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A Scriptural Reflection on the Readings for Sunday, November 17, 2013 | Carl E. Olson
• Mal 3:19-20a
• Ps 98:5-6, 7-8, 9
• 2 Thes 3:7-12
• Lk. 21:5-9
By my highly unscientific estimation, the world has ended several hundred times in my lifetime, courtesy of nuclear war, overpopulation, famine, disease, global cooling, global warming, and so forth. This is not to make light of those serious realities, to the extent that they are realities. But we can be tempted to interpret every sort of current event as a sign of world's imminent demise. And, unfortunately, this can lead to all sorts of problems, including a misreading of certain passages of the Bible.
Today's Gospel reading from Luke 21 is one such passage. This passage, along with Mark 13 and Matthew 24, are sometimes called "little apocalypses," and have been subject to just about every sort of interpretation imaginable. C. S. Lewis was so distressed by the contents of these passages that he wrote, in the essay "The World's Last Night," that Jesus' statement, "Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all has taken place" (Lk 21:32) is "certainly the most embarrassing verse in the Bible." Lewis then argued (not very convincingly) that Jesus had indeed been ignorant in saying that world would end within forty years of His utterance.
Lewis's perplexity is understandable, even if his attempt to solve the difficulty is not. A challenging feature of Luke 21 is that it records Jesus talking about three different events or realities: the persecution of Christians prior to the fall of the Temple in A.D. 70, the time of the fall of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem at the hands of the Roman army, and the time of the Son of Man. Although Jesus distinguished between these three events, He also presented them as being closely related to one another.
Jesus had, throughout His ministry, proclaimed that He was the true Prophet, the fulfillment of previous prophets' statements and desires, and the savior of Israel. In today's reading from the prophet Malachi, we are presented with a prophecy about "the day"—the day of liberation from the oppression and bondage endured at the hands of "the proud" and "the evildoers." Many first-century Jews believed this liberation involved political and military revolution and would result in the overthrow of Roman rule. But Jesus went to great lengths to teach—often with parables—and to show—by signs and miracles—that His kingdom was being established to liberate the people from far worse sources of oppression: sin and death.
In Luke 21, Jesus prophesied that the Temple, one of the most impressive structures of the ancient world, would be torn down, stone by stone. Asked for a sign indicating the timing of this stunning event, Jesus exhorted His listeners to be both vigilant and wary against false preachers. He used the language of the Old Testament prophets to describe the sort of political and social upheaval that the early Christians would hear about and experience. These included persecution, for just as Jesus would be persecuted and killed (Lk 9:44; 18:32), many of his followers would undergo the same, described often by Luke in the Acts of the Apostles (cf., Acts 4:3; 5:18; 8:3; 9:4).
The destruction of the Temple one generation from the death and Resurrection of Christ was a sign that the beginning of a new era in God's work of salvation had begun. As the Catechism points out, Jesus "even identified himself with the Temple by presenting himself as God's definitive dwelling-place among men. Therefore his being put to bodily death presaged the destruction of the Temple, which would manifest the dawning of a new age in the history of salvation…" (par 586). That age, of course, is the age of the Church, which is the seed of the Kingdom.
The fulfillment of Jesus' words demonstrated that He is a true prophet and that there is nothing to be embarrassed about. On the contrary, Luke 21—as challenging and complex as it is—proves once again the truthfulness of the promises of the Son of God.
(This "Opening the Word" column originally appeared in the November 18, 2007, issue of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper.)


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(AP)-Republican Sen. Mark Kirk says he won't endorse any candidate in Illinois' GOP gubernatorial primary.
However, Kirk gave some advice. He contends the only way Republicans will take control of the governor's mansion is to be moderate on social issues.
Kirk said that includes accepting same-sex marriage is legal in Illinois. Kirk said he backs same-sex marriage and applauds the General Assembly for making it legal last week.
Kirk made the assertion Monday, following a Veterans Day ceremony at Buffalo Grove High School outside Chicago.
Of the four Republicans running in the GOP primary, state Sen. Kirk Dillard, state Sen. Bill Brady and state Treasurer Dan Rutherford say they oppose same-sex marriage. Venture capitalist Bruce Rauner hasn't revealed his position, but says the issue should have been decided by referendum.

subset: commoncrawl


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FDA approves Stelara
ROCKVILLE, Md. The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug for treating a chronic autoimmune disease that affects 6 million Americans.
The FDA announced Friday the approval of the plaque psoriasis drug Stelara (ustekinumab), made by Horsham, Pa.-based Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Centocor Ortho Biotech.
Plaque psoriasis causes overproduction of skin cells, resulting in thick patches of inflamed, scaly red skin.
"This approval provides an alternative treatment for people with plaque psoriasis, which can cause significant physical discomfort from pain and itching and result in poor self-image for people who are self-conscious about their appearance," FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Office of Drug Evaluation III director Julie Beitz said in a statement.
Stelara, a monoclonal antibody, works by blocking the action of two proteins that contribute to the overproduction of skin cells and inflammation. Because it suppresses the immune system, however, use of the drug poses a risk of infection.


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Session 9 (2001)
Studio: Scream Factory
Release date: August 16th, 2016
Reviewed by: Brett Gallman (@brettgallman)
The movie:
Even though Ive seen Session 9 four or five times now, its greatness always seems to sneak up on me. Perhaps thats appropriate for a film that sets out to be slippery and elusivewhile watching Session 9, theres always the sense that director Brad Anderson is withholding in some way. You cant get a hold of a film that seemingly has no center. Its a quality that sounds damning, yet it actually explains just why this is such an effective and unsettling work. Left without an anchor, audiences are left with at least one certainty: something is certainly driving the characters here towards an inevitable doom, whether its their own inner turmoil or some external forces working to squeeze away their sanity.
Another certainty: this locationa condemned Massachusetts psychiatric wardis oppressive as hell. When an asbestos removal crew is tapped to clean the place up, it feels less like a job and more like theyve accepted a dare to hole up in a haunted facility for a couple of weeks. Never mind the fact that theyre only there in daylight hours and that they can technically leave the place and go home every afternoon: the Danvers State Hospital casts a long shadow and seemingly threatens to engulf the men in its filthy, cavernous corridors. Even the sparse sunlight that sneaks through its windows casts an eerie, sinister glow, especially since it only illuminates the squalor of broken psyches and shattered lives.
