, mainly due to the monasteries. The five monasteries with exterior painting entered the world touristic heritage, retains its beauty after more than 450 years.
GastronomyRomanian cuisine is diverse and rich in taste, color and flavor, strongly influenced by history and foreign traditions to which Romanians came into contact, and with specific dishes. Romanian cuisine identifies with the notion of delicious food, with smells so inviting that get through even from photos of the Romanian dishes. What individualized Romanian cuisine is that dishes are easily made, without requiring special equipment and ingredients are at hand to anyone.
The biggest influence was the Balkan cuisine but also other neighboring nations, such as German, Serbian, and Hungarian.
Recipes bear the same influences as the rest of Romanian culture: from the Romans came the pie ("placinta"), word that kept the original meaning of the Latin word "placenta", the Turks brought the meatballs soup and "baclava", Greeks "musaca", from the Bulgarians there is a wide variety of vegetable dishes like "zacusca" and the schnitzel comes from the Austrians.
One of the most common typical Romanian dishes is polenta, a stew of corn flour, long considered the poor food, but recently has become more appreciated.
The main kind of meat used by the Romans is pork, but they eat also beef, chicken, mutton or lamb, depending on the region.
Some recipes are prepared in connection with the seasons or holidays. For Christmas, each family usually cut a pig and prepares a wide variety of dishes of meat and its organs:
- sausage, caltabos (or cartabos), liver sausage (Lebara), wrapped in pig intestines;
- jelly, a jelly made with parts difficult to use, such as ears, feet or head, put in aspic
- cabbage, delicious blend of meats wrapped in cabbage, vine leaf...
- tochitura, a kind of stew served with polenta and wine;
- as sweet: traditional cake (cozonac), sweet bread with nuts, Turkish delight or cocoa.
For Easter, people cook lamb and the specific dishes are:
- roasted lamb;
- tripe, a mixed batch of organ, meat and vegetables, especially green onions;
- as a dessert: pasca, a specific pie with cheese and raisins.
- Feteasca;
- Grasa;
- Tamaioasa;
but also universal:
- Riesling;
- Merlot;
- Sauvignon blanc;
- Cabernet Sauvignon;
- Chardonnay;
- Muscat Ottonel.
Beer, came under German influence, is also widely consumed.
Romania is the second largest world producer of prunes and almost all production is used to produce plum brandy obtained by distillation.
Romania ClimateRomania has a continental climate of transitional type, specific to central Europe, with four distinct seasons, spring, summer, autumn and winter. Local climatic differences are due more altitude and latitude and much less to ocean influences from west, Mediterranean from southwest and mainland from east.
Mean annual temperatures varying between 22 degrees C and 24 degrees C in summer, ie between -3 degreesC and -5 degrees C during winter. While mean annual temperatures are around 11 degrees C in the south, in northern Romania are more than 8 degrees C, variation explicable both because of the latitude and relief distribution. Extreme temperatures registered in Romania were -38.5 degrees C, minimum, at Bod, Brasov Depression, and the maximum of +44.5 degrees C at Ion Sion in Baragan.
Summer is a warm season, which lasts from late May to mid September in the Southern and Western Plains. In southern Romania, there are over 40 "tropical" days (with temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius) and over 90 days of summer (with temperatures above 25 to 30 degrees Celsius). The absolute maximum temperature in Romania was 44.5 degrees Celsius, and was recorded at Ion Sion, near Braila, on August 10, 1951. Often, summer storms occur with large amounts of rainfall.
Worth to mention that in the mountain areas from North and Center the summer is a temperate season, with few tropical or summer days, and cool nights.
Autumn is a season shorter, of transition, with long dry periods alternating with periods of rain. In the second part of October appear the first frosts and in November the first snow. In the plains, they often occur later than in the rest of the country.
Winter is a cold season, when cold air masses coming from the East bring temperatures up to -20 degrees Celsius or below (the record was registered with a value of -38.5 degrees Celsius, at Bod, Brasov, on January 25, 1942). Snow is plentiful compared to other European countries, both due to lack of rainfall and due to the frequent increase of temperature. Especially in the south and west, the snow melts and restore several times during one winter.
Spring is another season of transition, relatively short. Temperature raises rapidly, the frosts disappearing in April.
The average annual temperature varies from 11 degrees Celsius in the Danube meadow to 6 degrees Celsius in Harghita. The average July temperature ranges between 26 degrees Celsius and 18 degrees Celsius also depending on the region. In January, the temperature range from 0 degrees C (in Baile Herculane or Mangalia) to -6 degrees Celsius (in depression).
Rainfall is moderate, ranging from insufficient quantity of 400 mm in Dobrogea to 500 mm in Romanian Plain and up to 600 mm in the west. With altitude, precipitation increases, sometimes exceeding 1000 mm per year. At altitudes above 1800 m, precipitation has a value of about 1000 -1200 mm / year. Average annual rainfall, following the gradual decrease of oceanic and Mediterranean influences, slightly decreases from west to east.
Average annual rainfalls (calculated on the entire territory) is 637 mm annually, with values significantly higher in mountain areas (1000 - 1400 mm / year) and progressively lower towards the east, in Baragan is 500 mm / year and in Dobrogea and Danube Delta down to 400 mm / year.
Coins and banknotes in circulationLion (singular: Leu, plural: Lei) is the currency of Romania, with the subdivision ban (singular: ban, plural: bani).
On July 1, 2005, Romania's national currency, the leu, was so denominated that 1 new leu equals 10 000 ROL.
|One penny(ban) coin.
|Five penny(bani) coin.
|Ten penny(bani) coin.
|50 penny(bani) coin.
1 leu banknote.
5 lei banknote.
10 lei banknote.
50 lei banknote.
100 lei banknote
200 lei banknote.
500 lei banknote.
National Anthem
Romania's national emblem symbolizes the Romanian state, sovereign, independent, unitary and indivisible and is composed of two overlapping shields: the large shield and the small shield.
Romanian's Coat of Arms
The large shield, blue, has a golden eagle with the head towards right, with red beak and claws and open wings, keeping in its beak a golden Orthodox cross, a sword in its right claw and a scepter in the left claw.
On the chest of the eagle is found the small shield quartered:
- in the first quarter is the emblem of the Romanian Land: on blue background, a golden eagle with red beak and claws, keeping in its beak a golden Orthodox cross, accompanied by a golden sun on the right and a golden new moon to the left;
- in the second quarter is the coat of arms of Moldova: on red background, a Bull's Head, accompanied by a golden star between its horns, with five rays, by a ray with five sheets to right and to the left by a moon, both of silver;
- in the third quarter is the coat of arms of Banat and Oltenita: on red background, over natural waves, a golden bridge with two arched openings, from which comes a golden lion, holding a broadsword in the right front paw;
- in quarter four is the coat of arms of Transylvania, Maramures and Crisana with: a shield divided by a narrow red belt, at the top, on blue background, a black eagle with golden beak, coming out from the separatory belt, accompanied by a golden sun on the right, one silver moon contoured in the left; in the lower part, on golden background, seven red towers, embattled, arranged in two rows, four and three;
- in the partition are represented the lands in the Black Sea: on blue background, two golden dolphins with their tails lifted.