While Anderson does not treat it as the main plot, a natural intrigue arises around the place and its sordid history. Anderson and co-writer Steven Gevedons screenplay reveals this in piecemeal fashion, cobbling together offhand conversations about previous scandals, the discovery of old session tapes, and fleeting glimpses of suspicious, possibly paranormal activity. Most films would probably find a linear thread to tie all of this together, Anderson lets the mythology creep about the edges, serving mostly as a suggestion. Unsettling voicesas many as three or four of them belonging to one mentally ill patientoften play over the crews mundane tasks, with each word slowly wrapping around the proceedings, tightening like a noose.
Its an approach thats disquieting in its caginess and the directors refusal to connect the dots. Where a lesser film might offer some semblance of comfort by holding the audiences hand throughout, Session 9 practically turns them loose in this dark, abandoned asylum and leaves them fumbling to pick up and stitch together the scraps of possibilities scattered about. When theyre eventually pieced together into something of a coherent puzzle, it almost feels like a sucker punch. Aided by an ambient score that often sounds like a low-key buzz saw or drill, Session 9 slowly burrows into your brain, where it occasionally plants glimpses of these possibilities: is the hospital haunted? Are the men losing their minds? Is it some combination of both?
Through their interactions, each man reveals his own demons: lead man Gordon (Peter Mullen) is cracking under the pressure of being a new father; Phil (David Caruso) seems collected but shows the potential for volatile behavior; Mike (Gevedon) still lives with the disappointment of flunking out of law school; Hank (Josh Lucas) is a petulant asshole. Only Gordons nephew Jeff (Brendan Sexton III) seems to have it all together, but hes arguably the most spooked by the place. Even if theres absolutely no malevolent forces haunting the place, a palpable tension exists between these men. Theyre a powder get waiting to explode, and the only question is if anything supernatural will toss on more gasoline and light the fuse.
Mullen and Carusos presences loom the largest. Both capture the opposite ends of Session 9s spectrum: the former reflects the sullen, melancholy pall that hangs over the film, while the latter represents the films sinister potential. The push and pull between the two is compelling and forms some semblance of a center of gravity for the film. You especially feel like youre being pulled into Gordons dark night of the soul, beckoned down into an abyss guided by hushed voices and fleeting spirits. Something ominous looms over every interaction, be it a contentious confrontation or a potential reconciliation: at no point does it feel like theyll ever escape the profound sorrow of this abandoned facility.
That Danvers is a hollowed out shell of its former self is apt; so, too, are the men who enter it. Whether or not its literally haunted is beside the point: whats certain is that these men are haunted by the overwhelming strain of life. Perhaps more than anything, Session 9 is a middle-age fever dream, its schizoid embellishments acting as an extreme twist on a mid-life crisisthis is a potent reminder that demons dont always possess from without. Sometimes, they eat away from within, slowly peeling away at the psyche, the heart, and the soul.
The disc:
When I reviewed Session 9 a few years ago, I noted that you wont find a Collectors Edition of the film on shelves, and thats technically still true in light of Scream Factorys new Blu-ray release. For whatever reason, the studio didnt bestow the Collectors Edition label on a release that does everything possible to earn it. Not only is the presentation much improved over the ancient DVD, but audiences might even be downright surprised that the films pioneering digital photography holds up extremely well. Its virtually indistinguishable from modern digital photography.
Newly-produced retrospective Return to Danvers headlines a robust set of supplements. A familiar documentary for Scream aficionados, the 40-minute featurette wrangles up a typical assortment of talking heads to discuss the films conception, release, and surprising legacy. Anderson and Gevedon are key contributors, though Lucas and Sexton III chime in with informative anecdotes. Cinematographer Uta Briesewitz also appears to discuss the challenging process of shooting in digital on a low budget and relays a disturbing on-set incident of art nearly imitating life.
Another new addition here is a new episode of Horrors Hallowed Grounds, though this particular installment mixes current footage with host Sean Clarks previous excursion to Danvers in 2004. The vintage (well, if 2004 can be considered vintage) is most interesting since it reveals that the building was in more or less the same condition as it was during Session 9s production. It really makes you appreciate just how raw and authentic Andersons film is.
Previous supplements are also ported over, including a story to screen featurette, a commentary with Anderson and Gevedon, a theatrical trailer, and The Haunted Palace, a 12-minute making-of bit that sells just how creepy the Danvers location is. Again, its technically not labelled a Collectors Edition, but it features just about everything one would want from such a release (well, short of bringing back Mullen and Caruso, neither of which appear in the newly-produced stuff).
Of course, the retrospective cant skirt around the disappointing release and reception of Session 9. Its almost become part of the lore itself: after USA Films went under, the film was infamously dumped into a handful of videos before receiving an unceremonious home video release. Those of us who just happened to be turned on to it back then (a buddy of mine insisted that I just had to see it, and he was right) can feel some measure of vindication that the film has seen a happier ending: at this point, its pretty well recognized as one of the most underappreciated horror movies of the past fifteen years. Now, it has a well-deserved home video release to back it up. Now, if we could just get Hollywood to recognize Anderson as one its more unsung and underutilized talents. comments powered by Disqus Ratings:


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Not since the days of Jonathan Swift has such a modest proposal produced such an uproar. Joshua Lewis, an American computer programmer, dared to suggest that the values of Scrabble tiles – set in 1938 by the game's inventor, Alfred Butts, who counted the frequency with which they appeared on the front page of the New York Times – ought to be changed. From the reaction, you'd think he'd suggested, like the good Dr Swift, that we start eating babies – or even horses.
The reason the story shot around the world is that all those games of Scrabble we've played over the years give each of us a tiny sense of ownership of the game. My girlfriend, for example, remains as proud as she is embarrassed at having made the finals of a school Scrabble tournament: she lost to a boy from Westminster who put down S-E-X and made her go all giggly.
But here's the thing: what Lewis's calculations really show is that Scrabble is broken, and has been for a while. He wants to demote X from eight points to five and Z from 10 to six not because of changes in the way normal people use words, but in the way Scrabble players do.
Since Butts's day, the game's dictionary has been mutilated by the addition of "words" such as za, qi, xi, xu, ki and zo, or pieces of dialect such as quaazy or splawder (a 50-point bonus for any reader who can define any of that lot off the top of their head). So playing someone who knows what they're doing is a miserable experience. They've got the word list down pat, and fence off the triple-word scores almost on instinct, and you sit there making elegant little anagrams and wondering why you're being trounced.
Yet there's actually a quiet revolution under way, one that should thrill anyone who feels Scrabble has lost its pizzazz. Both online and off, a host of designers are taking the basic tropes of Boggle or Scrabble and twisting them inside-out to make word games that are fresh and new and wonderful. I've lost whole afternoons to Quarrel and Spelltower on the iPad, or when a couple of games of Banagrams after Sunday lunch turn into a couple of dozen. In the process, those who predicted that textspeak and the internet would destroy our language skills are having to eat their words – no matter how high-scoring.
Petitions plea
The spoilsports at the White House have raised the threshold on their petitions site, after it was flooded with pleas for them to build a Death Star and to deport Piers Morgan (for his stance on gun control, rather than on general principle).
The decision feels like a bit of an own goal. The tongue-in-cheek reply to the Death Star plan (headline: "This is not the petition response you're looking for", a play on Alec Guinness's "These aren't the droids…) not only had some decent Star Wars gags, but highlighted the astonishing things America is already doing in space: sending mobile laboratories to Mars, or probes to the surface of the Sun and the edges of the solar system.
Government has few avenues to show its human side, so it seems a shame to close one down. Even Gordon Brown scored a rare PR win when his administration responded to the 49,447 people calling for Jeremy Clarkson to be made PM with a witty little video featuring the Top Gear presenter's portrait at the top of the No 10 staircase, and the words: "On second thoughts…"
Saucy outsourcer
A brilliant story picked up by Tim Stanley on his Telegraph blog: a US software engineer has been sacked after a series of logins were detected, using his ID, from a computer in China. His bosses suspected a hacking attempt; it turned out that he'd outsourced his entire workload to a firm in Shenyang, and was spending his time in the office watching silly cat videos and surfing eBay. The funniest part? The Chinese work was so good that he had the best performance reviews in the building.


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Join a Facebook page to end abortion here.
April 20, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In August of last year Jessica Council – a beautiful, 30-year-old mother of one – noticed that she had a sore throat. At around the same time, she also began to suspect that she was pregnant.
When after two weeks the sore throat had not gone away, Jessica decided to have it checked out. Her doctor told her that it was probably a thyroid goiter, and ultimately nothing to be too concerned about. Just to be sure, however, he had a test done, which he said confirmed his initial suspicions. Everything would be ok, he said.
But everything was not ok. The doctor had misread the test.
Around November 15th, Jessica began having trouble breathing. On November 21st she landed in the emergency room. Then, on November 22nd, her throat closed up so tightly that she could not breathe, at which point doctors managed to insert a tube down her throat, and put her on a ventilator.
The following day, November 23rd, Jessica was informed that she had cancer. By then, she also knew for certain that she was with child.
Thus began a journey that would put the faith and pro-life convictions of Jessica and her husband, Clint, to the ultimate test.
"It was worth every day"
Jessica and Clint met at Greenville College School. In a lengthy interview with LifeSiteNews.com, Clint said that he had spotted the gorgeous redhead sitting one day in the university dining hall, and asked if he could join her. She refused. But Clint didn't give up.
(Read the complete interview with Clint here)
In fact, it took Clint a year and a half of pestering before Jessica agreed to go on a date; the couple married two and a half years after that. "I guess when you know you know," he said. "I had to work really hard for her, but it was worth every day."
The pair moved to Traveler's Rest, South Carolina, where they had a son and worked at a Christian charity as youth mentors. Life was good: they were young, in love, healthy, and enjoying life.
Clint points out that his wife always took meticulous care of herself. "She's always been extremely, extremely healthy," he said. "Watched what she ate very carefully. Tried to honor God with her body. Exercised regularly."
For this reason, the last thing either of them expected was the cancer that struck last August.
No more options
Clint describes his wife's reaction to the news of the cancer in her throat as "a mixture of fear and surprise." As for himself, he says he felt "just every emotion you can think of … except for joy. I was a basket case."
But, of course, Jessica wasn't the only one threatened by the cancer: she was pregnant, and any treatments she underwent would almost certainly harm, and possibly even kill her unborn child.
On November 25th, the hospital's OB/GYN offered the couple an abortion. Clint says Jessica never hesitated. "That was never an option," he said. "That is black and white."
But what was less black and white was whether or not to accept treatments: while the oncologist said chemotherapy would likely kill the baby, the OB/GYN disagreed, saying the baby would probably survive, but suffer brain damage.
"Jessica looked at me, and it took her a few seconds," says Clint, "and she shook her head 'no.'" She also refused radiation therapy because of its similar risks.
"We really didn't have a lot of treatment options after that," said Clint, pointing out that surgery was never an option because of where the cancer was.
"She did not wake up"
The treatment question came up again when the baby reached the third trimester. At that point, says Clint, the decision was much more difficult, with the doctors claiming that the risks were minimal because the baby was almost fully developed.
However, Jessica still refused the treatments for the sake of her unborn child – a decision that Clint says left her doctors "very confused."
Clint confides that neither he nor his wife felt doctors were being completely straightforward about the risks. But he also says that his wife had another reason for refusing the treatments.
"She knew she was going to die anyway," he says. "She didn't share that with me until almost when she died. … But I think she knew, and she was thinking she was going to give this baby every chance she could."
Although the couple found some success with alternative methods to stem the cancer's growth, including a strict diet of organic vegetable juices and supplements, without more aggressive treatments it was only a matter of time before the cancer got the upper hand.
A 23-week miracle
On the night of February 5, Jessica went to sleep with a headache and nausea. "She did not wake up," says Clint.
The following day Jessica was near death, and Clint gave the doctors the go-ahead to deliver by C-section. On February 6, little "Jessi" was born, weighing only 1 lb 3 oz.
Doctors had thought that Jessica was 25 weeks pregnant, but after they delivered the baby they realized that she was likely only about 23 and a half weeks along – the absolute threshold of viability.
"I can only testify to God's grace on that, because Jessica died right when the baby was viable for life outside the womb," says Clint. Doctors say baby Jessi is doing well.
"Emotionally brutal"
Clint describes the whole experience as "emotionally brutal," and admits that despite his firm Christian and pro-life convictions, it was the farthest thing from easy to take the path that he and his wife did.
"Yes, I did struggle," he says, "because in the Bible the one person that we're commanded to love more than myself, this was her. I did struggle."
"Sometimes it's easier to be selfless as far as whatever happens to you," he points out, "but when it comes down to losing the one you love more than anything else, it's very difficult."
It was also difficult for their two-and-a-half-year-old son. Clint recounts that after Jessica went into the hospital, his son was unable to see her for about a month, and during that time he wouldn't even look at or speak to his father. But after he got to visit his mother, "he started doing better," says Clint.
After Jessica's death the boy suffered a period of acute "separation anxiety," although his father says he has begun to adjust.
As for Clint himself, barely two months after his wife's death, he says that he is operating on autopilot, staying busy with work and caring for his two children.