Flag of Romania
Flag of Romania is a tricolor: red, yellow and blue.
It did not suffer major changes throughout history. Only the color distribution (in terms of proportion and position) changed to a certain extent, being equalized after the Revolution of 1848 when, under the impact of French revolutionary spirit, many European states have adopted as national flag the three colors standard flag.
Sigillographic documents testify that in some historical periods, the Romanian flag had three horizontal colors, with red at the top, yellow in the middle and blue at the bottom. Also, the proportion of color was not the same as now (33% for each color). Basically, the three colors so dear to the Romanians can be found on flags dating from the time of Michael the Brave and even Stephen the Great.
Moreover, the recent researches indicate their presence even on the Dacian flag existing on the Trajan's Column in Rome. This flag had a special form: a bright metal wolf head, of which hung long colorful ribbons. When the wind blew, the flag issued a whistle that frightened the enemy and encouraged those who wore it in battle.
In critical moments hiding the flag for not to fall into enemy hands was a common custom of several nations, including the Dacians, Daco-Romans and Romanians. Such a hidden flag was belonging to Tudor Vladimirescu, leader of the Revolution of 1821. When the revolution was stifled, Tudor's captains decided to burn the flag in a court. Only 60 years later, in 1882, the flag was found, reconditioned and brought to Bucharest, the capital, being set, following a special ceremony, at the Army House (today the Central Military Club).
Tudor Vladimirescu's Revolution of 1821 helped the country to free itself from the yoke of Fanariot rulers imposed by the Ottoman Empire in the Romanian Land and Moldova in the early XVIII century. (Fanariot rulers came from a district of Constantinople, called Fener, and were forced foreigners imposed to the country by the Sultan as simple administrators).
The flag, the banner, the coat of arms, are profound symbols, connected with the history, people's resistance and the secret of his survival. Romanian tricolor (red, yellow and blue are found also on the Romanian coat of arms) survived as a symbol even after the arrival of communism in this country, when the entire heraldry of the USSR's satellites was caricatured.
Over time, poems and hymns were dedicated to the Romanian tricolor; one of them, "Three Colors" composed by Ciprian Porumbescu, with a mobilizing song is one of the most popular songs of the Romanians.
Flag of Romania has the colors placed vertically as follows:
- Blue (the spear);
- Yellow (middle);
- Red (outside).
The blue is cobalt, yellow - chrome and red - vermillion.
PoliticsThe Romanian Constitution is based on the Constitution of the fifth French Republic and was ratified by national referendum on December 8, 1991
In 2003 a plebiscite was held through which to the Constitution were added 79 amendments, thus complying with EU legislation. Under the Constitution, Romania is a national, sovereign, independent, unitary and indivisible state. Form of government of the Romanian State is semi-presidential republic.
The State is organized on the principle of separation and balance of powers - legislative, executive and judicial - in a constitutional democracy. The president is elected by universal, equal, direct, secret and freely expressed vote. Following amendments in 2003, the office of president was extended from 4 to 5 years. The president appoints the prime minister, who in turn appoints the Government. While head of state resides at Cotroceni Palace, the Prime Minister together with government working at the Victoria Palace.
The Romanian Parliament is bicameral, consisting of the Senate, with 137 members, and Chamber of Deputies, with 314 members. A total of 18 additional seats in the Chamber of Deputies are reserved for representatives of national minorities. Parliament has a legislative role, and members of parliament are elected by uninominal, mixed, universal, direct and secret vote. The electoral system is proportional and elections are held at an interval of 4 years.
Palace of Parliament since 1994 hosts the Chamber of Deputies and Senate since 2004.
Romanian Government is the public authority of executive power that works in the basis of the vote of confidence granted by the Parliament and ensures achieving the country's domestic and foreign policy and exercise the leading of the general public administration.
Appointment of Government is made by the President of Romania and is composed of the Prime Minister and ministers. Prime Minister leads the Government and coordinates the activities of its members, subject to statutory duties to be performed. The Government also adopts resolutions and ordinances.
According to the principle of separation of powers, the judicial system in Romania is independent of other branches of government and consists of a hierarchically organized structure of courts. In Romania, justice shall be rendered only by the High Court of Cassation and Justice and other courts, as the courts of appeal, courts, tribunals.
Romania's integration into the European Union in 2007 had a significant influence on domestic politics of the country. As part of this process, Romania has initiated reforms, including judicial reform, has increased judicial cooperation with other Member States and has taken steps against corruption.
AdministrationThe region (territorial-administrative unit) is, according to the Council of Europe, a unit located immediately below the state with authority of public administration and its own financial means. In Romania were established 8 regions of development (with no administrative capacity) as a result of an agreement between the county and local councils, named after the geographical position in the country: North-West, North East, South West, South East, South, West, Center, Bucharest and Ilfov.
Under the Constitution, the Romanian territory is organized administratively into communes, towns and counties. If fulfill the conditions of the law, some towns are declared municipalities. From the historical point of view, there are 3 traditional provinces: Wallachia (made up of regions Oltenia, Muntenia and Dobrogea), Moldavia and Transylvania (the region of Banat and Transylvania). The common, elementary unit of an administrative organization is comprised of one or more villages and is run by a local council and an elected mayor. In Romania there are 2 685 communes totaling 13 285 villages, meaning an average of five villages in the commune. Also, there are 263 cities, of which 82 are municipalities, which are run by a council and an elected mayor.
The county is the administrative unit headed by a county council and a prefect. The government is the one who appoints a prefect in each county to be his local representative. Romania consists of 41 counties plus the capital city of Bucharest, which has a status similar to that of a county.
A county has an average area of 5 800 km2 and a population of 500 000 inhabitants. Bucharest is also considered city but is the only that is not part of any county. It has no county council, but has a prefect. Citizens elect a general mayor and city council, and each of the six sectors of Bucharest elects a mayor and a local council.
TransportRomania, by geographical location, represents the intersection of several main transportation, linking northern and southern Europe, as well as Western and Eastern Europe. On the other hand, Romania's transport network connects the EU Community transport network and the transport network of the states that are not part of the EU neighboring from Eastern Europe and Asia. Transport network in Romania is quite varied, urban transport is within villages but also on long distance.