At this point he pauses. "I'm going to be very open," he says, remarking that he wants to do whatever he can to help others who might be in a similar situation. "For about the first month, I could not – and I mean that as in a literal inability – I could not read my Bible, I could not pray."
He describes the feeling as akin to that of a child being disciplined by a parent: "Even though I knew cognitively that the relationship was there, I knew [God] loved me, I accepted all these things from a mental standpoint. I felt nothing, spiritually.
"And it's not about the feelings, but the delight in God was completely gone for about a month. I was functioning solely on what I knew to be true from a mental standpoint."
Now, however, he says he has moved beyond that first stage, and has begun to pray again, including for other people.
Nevertheless, he says there will probably come a time when he will have to drop everything, and properly mourn the loss of his wife.
"God be praised"
Even though the weariness and the suffering is palpable in Clint's voice, in speaking to him one detects something else as well – a deep resignation born not of despair, but of an authentic, rooted faith that accepts that this suffering was ultimately meaningful, and that there are worse tragedies even than death.
In a note penned less than two weeks after Jessica's death, and posted to a blog about her struggle with cancer, Clint wrote the last words many would expect to hear from a man who has just lost a young wife whom he dearly loved.
"God is to be praised, my Friends," he said. "Do not doubt God; do not be angry with Him for me.
"I am privileged to have had a Wife who was so full of the love of the Father. Rejoice with me, Brothers and Sisters. God has blessed Jessica in taking her to place of perfect peace and no pain. I must be thankful for the time that I had with her rather than ungrateful for all the things we never got to do together. We must give thanks in all things for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ.
"Grace and Peace to all."
(Read the complete interview with Clint here)
Join a Facebook page to end abortion here.


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The political crisis now gripping Turkey is the country's second in half a year. Last summer, millions of liberal Turks spent weeks in Istanbul's Gezi Park and in the streets of other Turkish cities to denounce their increasingly pious, authoritarian, and plutocratic government, but the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was never really under threat. The popular support he enjoyed was much greater than his opponents'. The latest crisis, which began with the arrest of dozens of prominent pro-government figures on December 17, and has continued to spread through ever since, is quite different. It emanates from the prime minister's own circle of power and pits two groups against each other that are entrenched in virtually all administrative and commercial areas of Turkish life: Erdoğan and his AKP government, on the one hand, and an exiled spiritual leader, Fethullah Gulen, whose powerful religious and social movement has acquired sweeping influence, particularly in the police force and the judiciary, on the other.
Because the conflict is between insiders, it could unfold more dangerously than Gezi, which had a sadly predictable denouement. (The protesters were crushed by the forces of law and order and went home.) With the ability to affect government, business, and the law on many levels, it threatens to undermine years of political stability. The effects are not only political; this week, the Turkish central bank has called an emergency meeting to try to stave off the collapse of the Turkish lira, amid fears that a decade of economic prosperity may also be threatened.
Beatific, primly mustachioed, exquisitely self-deprecating in the manner of the Sufi sage, Fethullah Gulen has lived quietly in exile in the United States for more than a decade. But he controls a movement that has no formal boundaries, and which is all the more menacing to Erdoğan as a result. Conveniently removed from the rough and tumble of Turkish public life, but free to meet any admirer who cares to visit him, his captivating presence and enthusiasm for private enterprise have drawn pious Turkish businessmen into an ever-expanding web of profit, philanthropy, education, and schemes of spiritual uplift. An organisation without a declared membership or leadership structure, the Gulen empire is thought to encompass more than five hundred fee-paying schools in one hundred countries (including the United States), along with banks, hospitals, media groups, and a business association, Tuskon, which has spearheaded the Turkish penetration of new markets, notably in Africa.
Arguably Gulen's most important asset is the community of volunteers, donors, and sympathizers he has at his command—five million of them according to some estimates, the vast majority in Turkey but many also spread across Turkic Central Asia and elsewhere. Gulen's prodigious output of sixty books, mostly on religious topics, and regular sermons, the latter disseminated on the Internet (the movement controls some twenty-five websites) has kept people abreast of his message of peaceable Islam, hard work and Turkish revival.
Erdoğan's AK Party came to power in 2002, and for the rest of the decade his policies of economic and political liberalization, under an increasingly religious state, were in harmony with the teachings of Gulen himself. Gulen's supporters voted for the AKP and contributed to its coffers; some of them entered parliament as AKP deputies. The two men were also at one in endeavouring to dismantle the secular apparatus of the state, from which both had suffered in the past. (In 1999 Erdoğan spent four months in jail for reciting verses with an aggressively Islamist theme.) Prosecutors aligned with Gulen are widely believed to have engineered the recent mass trials of senior members of the military and the old secular establishment, which culminated last summer in the imprisonment of dozens of retired army officers, including a former chief of the general staff, on much inflated charges of planning to a coup. Pro-Gulen prosecutors and journalists are vigorous in defence of the hocaefendi, or "esteemed teacher"–as judicial processes and smear campaigns that have been launched against Gulen's critics attest. Gulen protests that he is a fakir, or pious "beggar," but many of his followers regard him as a prophet-like divine, whose teachings reflect the light of God.
One can well imagine how an opaque and unregulated movement such as the Gulenists might come into conflict with a government occupying the same ideological terrain, jealous of its prerogatives and increasingly tarnished with allegations of corruption. And this is what has happened over the past few years, with deceptive gradualness. In 2012 a Gulenist prosecutor attempted (without success) to summon Erdoğan's intelligence chief for questioning. The government has been threatening to clamp down on Gulen-affiliated schools; Gulen's supporters complain that they are being denied civil service jobs because of their loyalties across the Atlantic, while the hocaefendi has taken to denouncing "Croesus" and "Pharaoh" in his sermons—references, it is thought, to the prime minister himself.
The recent crisis began when some fifty prominent government supporters were taken in for questioning by Gulenist prosecutors, including three sons of cabinet ministers and the chief executive of a state-owned bank, Halkbank. The Turkish press reported that some $4.5 million had been found, stashed in shoeboxes, in the home of the Halkbank executive. Ten cabinet ministers resigned and others were replaced by Erdoğan, apparently because of the possibility that they could be implicated in the investigation; the prime minister meanwhile warned darkly of a "parallel state" within the police force and the judiciary that has been plotting against his government. Inveterate conspiracy theorist that he is, however, Erdoğan has also blamed the case on unnamed foreign enemies, who he accuses of acting in unison to try to stop the country's rise.
The prime minister quickly struck back. Mass transfers of Gulenist personnel in the police and judiciary have had the effect of halting the corruption investigation (the prosecutors who initiated it have been removed), while a second phase of the same enquiry, touching on the government's relations with construction companies and the friendship between the Erdoğan family and a controversial Saudi businessman, has also stalled. On January 6, Erdoğan indicated that he would support moves to reopen the case against the secularists, who were convicted by Gulenist prosecutors last summer. Clearly he hopes to discredit the prosecutors who orchestrated it. The government has also introduced legislation that would allow it to make appointments at the top of the judiciary, while pro-Gulen media has accused the government of bias against businesses associated with the exiled preacher—this after a period when some Gulenist enterprises have enjoyed government favor.
Fethullah Gulen is a public figure of resilience and longevity; it is hard to imagine the government successfully restraining his movement. Born in 1938 in eastern Turkey, he spent the first two decades of his working life as an imam on the government payroll, interrupted by a seven-month spell in jail following the coup by the Turkish military in 1971, when Islamists and Communists alike were put behind bars. He eventually went freelance and in the 1980s his renown as a preacher and inspiration behind a network of highly successful private schools brought him more attention from the authorities. In 2000, having travelled to the United States for medical treatment (he has diabetes and an iffy heart), Gulen was tried on charges of trying to overthrow the state, and he has never returned—even after being acquitted in 2006. In 2008 Gulen was granted permanent residency in the United States.
Meanwhile, the Gulen movement has acquired considerable reach across Turkish society. Each year, more than three quarters of a million young people pass through Gulen-affiliated crammers, where they have been prepared for university entrance exams, and the excellence of the instruction on offer is evidenced by their matriculation at the best universities; they go on to occupy influential positions in academia, business, and the Turkish bureaucracy. The Gulenists also influence the Turkish public debate through their media holdings, which include Zaman newspaper, one of the country's biggest. Imagine a Mormon Ivy Leaguer with friends in the Grand Lodge and you will have some idea of the connections that Gulenists can call upon in Turkish society.
The conflict currently playing out has the potential to paralyze many institutions of the Turkish government, further damaging an administration whose international credibility has already fallen precipitously as a result of the failure of its aggressive policy towards Syria. Instead of spearheading the successful overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, Turkey has alienated former allies while bringing instability—from Syrian air strikes, radical Syrian opposition groups, Kurdish militias, and overwhelming numbers of Syrian refugees—to its own southern border. Now, with investor fears driving the Turkish lira down sharply, Erdoğan's AKP now faces local elections (in March) at a moment when the economy is increasingly adrift. Turkey depends on short-term inflows of foreign capital to service its high external debts, and there are increasing fears in international financial markets that that foreign capital will quickly be withdrawn if the equilibrium between the different branches of government continues to erode.
And while Erdoğan is a political bruiser of impressive durability, he now faces in Gulen an elusive foe who comes from the old Ottoman tradition of the charismatic holy man. Revered by their followers, their powers embellished by hearsay and rumour, these divines acquired considerable unofficial power in the Ottoman period, acting as a check on the sultan's authority. Last month Gulen did not shrink from placing a malediction on his enemies, beseeching God to "consume their homes with fire, destroy their nests, break their accords." This year, Erdoğan has set himself the task of keeping Istanbul and other key municipalities in AKP hands—and, perhaps, standing for the presidency when Turkey's first direct elections to the post are held in August. But now, for the first time in his career, the Gulenists stand in his way.


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In 1984, Steve Bickford, became one of the first arborists certified by the International Society of Arboriculture because he believed in the development of a program that would encourage knowledgeable and skilled Tree Care instead of just tree work. He continues to believe in this program and works to provide quality, informed care for the trees of his clients.
Why Hire a Certified Arborist?
An arborist is a specialist in the care of individual trees. Arborists are knowledgeable about the needs of trees and are trained and equipped to provide proper care. Hiring an arborist is a decision that should not be taken lightly. Proper tree care is an investment that can lead to substantial returns. Well-cared-for trees are attractive and can add considerable value to your property. Poorly maintained trees can be a significant liability. Pruning or removing trees, especially large trees, can be dangerous work. Tree work should be done only by those trained and equipped to work safely in trees.
From The International Society of Arboriculture
What is a Certified Arborist?
An arborist by definition is an individual who is trained in the art and science of planting, caring for, and maintaining individual trees. ISA arborist certification is a nongovernmental, voluntary process by which individuals can document their base of knowledge. It operates without mandate of law and is an internal, self-regulating device administered by the International Society of Arboriculture. Certification provides a measurable assessment of an individual's knowledge and competence required to provide proper tree care. Certified Arborists are individuals who have achieved a level of knowledge in the art and science of tree care through experience and by passing a comprehensive examination developed by some of the nation's leading experts on tree care. Certified Arborists must also continue their education to maintain their certification. Therefore, they are more likely to be up to date on the latest techniques in arboriculture.
From The International Society of Arboriculture


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With Linux becoming widespread in the work environment, the security of the individual machines must be considered. Machines running Linux can be networked easily, creating the potential risk of unauthorized users gaining access. This is particularly true if your Linux installation is straight out of the box. I will give a brief introduction to securing your Linux box and making your network environment a safer place for both your data and the people who use use it.
``You are only as strong as the weakest link in your defense,'' says the Chinese proverb, and this is certainly true in the field of computer security. If you forget to patch that newly downloaded version of lpd all your walls can come crumbling down, even with the securest system in the world. Always be cautious when installing any new software. If you are using Linux only as a desktop machine at home and you connect to the Internet via a modem, you do not have to worry so much. On the other hand, if you are running a mission-critical server wired into the Net, I would strongly advise checking out the security history of any piece of software that you wish to install (remembering that famous version of Sendmail).
Several mailing lists and many web pages offer extensive help on Linux security. The information is out there, you just need to go and harvest it. If you don't have the time, patience or know-how, contact a security consultant to take a look at your system setup and discover any potential weak spots. Usually security consultant firms have their own Tiger Teams who for a fee will attempt to make the walls crumble around your computer(s). Their object is to get into your system under a certain period of time and some even refund your money if they are unsuccessful. Tiger Teams are a valuable asset to security-conscious companies. Since Tiger Teams cost quite a bit, I would suggest you break into your own machines. This exercise can save you money, and give you a better understanding of the structure and different abstract layers of Linux in the process.
The starting point of our Linux security tour is the password. Many people keep their entire life on a computer and the only thing preventing others from seeing it is the eight-character string called a password. Not something one would call completely reliable. Contrary to popular belief, an uncrackable password does not exist. Given time and resources all passwords can be guessed either by social engineering or by brute force.