RoadsRomania has a road network totaling about 198,817 kilometers, of which 60,043 are a small part of upgraded roads. Intercity transport in Romania is taking place mainly by road with buses and minibuses, most private property. Number of kilometers of highway in Romania in March 2009 was 280.
European roads passing through Romania are: E58, E60, E68, E70, E79, E81, E85, E87 (Class A), E574, E576, E577, E578, E581, E583, E584, E671, E673, E675, E771 (Class B).
Regulation of traffic on roads in Romania
Speed and distance between vehicles
Art.48 - The driver of the vehicle must comply with the statutory speed and adapt it according to road conditions, so that it can perform any maneuver safely.
Article 49 - (1) maximum speed limit in towns and villages is 50 km / h.
(2) In certain sectors of road inside the towns or villages, the road manager may, for vehicles in category A and B, establish higher speed limits but not more than 80 km / h. Speed limits above 50 km / h is determined only by the road police opinion.
(3) In certain sectors of road, taking into account the circumstances and traffic intensity, the road manager on the advice of road police, may also fix lower speed limits, but not less than 10 km / h for the tram and 30 km / h for all vehicles.
(4) Maximum speed, outside localities, are:
a) on highways - 130 km / h;
b) on the express or national and European roads (E) - 100km / h;
c) on other categories of roads - 90 km / h.
Art.50 - (1) the maximum speeds permitted outside towns or villages for categories and subcategories for cars provided under Article 15. (2) are:
a) 130 km / h on highways, 100 km / h on express roads or those national European (E) and 90 km / h on other categories of roads for vehicles in categories A, B and BE;
b) 110 km / h on highways, 90 km / h on express roads or those national European (E) and 80 km / h on other categories of roads for vehicles in categories C, CE, D and D1 and subcategories and D1E;
c) 90 km / h on highways, 80 km / h on express roads or those national European (E) and 70 km / h for the other categories of roads for vehicles in sub-categories A1, B1, C1 and C1E;d) 45 km / h for tractors and mopeds.
(2) The maximum speed for vehicles outside localities which tows a trailer or semi trailer is 10 km / h less than the maximum speed allowed for the category of the car that tows. (3) The maximum speed for vehicles with weight and / or dimension exceeded or carrying dangerous goods is 40 km / h in localities and outside villages of 70 km / h.
(4) The maximum speed for vehicles outside the villages whose drivers have less than a year of driving practice or persons doing practical training in order to obtain a driving license is 20 km / h less than the maximum speed allowed for the category which include the cars driven.
Art.51. - The driver of a vehicle in behind another has an obligation to keep a safe distance from it, to avoid collision.
RailwaysNational railway operator is the Romanian Railways (CFR), which operates on the network along with other private transportation companies and is the fourth largest in Europe.
- Length of railways: 22,247 kilometers (8585 km electrified)
- International Gauge (UIC): 21,811 kilometers
- Narrow gauge: 487 km (1996)
Rail freight and passenger has registered a dramatic decline from record levels in 1989, mainly due to decrease in GDP in the �90, increasing unemployment and competition with road transport. In 2007 were put in circulation 1600 trains, most of which consisted of local trains (personal).
The railway network consists of 9 main railways from which ramify several secondary highways.
CFR Passengers, passenger section of the railway, operates seven types of trains on both the country and in international traffic. CFR Passengers types of trains are:
- Personal (P), numbered from 2000 to 9999
- Speed (A), numbered from 1000 to 1999
- Rapid (R), numbered from 200 to 499, from 600 to 999 and from 10,000 to 14,999
- Rapid International (RI), numbered from 300 to 499
- Inter City (IC), numbered 500 to 599
- Euro Night (EN) (has the same rates as a R - currently runs only one pair of fast train, namely R 370/371 (Ister-Bucharest North-Budapest)
- Euro City (EC), EC 46/47 Trajan (circulated between Budapest-Bucharest North, now functions as IC train between Budapest-Timisoara)
- Special (S), numbered from S1 to S9
The speed limit for all trains in Romania is 160 km / h, although the only route that trains can move with such speed is Bucharest - Constanta. Also on the route Bucharest - Campina trains can run with a speed of 140 km / h. The average speed of trains (including stops in stations), according to reports from the CFR in 2004, is: 34.3 km / h for slow trains, 67 km / h for fast trains, 85 km / h for rapid trains and 87 km / h for Inter-City trains.
Currently, the longest route (as time) from Romania is Oradea - Mangalia (913 km), route which is made in the summer season in 19 hours with a fast train. The longest route for an Inter-City train is Oradea - Bucharest, journey which takes 11 hours.
Links with other countries
Romania has rail connections with all neighboring countries. If for Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria the border crossing does not interfere any problem, for Ukraine and Moldavia is a change of gauge from 1435 mm to 1524 mm.
Capital city is connected by 8 pairs of trains with destination Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Venice, Belgrade, Moscow, Kishinev, Sofia, Istanbul and Thessaloniki. Of the main cities of Transylvania go train to Budapest and Debrecen (Hungary).
Air transportAir travel in Romania take place between the big cities, passenger traffic being comparable to other European countries, namely 2,110,000 passengers in 2006 on domestic traffic. Currently are open to passengers a total of 16 airports including two in the capital: Henri Coanda and Aurel Vlaicu.
On September 18, 1954 was established TAROM (Romanian Air Transport).
On the domestic market are present low cost companies: Blue Air (Romania), Wizz Air (Hungary), SkyEurope (Slovakia), MyAir (Italy), Germanwings (low-cost Division of Lufthansa) and Easyjet (United Kingdom).
In Romania there are 62 airports.
- Airports with paved runways: 25
- Airports with unpaved runways: 37
- Heliport: 1
Navigable watersRomanian river transport is still at a low level (below one percent) but with high growth potential due to navigable rivers and the Danube waterway. In 2006, in Romania there were 1731 kilometers of navigable waters from which:
- 1075 kilometers on the Danube;
- 524 km on the river side;
- 132 km on channels.
- Ports on the Black Sea: Constanta (the biggest port and shipyard on the Black Sea), Mangalia, Sulina, Navodari.
- Ports on the Danube: Galati, Braila, Tulcea, Giurgiu, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Oltenita.
- Ports on the Danube-Black Sea Canal: Cernavoda, Alba Gate, Constanta South, Agigea Medgidia.
- Bega Canal ports: Timisoara
Transit in RomaniaU.S. citizens and citizens of most European countries do not require an entry visa to Romania for business or tourist trips. Visa is necessary only if you stay in Romania more than 90 days.
Countries whose citizens do not require visas for entry or transit in Romania are: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Guatemala, Holy See, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, El Salvador, San Marino, Seychelle, Singapore, South Korea, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, the European Union Member ).
Entry in Romania requires a valid passport and European Union citizens can use the ID.
There are no charges for entering or leaving the country
If you are the citizen of a country that does not require visa for entry in Romania and you want to stay more than 90 days, you must obtain a visa from the Romanian embassies in that country, diplomatic missions and consular offices.
The types of visas granted by Romania are:
- The airport transit visa (symbol A) ;
- Transit visa (symbol B);
- Short-stay visa (symbol C);
- Long-stay visa (symbol D).
Visa for entry is granted by the Romanian embassies or consulates abroad. Visas can be issued for a single entry or multiple entries.


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About a 5-minute walk from the Subway Line 2 Chaoyangmen Station, the Crowne Plaza Beijing Chaoyang U-Town (Beijing Chaoyang Youtang Huangguan Jiari Jiudian) is located within easy reach of Sanlitun bar street, popular shopping area Xiu Shui Street and Tian'anmen Square.
Hopfenstube on the 1st floor serves traditional German food and beer for lunch and dinner, while the café on the 6th floor offers a buffet and à la carte food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Crowne Plaza's Chao lounge offers high tea and a snack menu in addition to a selection of cocktails and wines.
For business travelers, 8 well-equipped conference rooms offer DVD players, flip charts, LCD projectors and more. Guests in need of copying, faxing and printing services may take advantage of the on-site business center.
Those with spare time may get pampered at the spa or relax in the sauna. Additionally, guests may work out at the gym to burn off some calories.

subset: commoncrawl


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TASA/TASB Awards
The 2012 Exhibit of School Architecture sponsored by the Texas Association of School Administration (TASA) and the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Convention awarded the Caudill Award to Lady Bird Johnson Middle School in Irving designed by Corgan Associates.
Caudill Award Winner
Lady Bird Johnson Middle School
Corgan Associates
It is the first net zero school in the state and at 152,250-sf, the campus is the largest net zero educational facility in the country. The building serves approximately 900 students and incorporates energy-reducing systems with goals to reduce energy consumption over 50 percent through the use of geothermal HVAC, passive solar interior daylighting, an efficient building envelope, a high-efficiency kitchen and advanced controls systems monitoring. The school uses wireless laptop technologies for all computing needs to further reduce the electrical and HVAC loads in the building.
The energy reductions within the facility are enhanced by solar and wind harvesting provided on the site and the roof. Solar panels sustain the majority of the energy needs for the building and are designed so that, over the course of a year, the energy produced will equal the energy consumed, netting zero.
Honorable Mentions
The Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy in Dallas
SHW Group
A high school tailored to prepare first generation college students for academic success, this 106,000-sf building was designed by SHW Group to emulate the collegiate experience. It is made up of a series of academic and social spaces organized around a central commons area. The two-story facility houses the eleventh and twelfth graders on the first floor, allowing for more freedom with informal learning areas. The younger students have a more structured, controlled environment above. Instead of traditional "home rooms," faculty offices are located in a "perch," a large, cubic space suspended on the second floor.
The school accommodates 500 students and is sited on a 10-acre field adjacent to a nature preserve south of Dallas. The building is certified by the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS), the nation's first green building rating program especially designed for K-12 schools.
Sarah Hollenstein Career and Technology Center
VLK Architects
Located in the Eagle Mountain-Saginawa Independent School District, this school prepares students for emerging, high-tech occupations. The building's floor plan organizes all of the departments around a central commons space with an amphitheater and seating area that serves as a grand staircase to the second floor.
Shadow Oaks Elementary School
Pfluger Associates
This school is designed with unique spaces for distinct learning environments including pods with movable tables and chairs and niches or fort-like spaces under the stairs in the corridors. The building replaced an existing school in Spring Branch.
Published in Texas Architect, January/February 2013


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Fantastic Links
Free Tools
Time saving tools, templates and ideas that I have written, trialled and tested, that work. Send in your best templates and ideas for teaching and I'll put them here to share.
Creativity & Inspiration
Videos Cleese, Jobs, Mitra, IB
Video2 Chomsky, Gilbert &
What if Money didn't matter ?
Video3 SHOCKING! The real purpose of your life!
FLOW, The SECRET to Happiness, How I fell in love with a FISH.
Video4 How a boy became an ARTIST
DESIGN Thinking
Infinite Thinking MACHINE
Video5 Shane Koyczan: "To This Day" ... for the bullied and beautiful.
Ken Robinson says SCHOOL KILLS CREATIVITY
What will be OBSOLETE in 2020
Video6 Dr Eric Topol & the SMART future Health care
Why Education in Finland Works
Finland's Revolutionary Education System
Flashmob, Jane Goodall
Video8 Quadcopters
George Lucas Visual Literacy Martin Scorsese Visual Literacy
Video9 Ramsey Musallam Curiosity Comes First
Video10 Benjamin Zander: The transformative power of classical music
Mind Candy
Why did the Chicken Cross the Road?
Why the English Language is hard to learn
Articles & Seminars
Afferbeck Lauder
Back in the mid 1960's Professor Afferbeck Lauder
wrote Let Stalk Strine (Let's Talk Australian.)
It's popularity spawned a series of books and other
Strine publishings including "Nose Tone Unturned"
(No stone unturned)
For those too young to remember here are some Strineisms
with translations.
It's a bit of a challenge to start with, but Ear Goze:-
Let Stalk Strine Let's Talk Australian
Afferbeck Lauder Alpabetical Order
Emma Chisit? How Much Is It?
Bra Sharp Brush Up
Egg Nishner Air Conditioner
Egg Nishnin Hair Conditioning
Yerron Yerrone You're on your own
Saul-Write Few It's All Right For You
Warm-Eye Gonadoo What am I going to do
Anorl Erking Sauces, Anorl Erking Smen A Line from Humpty Dumpty
And his Famous Song
With Air Chew
With air chew, with air chew
Iker nardly liver there chew,
An I dream a badger kisser snits and die.
Phoney wicked beer loan,
Jars-chewer, nonnair roan,
An we'd dreamer batter mooner pinner sky.
With air chew, with air chew,
Hair mike-owner liver there chew,
Wile yerrony immy dream sigh maulwye scrine.
Anna strewer seffner barf
Yuma snow-eye Nietzsche laugh.
Cars with air chew immy arm sit snow you Strine.
Can you translate it?