Since password cracking can be a time- and resource-consuming art, make it hard for any cracker who has grabbed your password file. Running a password cracker on a weekly basis on your system is a good idea. This helps to find and replace passwords that are easily guessed or weak. Also, a password checking mechanism should be present to reject a weak password when first choosing a password or changing an old one. Character strings that are plain dictionary words, or are all in the same case, or do not contain numbers or special characters should not be accepted as a new password.
A safe password can be constructed by taking the first letter of your favorite phrase, quote or sentence and adding special characters. For example, suppose my favorite phrase is, ``the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog,'' by taking the first letter of every word, I'd end up with tqbfjotld. Next, I'd add special characters and perhaps squeeze in the year resulting in a password of 9tqbf!jotld8. This is a much secure than the name of your spouse or child.
Word lists containing hundreds (if not thousands) of words that could be fed to a password cracker are available on the Internet. Some contain only names, so cracking the password ``maggie'' is quite trivial while the likelihood of 9tqbf!jotld8 appearing in one of those lists is quite slim. However, even though if our proposed password is not likely to appear in a word list, more advanced cracker programs come with a feature called Incremental Cracking Mode which means that every possible permutation is tried. The user gives it the minimum and maximum number of letters in a password, upper case or lower case, inclusion of special characters and numbers, and the passwords cracker does the rest. Granted, it could take a lot of time and resources, but it is possible.
Next, be aware of the services running on your system. Most distributions of Linux have HTTP, FTP, SMB, Sendmail and various other services running as default. Not everyone needs a web server running so why not get rid of it--it takes up resources and can be a potential security risk. To terminate web services, type:
kill -9To find out the process ID(s) of a certain daemon or service, type:
ps aux | grepAlso, comment these daemons out of your start-up scripts so that they will not restart after a reboot. Unused services can let others gain information about your system and they could also pose as a security risk.
Another thing to avoid is the use of .rhosts files, as they are a favorite of crackers. The .rhosts files contain names of systems on which you have an account. When you use TELNET to log in to a system, the system checks its .rhosts file and if your machine name is found, it gives you access without the need for a password.
For more information about the .rhosts file, look in your favorite Linux or System Administration manual. One of the most famous exploits involving the .rhosts file is the misconfiguration of the Network File System (NFS). First the hacker checks for any exported file systems on your machines (to check, type: showmount -e), and if any are world writable. Next he remotely mounts your file system and places an .rhosts file into a user's directory. Last, the hacker uses TELNET to log into your machine as the that user, and your system is now compromised. The moral of this story: leave the configuration of the nfsd to someone who is more experienced than you or read the documentation carefully.
Another similar hack involves the misconfiguration of a popular service commonly found on the Internet; anonymous FTP. The first, and obvious method, of gaining unauthorized access via anonymous FTP is by letting the public have access to your password file. Granted all passwords are stored in encrypted form, but remember we've already shown crackers can get by this. Another way to gain access to the local password file is by exploiting the writeability of the /ftp directory. Look at these simple steps:
|/bin/mail firstname.lastname@example.com < /etc/passwd
As Linux finds its way into more and more corporate environments, it is a crucial step to keep users out of each other's files and patch all the holes that might be utilized by hackers. With the notion of interconnectivity, industrial espionage will also be on the rise. With simple preventative measures and user education, the workplace can be a safe place for your secrets.


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In the druid tradition, water represents the west, the place of emotions and intuition, the place of our ancestors and of the honored dead. Water is often connected with the salmon of wisdom, the salmon who dwells in a sacred pool, offering his wisdom to those who seek him. Water may serve as a gateway to other worlds and as a tool for scrying. Water can be used as a tool to understand flows of all kinds. You can study flowing water through observation, fishing, boating, or swimming and connected with it in order to help us understand deep insights. Snow and ice can likewise, be used as spiritual tools. Water-based animals like turtles, fish, salamanders, dragonflies or water-based plants like cattail, calamus, or lotus are powerful allies for spiritual work. Working deeply with water is part of several druid teachings and courses, and thus, finding ways of doing that kind of work is important. Today, I wanted to share some suggestions and ideas for working with the element of water.
Because I like to root our druidry in the here and now, I think it's important to understand why, on the physical and spiritual level, water is a good element to be focusing on now. Partially, I want to do this because in the last two months, I've been tackling a lot of difficult topics surrounding "Druidry for the 21st century", and I hope that this post will help offer some soothing and healing. But tied to the issues that I've been recently discussing, we have a host of environmental challenges with water: global warming causing ocean acidification and coral bleaching; huge dead zones and polluted rivers; acid mine drainage issues; and issues with draining aquifers are all problems that the earth is facing. We also have a host of social problems surrounding water, like major floods or droughts, issues of water ownership, and issues of the drinkability of water (such as the ongoing water saga in Flint MI or the protests by the Water Protectors to protect the land and drinking water sources).
Further, It seems that right now, the emotional water energy of the world is out of balance: people only feel and focus on their emotional reactions rather than critically analyzing (air), tensions are heated, and social unrest is present. I do not believe that there is any coincidence that as the waters of the world are under pressure and threat we see this unbalanced water energy in our social sphere. As a druid, I understand the relationship of these things. Water is life. When we abuse that water, that abuse unbalances the waters of the world and we, thus, are unbalanced as well. Given these larger problems, I think its good to cultivate a positive and meaningful connection with balanced water energy. This helps us have a buffer between all that unbalanced watery and emotional energy that is plaguing us, for one. But also, deep water work can open up worlds and new insights to us.
Collecting the Sacred Waters
Some years ago, at the OBOD's East Coast Gathering, I was gifted with a very special vial of water. Thea Worthington, the OBOD Modron at the time, offered me the water that she had brought from Iona, the Isle of Druids. I had never been to Iona or the UK (and I still haven't been) and this sacred water, coming from my the land of my ancestors–and spiritual ancestors–was a very cherished gift. When I brought the water home and placed it in a glass vial, it was literally humming with energy. I began using it in my spiritual work in various ways; taking a single drop of it and adding it to local water to 'charge' that water, bringing it into my rituals and the rituals of our grove, and so forth. Soon after, I began collecting waters from sacred places that I was visiting–waters of the many sacred springs, lakes, rivers, and oceans. After this experience, and through closely working with these waters. Each time I would gather the water, I put it in a small glass dram vial, and gave it a label. If others were going to visit places I may never go, I asked them to bring me water back with them. Thus, over a period of 6 years, my "water collection" has grown quite considerably! Further, I found that physically working with the waters led to many spiritual experiences and insights — and you can build a whole spiritual practice surrounding collecting, honoring, and working with sacred waters.