© Cathy Brown 1998 - 2019


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The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards' national office in New York City is dedicated to growing and supporting our Affiliate Partners across the country. Our Affiliate Partners are doing great work in their communities, and we love hearing about their outreach efforts, their students, and their programs. This month, we shine the spotlight on Springs Preserve in Las Vegas, which manages the Southern Nevada Art & Writing Regions. Here's what the staff at Springs Preserve had to say about Awards activity in their region:
The Springs Preserve in Las Vegas is the Affiliate Partner for the Scholastic Awards in Southern Nevada. Located a few miles from a historic downtown and with stunning views of the famous Las Vegas Strip, the Springs Preserve is the historic birthplace of Las Vegas. Museum buildings, galleries, walking trails, botanical gardens, and more are found on the site. The mission of the Springs Preserve is to create a visitor experience that builds culture and community, inspires environmental stewardship, and celebrates the vibrant history of the Las Vegas Valley.
The bulk of our submissions are from students in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, but also from rural communities more than 100 miles away.
The number of Scholastic Art & Writing submissions has grown each year. This year we had 400 pieces on exhibit and we are at capacity. Depending on the number of submissions we receive for the 2017 Scholastic Awards, we might have to restrict the public art exhibit to Gold and Silver Key recipients only. We will make the decision next year depending on the number of awards distributed to our students. All in all, that's a good problem to have because it means that we are getting more and more students involved.
At the same time, we don't want the writing submissions to be downplayed in any way. In year's past we made large vinyl quotes of opening lines of some of the top writing pieces and placed them throughout the art gallery. In the last few years, we have invited writing Gold Key recipients to record their submissions which were played back using audio players and phone receivers so that visitors to the exhibit could hear the student authors read their works.
Our Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Ceremony is our best attended exhibit opening each year, drawing up to 2000 individuals. We continue to look forward to hosting the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for years to come.
Art.Write.Now.Tour 2015-16 will be stopping at Springs Preserve April 14-23, 2016. Be sure to check out the national traveling exhibition of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards! Curated, produced, and presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the Tour showcases a selection of works from the 2015 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards—inspiring and innovative art and writing by teens from all across the country.
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are proud to work with organizations like Springs Preserve to help talented students receive recognition for their creative efforts. By partnering together, Springs Preserve and the Scholastic Awards give our youth the support they need to become lasting members of their art and writing communities.


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Merchant Account Confusion & Abusive Practices (part 2 of 6)
The traditional three tier Merchant Account is more prone to confusion and abuse than that of the Interchange solutions. This is largely because of the processor has the freedom to divide those hundreds of Interchange Fees into the three "buckets", e.g. qualified, mid qualified, and non-qualified as they deem appropriate.
What a good processor tries to do is to take the processing costs and separate those variations into the three buckets based on the risk associated with each. A less than reputable processor might manipulate these buckets so that it appears as though you'll be getting stellar qualified rates when in fact your transactions may never qualify for this rate tier.
Look at the example below . One is a viable merchant account structure that you might expect. The other is not. In this case a large portion of your potential charges have been moved down a rate tier. If you just compared one processors rates with another, you'd never know that in reality, you'd be paying much more.
It's worth noting that there is nothing wrong with the idea that one tier structure is different than another. What makes a processor great vs. good is their ability to juggle all these scenarios, mitigates risk, and passes the value on to the merchant. The key is to make sure that you are getting exactly what it is you think you are getting. This is why full-disclosure has always been our mantra.
For reference, one clue that perhaps you aren't getting what you believe is by inclusion of the following text on your Merchant Account Contract:
Client certifies that all information set forth in this completed application is true and that he has received a copy of the Tiered Grid ID Numbers, Program Guide…
What this is basically telling you is that the rate grid you think you are getting is probably not what was advertised. At least, not the value you have anticipated. Another additional trigger for concern is if they never provided such a program guide.
In the end, you'll need to be thorough regarding your review of your Merchant Account Contract. If you'd like, you can always send us the contract you have for evaluation. We'd be happy to review and let you know if there is anything of concern.
Retail vs. MOTO
You may have noticed that the above graphic denotes a "Retail Merchant Account." There are actually many types of Merchants accounts but all of them have one of two that provides the foundation.
Retail Merchant Accounts: Swiped transactions. When the customer is present at the time of the transaction with their card in hand. Specifically when they "swipe" their card. This type of transaction demonstrates a lower risk of fraud and as such, the rates are lower.
MOTO Merchant Account: Non-swiped transactions. This might be the case with Processing orders via the mail, phone, or a website shopping cart. Without the card present, these rates are higher than "retail" rates.


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(The Greybeards) Find the Word of Power | The Blades and the Greybeards quests TES V: Skyrim Guide
You can approach this quest only after finishing the main quest The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. Enter High Hrothgar and find Arngeir. Tell the priest that you want to learn something more about the Voice and ask him of any new Words of Power (screen above). Arngeir will therefore send you to find a Word of Power to a randomly chosen location. You can repeat this quest multiple times. If Arngeir won't have any new locations for you, wait a couple days and speak to him again. In case you receive nothing again, it might mean that you have learned all the "widely available" Words of Power.


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Sterling Strategies and John Sterling have been published extensively and our white papers on various strategy topics have been well received over the years. The case study accessible via the link below provides extensive background on the process that won TimeLine Theatre the Richard Goodman Award for Excellence in Strategic Planning in the non-profit category.
Comments on this entry are closed.


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Christian culture is centered on the concept of G-d's gift of grace made possible through His Son, Yeshua/Jesus' death and resurrection. If you have been exposed to such important concepts, surely you have heard the famous toted verse found in Ephesians 2:8-9:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
These two verses, and these verses alone, are what most Christians think of when they think of grace. However, the very next verse (10) in that same passage seems to be encouraging good works as if grace and good works are related by saying, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." The following verses go on to tell the new believing Gentiles in Ephesus (Ephesians 1:1, 3:1), who Paul calls "saints" (Ephesians 1:1) not to behave like the lawless Gentiles because now through believing Yeshua is the Messiah, Gentiles are also part of the covenants (see verses 2:11-13). He emphasizes Yeshua's death and resurrection provide a way for unity (Ephesians 2:13-19) while seeming to re-emphasize although genetically you are non-Jewish, you are considered a "saint" in G-d's eyes. The Apostle Paul goes on to explain in the following verses of Chapter 2, Yeshua the Messiah's death and resurrection paid the debt or the consequence or curse of breaking the One True Living G-d's covenant or relationship by disobeying Him (see Deuteronomy 28-29) now providing the eventual promise of eternal life through our own resurrection one fine day. HalleluYAH!
Could "grace" somehow cause us to do "good works"?
Earlier in the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul writes that upon trusting and believing in the gospel message, you will be sealed with the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 1:13). Acts 2:38-39 says essentially the same thing stating the promised gift of the Holy Spirit is for all who repent and are baptized in the authority or identity of Jesus/Yeshua The Messiah.