You might consider starting your own water collection and working with water deeply. I've learned a few things that can help you if you want to do this kind of work, which is the basis of the rest of the ritual and spiritual work outlined in this post.
Bring a vessel. First, when you are out and about, always take some kind of collection vessel with you. If you are out locally, you can also use your water bottle to bring back some water at the end of a hike or from some other outing. I try to keep a vial with me in my crane bag and foraging bag; that way, I will always have the opportunity to collect some water. I also keep a spare vial or bottle in my car for other adventures. That way, when the opportunity to gather some water comes up, I am able to take advantage of it!
Now, when you travel on a plane, you need some planning and forethought. I like to put my sacred water in a simple spray bottle labeled "hairspray." I have never had customs or TSA give me trouble with this, as long as it is packed away in my quart ziplock bag or in a checked bag. Tincture bottles can also be used for this purpose.
Collect water with sacred intent. Second, I think its important to collect water with sacred intent. You want to make an offering to the water in exchange for the water you are taking. I like to do something sonic or energetic for this. I may offer a stone from my land, chant, or play my flute. I like to do something that can resonate with the water in some meaningful way. I also, by the way, will clean up any garbage at the site where I am collecting if there is any to be found.
Knowing where to collect. I think that most places are good places to collect water. I like to think about it this way: even if the source where I am collecting water from is polluted, it is good to represent that water source. That river or lake or whatever still has a spirit, still has live that is trying to live there. I treat polluted water sources differently in my ritual work though, and I'll explain that below. So if you are going to do this practice, collect widely.
Enlist help. If you have friends or family who are traveling somewhere that you may never go, ask them to bring you back a bit of water. You can also involve other druids by doing a water exchange or using water in your rituals–ask everyone to bring some water (see combined waters – group ritual) below.
Label and store carefully. I purchase clear 1 dram vials with a lid, and use those for my waters, which works really well. I used corked glass bottles for a while, but they tend to dry up after a year or two; the plastic lids never dry out. Pour the water you collected into the vial, then, seal it up tightly. Taking some colored paper and a pen, make yourself some kind of little label. I tie these onto my bottles, but I could just as easily tape the label on there with packing tape. The rest of the water, if safe, I offer my plants or the land. If not safe (due to pollution), I will usually send it down the sink with thanks.
At this point, once you have some waters you've collected, you can start to work with them in really amazing ways!
Creating Your Sacred Water Shrine and Ritual of Coming-Together Waters
Once you have started a water collection, you can build a shrine and welcome each of the waters into your collection with a ritual. I will offer you the basics of the ritual, with the understanding that you can frame it how you like, in any tradition you like.
Find a place where you can have your water shrine. It should NOT be a place that cats or kids can easily get to. In fact, in both of my homes, I kept my water shrine on a counter or near my tub. That's where it is located currently; my art studio and sacred space have an attached bathroom, and the whole bathroom is dedicated to the theme of water, flow, and Awen. I have an Awen shrine in the bathroom focusing on flow and honoring water, and the opposite side, I have my sacred waters shrine. IF this isn't an option for you, consider getting a nice decorative box for your waters to serve as your shrine. That or a high shelf might be an option to you.
Once you have a place, you'll want to think about how you are going to arrange your water vials. I got a nice cut wood round, sanded it a bit, and used that–and it works great.
Now you are ready for the ceremony. There are two options: You can do this in a regular ritual space you use, or you can do it in the bathtub. The bathtub has one advantage–you can, immediately during the ceremony, connect with your sacred waters much more deeply than you are in the water yourself. If you don't want to or are not able to do it in the tub, you can do that part of the ceremony later (it is offered below). Before you begin, you will need your water shrine area prepared, all of your vials present, and you will need a dropper and one empty vial or bowl for the ceremony. Before the ceremony begins, fill the bowl with rainwater, spring water, or melted snow from your local area (some form of pure water).
The Ceremony
Open up a sacred space in your usual manner.
Begin with thanks for the water. Say some words in gratitude, play music, drum, dance, whatever you feel led to do. Allow the emotion to flow through you.
Arrange the vials of water in front of you, however many you have. Pick the first vial up, and through the glass, sense the energy of the water. Focus on the water for a time, simply feeling its energy and remembering how you gathered it–what the day was like, where you were, where the water comes from. Then, focus and see if there are any messages, insights, and/or feelings. Once you are done with the vial, offer thanks and place your vial on the shrine. Continue this process till all of the vials are placed.
Now, take your bowl and dropper. Bless the bowl however you see fit and then pick up each water again. Using your intuition, sense the water and if it should be used for spiritual purposes. If you get an affirmative, take 3 drops of the water from the vial and place it in the bowl. I do not recommend that you include any waters that are polluted to your sacred combined waters. For example, my sister traveled to India and brought back water from the Ganga river. When I did this ceremony and welcomed the Ganga waters to my shrine, I had the very clear message that I was not to open the bottle or work with that water in any way beyond sending that river healing energy (the Ganga is the 6th most polluted river in the world, with over 600 miles of dead zones).
At the end of this ceremony, if you are already bathing, do the full bathing ceremony below. If not, you can close out your space and when you have an opportunity, do a full bathing ceremony if that ceremony speaks to you.
Each time you have new water, you can use the above ceremony to add that water to the shrine. Or, if you are doing a lot of collections, you can wait till you have a few vials to add and do them all at once.
After your ritual concludes, you have created a very powerful bowl of sacred water with many different water energies, what I call the "coming together" water. Add this water to a vial and label it. If there is any remaining water in your bowl, water your plants with it, or pour it on the earth to offer your blessing. If your vial gets low, you can always add more water (and treat this like a "mother" essence, infinitely able to be added to and used).
Healing and Blessing Bathing Ritual
You can do this ritual, as I said above, as part of your shrine building and coming together water ritual, otherwise, you can do this anytime you feel led. I find this ritual is particularly powerful when I am having a hard time emotionally and my emotions (and thus water) are out of balance. I also find this ritual useful for healing of all kinds. This ritual is useful to cultivate the flow of Awen in your life. This ritual is best done in a bathtub, but not all people have access to bathtubs. Thus, I give a shower variant at the end.
Now, I want to talk a little bit about what to do at the end of the ritual (before I offer instructions). In the tradition of hoodoo and more broadly, from many folk magic traditions, a bathing ritual is complete only after a person has drip-dried–that is, toweling off after the ritual literally "wipes away" the magic. I think that drip dry option adds an additional layer to the ceremony.