But did you know receiving the Holy Spirit is a distinct event in a believer's life? I did not know this either until it happened to me unexpectedly in 2009 many years after believing Jesus is the Messiah (some 26 years later!). Many preach that receiving the Holy Spirit is an automatic, seemingly secret event that occurs instantly upon believing Yeshua is the Messiah, but according to Scripture, it is a distinct, separate, and undeniable event in one's life.
Acts 2 revealed receiving the Holy Spirit is a noticeable spiritual event that causes a physical reaction. Likewise, in Acts 8:14-17, we see some in Samaria believed in the gospel message and had even been baptized, but they had not yet received the Holy Spirit until the Apostles laid hands on them and prayed for them, then the Holy Spirit fell on the believing people. Evidently, it caused some form of physical reaction for them to observe and record the Holy Spirit falling upon them to where they could surely verify the had received the Holy Spirit. Similarly, in Acts 10, the Holy Spirit provided a vision and the interpretation of the vision to the Apostle Peter, who typically ministered to Jews (Galatians 2:7-8). Through that vision and interpretation, Peter came to understand that the Gentiles were just as loved and wanted by G-d as well as the Jews and no longer considered unclean (Acts 10:34-36; Galatians 2:6) and shortly thereafter, the Spirit provided an opportunity for Peter to minister to the Gentile household of Cornelius and the Holy Spirit also fell on Gentiles causing a physical reaction (Acts 10:44-48). Additionally, in Acts 19:1-6, the Apostle Paul asked some Gentile believers in Ephesus if they had received the Holy Spirit yet, but they answered they hadn't even heard of the term Holy Spirit prior to then and evidently they had not been baptized yet either. Moments later, they decided to get baptized, Paul laid hands on them, and the Holy Spirit came upon them just like it fell in Acts 2, for the Samaritans, for Cornelius' crew, and now for these believers in Ephesus, causing a physical reaction to what was happening in the spiritual.
Let's unpack this:
1) First, we can see receiving the Holy Spirit is a distinct separate event to occur sometime after a person believes Yeshua/Jesus is indeed the Messiah.
2) Secondly, we see receiving the Holy Spirit is not limited to some formula of first believe, then be baptized, then receive the Holy Spirit for although some of those believers had already been baptized (Acts 8:14-17; 19:5-6), others had not (Acts 10:44-48) and yet they received the Holy Spirit. Incidentally, this is what manifested in my case as well (first received the Spirit then baptized by immersion into Him). We can deduce from this that not only is receiving the Holy Spirit a separate, noticeable, and distinct event that occurs sometime after trusting the fact that Yeshua is Messiah, but it is not limited to first being baptized or another outward expression of faith.
3) Thirdly, we can see them receiving the Holy Spirit was no act or choice of their own, an event that could not be forced or manipulated, but rather, an event given only by the grace of G-d, in His time, and His way, after they simply trusted Yeshua is their Messiah, their Redeemer, who paid for the cost of their lawlessness, and were open to receiving His Spirit of Grace.
4) Fourthly, we learn from these passages that receiving the Holy Spirit causes some sort of physical reaction to what is transpiring in the spiritual (i.e. speaking in tongues, but not limited to speaking to in tongues). Similar to when G-d, who is spirit (John 4:24), spoke, then something physical manifested (Genesis 1). What transpires in the physical often reveals what is happening in the spirit realm.
5) Lastly, we can discern from these passages, that G-d does not discriminate for the Holy Spirit was poured out on both Jews and Gentiles.
Did you know the Holy Spirit is not just referred to as the 'promised gift' (of the Father- see Acts 1:4-5, 2:38-39), but also the 'gift of grace' (Ephesians 2:8), and 'the Spirit of grace' (Zechariah 12:7; Hebrews 10:29)? So it would seem to me, when various authors in Scripture refer to G-d's grace, they are referring to not just believing Jesus/Yeshua is Messiah, but the manifested promise of believing in Yeshua through receiving His Holy Spirit, which did not become readily available to all until Yeshua the Messiah rose from the dead (see Galatians 4:6)!
Did you know even though the Holy Spirit has existed from the beginning (Isaiah 63), it is what makes the new/renewed covenant distinct from the other covenants? Jeremiah 31:31-33, as well as Ezekiel 11:19-20, and Ezekiel 36:26-27, and Hebrews 10 as well as other passages like Joel 2, informs us while various chapters in Acts demonstrate to us Abba Father will pour out His Holy Spirit on those who believe (Yeshua is Messiah) as a sign of a new covenant made, similar to physical signs He has provided other times when He made a spiritual covenant with His people (Romans 4:9-14) and that the purpose of that Holy Spirit being deposited within us, also known as the 'Spirit of Holiness' is to cause those who believe to do that which is holy (Romans 7:12), to seal G-d's laws on the hearts of His disciples (Isaiah 8:16), and to educate, encourage, and empower us to obey His Kingdom Constitution or put another way, The Father's household instructions being found in the Torah and elaborated on throughout the rest of Scripture.
In other words, the gift of grace is receiving the Holy Spirit, who then takes us from living a lawless, unholy lifestyle to a lawful, holy lifestyle in His time little by little, step by step. In our natural selves we cannot to do so nor want to (Romans 8:7), but the supernatural being within our flesh causes a physical reaction to do the good works Ephesians 2:10 refers to! HalleluYAH!
But I Thought The Law Was Just For The Jews, Not Gentiles?!
Many believe, however, that obeying Abba Father's instructions only applies to Jews and not Gentiles, but my Bible does not seem to teach that the Jewish people receive a different Holy Spirit than the Gentiles. In fact, the Bible seems to reiterate there is no partiality or difference in Abba's perspective between His natural kids (Jews) and His adopted kids (Gentiles), He loves us all the same and His household rules applies to all His kids. Just the very essence of referring to the G-d of the universe, the One True Living G-d, as Father, infers He is our authority, our parent. Just as children are taught to honor their father and mother by obeying them, Abba Father's spiritual kids must do so also. Unfortunately, there is an ugly spirit of sibling rivalry among believing Jews and believing Gentiles seeming to assert one's status over another.
I have discovered along my faith journey that there are various teachings found in the Body of Messiah that seem to teach a different lifestyle of holiness or infers (perhaps unknowingly) that a different Holy Spirit is poured out onto Jews than Gentiles. Here are the 3 common teachings regarding obeying G-d's laws in summary: 1) We are not under law so neither believing Jew or Gentile in Messiah ought to keep Torah anymore; 2) Only the Jews in Messiah are required to keep Torah, being the Jews are the chosen priesthood, but for the Gentile obeying Torah is optional; 3) Upon receiving G-d's grace and being filled with the Holy Spirit, a believer in Messiah, whether genetically a Jew or Gentile will be Spirit-led to obey Torah in His time.
It's About His Blood, Not Our Blood
From what I have discerned from Scripture thus far is the gospel message that is repeated over and over again (within the pages of the Bible) is not only that we become apart of G-d's family through faith in Yeshua alone through His blood, not our blood, not our genetics (Romans 3:28-30, 5:9, 9: 6-8, 10:9-13) but that Abba Father shows no partiality between genetic Jews and genetic Gentiles. I invite you to grab your Bible and join me as I share with you numerous verses leading me to this conclusion.
Since we were just discussing Ephesians, please investigate Ephesians 4:4-6 which reads,
" There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. "
Does it say there are different faiths or a different Holy Spirit given depending on if you are Jewish or Gentile? Do we have a different Father?
In Acts 10, the Apostle Peter, who typically ministered to Jews (Galatians 2:7-8) came to understand after seeing a vision that Abba is after the hearts of not just the Jews, but the Gentiles as well. "Then Peter opened his mouth and said, 'In truth, I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him." Shortly thereafter, as discussed earlier, Peter witnessed first hand the Holy Spirit falling on the Gentiles (Acts 10:44-48).
{warning: theology rant}
The Apostles expressed numerous times that there is no difference between His genetic Jewish kids and His genetic Gentile kids for we are one family in our Father's house upon believing Yeshua is Messiah; hence, the tearing of the veil (Matthew 27:51), the breaking down the barrier between Jew and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:14) for Yeshua is our High Priest (Hebrews 5-10) and all in Him, including Gentiles, are His Chosen Priesthood (1 Peter 2:5-12; Romans 11). He is not concerned with your physical dna, per se, rather He is more concerned about your spiritual DNA…your circumcised heart, your spiritual maturity gleaned through your spiritual giftings and overall role in His body. Do you have different backgrounds, different experiences, different genders, eye color, shapes and sizes, and natural tendencies? Of course! But neither your past or your flesh have a place in the kingdom in light of eternity for He is making you a new creation in your identity in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). Stop making it be about genetics for that is carnal. In the end, our DNA is a fading flower. The flesh is temporary, the spiritual is eternal. Put another way, it's not about your physical temporary body, it's about HIS spiritual eternal body.
Likewise, do you have different spiritual gifts? Different spiritual roles in G-d's kingdom (i.e. apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelist, pastoral, etc)? Of course, and yet, you are still one, according to 1 Corinthians 12. Just as there is no one gift better than the other or how no one body part in the human body can properly function without all the others working in unity, neither is woman better than man (1 Corinthians 11:11), man better than woman (I Corinthians 11:11), Jew better than Gentile, or Gentile better than Jew. "Distinction Theology", a relatively newly defined theology circulating in some of Messianic Judaism and some even more limited circles of Christianity, fosters division elevating Jews above Gentiles, by teaching Torah is required for Jews, being they are G-d's special chosen people, His actual priesthood, but the Gentiles can do their less serious role by adhering to the moral laws of Torah. It like "Replacement Theology" are false doctrines that foster division and discord. "Replacement Theology", the most predominant theology circulated for centuries throughout Christianity, creates division by elevating Gentiles above Jews and typically teaches the Torah is irrelevant to both Gentiles and Jews. Both of these contradict Scripture and demonstrate sibling rivalry at its best or more accurately, worst! If I had to pick a theology that best describes my perspective regarding unity and honoring Abba Father's instructions for His kids, it would be "One Law Theology", circulating in the Hebrew Roots Movement as well as Messianic Judaism, but even that could use better clarification because it implies every single command in Torah applies to every single person, which it does not. For example, can a man obey the commandments provided in Torah specifically for woman (i.e. her menstrual cycle)? Do the commandments intended for farmers or the military apply to everyone? Do the commandments pertaining to the Levitical Priesthood apply to the average person (i.e. what clothing to wear or not to touch dead people)? Moreover, it is clearly difficult to label and explain the mysteries of G-d and His family dynamics plus we are all at different mile markers on the same narrow path (hopefully). I certainly can appreciate attempting to explain various revelations, but we must do so being founded in the entirety of G-d's word and in His love while fostering the atmosphere of being in one accord. Is our theology demonstrating fruit of the Spirit, demonstrating love or are we creating doctrines that place one over another? Is that the Spirit of Grace? The Spirit of Holiness? Yeshua taught us to serve others, to be humble, to love. He ministered to all walks of life lowering Himself even to the point of death for ALL of us. Perhaps a better label could be "One Family Theology" or "One Love Theology" or "One Father Theology" or "The Functional Faith Family Theology". It grieves me to see those who claim to believe in One G-d be so divided.
It grieves me to see those who claim to believe in One G-d be so divided.
Some of the Messianic Judaism communities seem to attack the Hebrew Roots communities while some of the Hebrew Roots communities seem to attack Christianity and some of Christianity seems to attacks its own variations/denominations…it is never ending division. Hopefully, you are hearing my heart on these important matters for when the trumpets start blasting in the end (see Revelation 8-11), I promise you, you won't care what your theology is called, you will need each other and finally start fulfilling the heart of Torah by BEING love, as the Body of Messiah, simply to survive.
I invite you to explore the following verses that foster wholeness and the heart of our Father…
"..God shows no personal favoritism to no man.." Galatians 2:6
"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise….And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, 'Abba Father!' Therefore, you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." Galatians 3:26-29, 4:6-7
"Now therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." Ephesians 2:19
Incidentally, do you remember Paul referenced believers in both his letters to the Ephesians and Romans as "saints"? Did you know the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation refers to "saints" as those who both believe in Yeshua as Messiah AND keep G-d's commandments (see Revelation 12:17 & 14:12)? It doesn't say the "beast" makes war with just the Jews or just the Gentiles, does it? But Scripture says in 2nd Thessalonians and Revelation, the LAWLESS one, the beast, goes after those saints who believe in Yeshua and do G-d's Torah/Law! Let that sink in for a bit.
Back to being one family obeying the Parent…
"that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel." Ephesians 3:6
"Set your mind on things above and not on earthly things for you died and your is now hidden with Christ in God….Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all in all." Colossians 3:2-11
"But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality." Colossians 3:25
"Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and 'Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.' " 2 Timothy 2:19
"..for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, stife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, 'I am of Paul,' and another, 'I am of Apollos', are you not carnal?…For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building." 1 Corinthians 3:3-9
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." Romans 1:16 (see note below)
"But to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness- indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God." Romans 2:8-10 (My interpretation of this phrase 'to the Jew first' mentioned here and in Romans 1:16 is the Jews were offered salvation and blessings of obedience first and then such things were also made available to the Gentiles – see Romans 9-11).
"For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 'For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.' " Romans 10:12-13
"For if God did not spare the natural branches (Jews), He may not spare you either (Gentiles)." Romans 11:21
"Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then make void the law the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law." Romans 3:29-31
Before I proceed, notice Paul writes in the last phrase of Romans 3:31 "we establish the law". But if the Jews are already well-acquainted with Torah, having had it established thousands of years prior, then who were the Apostles focused on establishing the law with in addition to the Jews? The Roman Gentiles (Romans 1:1-7). Not to earn their salvation, but because of their salvation..because of their repentance for sin, which sin is Biblically defined as breaking Torah or being without Torah (1 John 3:4) and then the eventual receiving of the Holy Spirit, who in turn, causes those who have believed and received to obey Torah. Paul writes in Romans 1:5-6, "Through Him we have received grace and apostleship FOR OBEDIENCE TO THE FAITH among all nations for His name, among who you also are the called of Jesus Christ.."
I see believing Jews as being the "oldest" in the family, the firstborn, the ones who know better and who can help instruct the younger siblings in what Abba Father expects. That seemed to be my role as oldest and best explains this family dynamic too.
We have learned thus far, we are in a new covenant and a sign of that covenant is the outpouring of Holy Spirit onto both Jew and Gentile alike. But why make a Holy Spirit anyway as a sign or gift? Why not make a glowing cross in the sky when a person believes Yeshua/Jesus is the Messiah like G-d made a rainbow when He made a covenant with Noah? The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to help us honor Abba Father by obeying Him, by obeying the terms of all the previous covenants (to those that apply anyway) since clearly without the Holy Spirit, it could not be done – Welcome to the Renewed/New Covenant (see Ezekiel 36:27). In addition to it's not about if you are genetically Jewish or genetically a Gentile, it's also not about converting to Judaism, not that there is anything wrong with being a Jew, Gentile, or practicing Judaism, in fact, I do practice Messianic Judaism the best I know how at this time in my faith journey. Overall, dear reader, in my interpretation of Scripture, it is about making disciples and cultivating an authentic lifestyle of holy worship upon receiving G-d's gift of grace.
In summary, having obtained grace is having obtained the Spirit of grace/the Holy Spirit, in G-d's time and His way, through no merit or doing or manipulating of our own, other than simply choosing to believe Yeshua is the Messiah. We will receive the promised Holy Spirit when G-d deems it time – His grace. That Spirit of Holiness, once received, will begin spiritually circumcising our spiritual hearts, removing the unholy and replacing it with holy, eventually causing our flesh to follow accordingly. In other words, the inward spiritual workings of the Holy Spirit, will produce physical outward works, good works (Ephesians 2:10), which if led by the Spirit, will produce love, joy, peace, patience, self-control, etc (Galatians 5:22-23). Similarly, G-d's presence and law are centered in Jerusalem, likened to a heart, but will be circulated and enforced throughout all the nations one fine day likened to the body when He returns and the Spirit of Holiness encamps the whole earth bringing us into shalom, into wholeness, unity, and one accord (see Isaiah 2, 51; Micah 4; Zechariah 14:16+). Can't wait! 🙂
Moreover, upon receiving the 'gift of grace' or 'Spirit of holiness', which is the Holy Spirit, He begins to teach us the heart of the Father, and what love looks like as exampled by His Son. The Spirit flowing in us and through us, explains, educates, encourages, and empowers His kids to walk like our big brother Yeshua walked, to follow Him, and to love G-d, His word (all of it), and consequently, we will love others for love is the summary of Torah- it's what His Torah and the Gift of Grace is all about!
Shalom and Amen.
Carrie R. Turner, 10.6.19 and 10.9.19
*Please note these conclusions are my own and don't necessarily represent the beliefs of Messianic Judaism.


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Customer Journey Nightmare: Best Buy
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By Susan Franks
Do furnaces have pilot lights? That depends. Gas furnaces come in two types. With older versions you can relight furnace
pilot lights; however newer furnace types are equipped with electric which will ignite the gas. If you are an owner of a new
furnace that has an electrical system, it will require a repair person in order to relight the furnace pilot light and it
should not be attempted by someone who isn't qualified to fix it. If you have an older furnace with a pilot light, then the
owner can relight it safely by themselves. To answer the question, do furnaces have pilot lights? Yes, older furnaces do.
Pilot lights are small flames that are kept lit that facilitates for a larger flame when it is needed. Pilot lights are
commonly used in home appliances using petroleum or natural gas, such as older stoves, water heaters and heating furnaces.
Pilot lights can also be found in hot air balloons. In general, pilot lights work by maintaining permanent flames at low
levels. In some cases it may have a blue-colored glow to it. When more fuel gets added to the mixture, burners are ignited by
the flame and a fire is created that is capable of completing a specific job such as cooking, heating air, or water. When the
burners get turned off, pilot lights remain on.
Most of the time the flame is meant to stay on. However, there are times when it will go out, no matter if it's put out
on purpose or goes out on accident. Relighting the pilot light is not a big deal but a careful precaution needs to be taken in
order to relight it exactly as the directions specify. If not, it could be very dangerous. During summer months some may choose
to turn off their gas pilot light. This can help save money on consuming natural gas and various other fuels used for furnaces.
A gas pilot light for stoves and water heaters are great to have because it keeps them in working order even if the electricity
was to go out. A lot of appliances have moved away from flames and use an electric pilot light instead. An appliance using an
electric pilot light might still be able to be lit should the power go out but it's not something that is advised.
Should the flame go out, appliances tend to have safety features that also stops the natural gas flow. Equipped with a
thermocouple, it senses when the flame is out and takes necessary actions and automatically shuts off a valve, even with no
electricity. If this didn't happen, the home or room could be filled with gas which could cause an explosion or even
suffocate anyone in the home. The following is a general procedure in relighting a pilot light:
Typically there is a gas valve that has pilot off and on settings in the assembly and you'll need to first locate this.
The valve should be turned off and kept off for three minutes. The valve should then be switched to the pilot setting. A lit
match should be held to the pilot opening while the reset button located on the control panel is pushed. The button should
continue to be depressed until the flame starts to burn brightly. The valve should then be set to the on position. If the flame
will not stay lit, there may be a clog in the opening. Turn the valve off and use a fine piece of wire to clean it out. If it
will not stay lit after multiple attempts, it's possible that the thermocouple is faulty. In this case, you will likely
need to seek professional help.
Some furnaces use gas pilot lights and some furnaces use electrical systems to ignite them. In electrical systems, there are
no pilot lights. Electrical elements are used to heat up and ignite the burners instead. Should an electric pilot light go out,
you will need to hire a professional to relight it.