Prepare your bathroom for sacred work. I prefer to do this ritual at night, and I use at least four large tapers to light my bathroom. This provides ample light and sets the right ambiance. Burn some incense and do whatever else you'd like to set the stage. You can play some soft instrumental music for this ritual. Additionally, make sure you have your vial of coming together waters and a dropper bottle.
Open up your sacred space, then fill and enter your tub. Have your vial with you. Holding the vial in your hand, speak your sacred intent to the water (healing, creative flow, balancing, flexibility, etc). Then, open up your vial and use your dropper to drop 3 water droplets into your tub. Close the vial and then swish the water around. Now, simply relax. Meditate, journey, breathe deeply, listen to music–just allow that sacred water to work on you in various ways.
When you have allowed the sacred waters to do the work, thank the waters for their gifts and healing. Then, pull your drain and leave the tub. If at all possible, do not use a towel and allow yourself to drip dry. Close out your sacred space.
Shower variant: Place the sacred waters in a bucket of warm water. Take the water into the shower and using a sponge, sponge yourself all over. Do everything else the same as described above.
I hope this has been a useful way for you to think about how to work in a sacred way with water as part of your druid or nature-based spiritual path. I still have a lot more to share about these water practices, but, since this post is getting quite long, I'll finish up next week. Next week, stay tuned for by offering you some other ceremonies and ways to use your combined waters and also how to do a "coming together" waters ritual in a grove/group setting.


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Rangers Clobber Red Sox, 9-1
Shortly before the start of Monday night's game against the Boston Red Sox, the Texas Rangers learned that starting pitcher Colby Lewis will miss the rest of the season because of injury, meaning there will be a search for a replacement in rotation.
Soon after, Scott Feldman made a strong case for himself.
Feldman, starting after Roy Oswalt was scratched with back tightness, threw seven strong innings to lead the Rangers to a 9-1 victory over the Red Sox.
"Tremendous outing," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "We certainly needed him to give us a chance tonight and he went way beyond what we expected."
Feldman (4-6) won his fourth straight decision and pitched his longest outing since throwing eight innings on June 2, 2010. He gave up one earned run and seven hits with five strikeouts.
"My mechanics felt pretty good," Feldman said. "I tried not to think about the extended rest I had there. I tried to go out there and compete."
Lewis will miss the rest of the season because of a torn flexor tendon in his right elbow that will require surgery. Martin Perez, who was called up on Monday after Lewis was placed on the disabled list, will start Tuesday's game against the Red Sox, but he would have been available out of the bullpen if Feldman had faltered early.
Besides giving up a solo home run to Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the second inning, Feldman never wavered, retiring 12 of his last 15 batters.
"He kept the ball down and worked off the corners," Boston third baseman Will Middlebrooks said. "He didn't leave anything over the middle that we could hit."
And Feldman was certainly helped by the Rangers offense, which has outscored the Red Sox 33-7 in three games this season. The Red Sox, who have lost four straight and 12 of 18, left eight runners on base.
Ian Kinsler went 3-for-4 and Craig Gentry went 2-for-4 with an RBI for Texas. Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli both had two RBIs in the Rangers' first home game since July 8.
In the third, Texas scored three earned runs against Boston starter Felix Doubront (10-5). Gentry singled and Kinsler walked, then a double steal put the two at second and third. Elvis Andrus run-scoring singled to stretch his hitting streak to 11 games. Dustin Pedroia overthrew first base to let Kinsler score, snapping the second baseman's 65-game errorless streak, the longest of his career. Hamilton drove in a run with a double and Michael Young's one-out single scored Hamilton to make it 4-1.
In the sixth, Napoli hit his third home run in as many games, a two-run shot that traveled 416 feet to left field that made it 6-1. That hit knocked out Doubront, who pitched five innings and gave up six earned runs and eight hits.
Frankin Morales relieved Doubront and gave up three-straight hits to Brandon Snyder (double), Gentry and Kinsler. Gentry's single drove in Snyder, and Gentry scored on an error by Boston left fielder Carl Crawford after Kinsler's single. Hamilton hit a sacrifice fly for a 9-1 lead.
NOTES: Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine considered having struggling LHP Jon Lester skip his scheduled Saturday start against the Yankees, but he said after Monday's game that Lester will start Saturday. Lester (5-8, 5.46) has lost his last three starts, giving up 21 earned runs in 12 1-3 innings. He allowed a career-worst 11 earned runs in four innings of Sunday's 15-7 loss to Toronto. . Monday's game was Valentine's first time managing a regular-season game in Arlington against his former club. From 1985-1992, Valentine managed more games (1,186) and has more wins (581) than any manager in Rangers history. . Rangers 1B Mitch Moreland began an injury-rehab assignment Monday night at Triple-A Round Rock, and is expected to return to the Rangers for Sunday's game against Chicago. He has been on the DL since June 22 because of a stranded left hamstring. Manager Ron Washington said the plan is for Moreland to play Monday and Tuesday for Round Rock, then return to Arlington on Wednesday to be with his wife, Susannah, who is expecting their first child. Moreland would move his rehab assignment to Double-A Frisco Friday and Saturday.
This program aired on July 24, 2012. The audio for this program is not available.


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Mighty Dog Roofing of Northwest Houston
Mighty Dog Northwest Houston, TX understands the importance of trusting and being accurate when dealing with an important property like your home. The smart intelligence analytics that our drone technology provides to your professional inspection team gives you verifiable, credible inspection information.
Cypress is an unincorporated community in Harris County, Texas, United States, located completely inside the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Houston. The Cypress area is located along U.S. Highway 290 (Northwest Freeway) is twenty-four miles (35 km) northwest of Downtown Houston. The Cypress urban cluster ranks 50th in the top 100 highest-income urban areas in the United States. Large scale residential and commercial development beginning in the 1980s transformed the once rural area into one of the Houston area's largest suburban communities. == History == The recent find of a San Patrice projectile point at the Dimond Knoll site nearby on Cypress Creek attests to a human presence in the area by 7500 BC. By the early historic era, the area around present-day Cypress was populated by Atakapa and Akokisa Indian tribes, but they soon disappeared after the appearance of German settlers in the 1840s.The German heritage is most notably reflected in the names of some of the major thoroughfares of the area, such as Huffmeister and Telge Roads.
Amhurst, Barker Lake, Blackhorse Ranch, Bonaire, Bridgeland, Canyon Lakes West, Coles Crossing, Cypress Chase, Cypress Country, Cypress Creek Lakes, Cypress Creek Ranch, Cypress Fields, Cypress Hill, Cypress Junction, Cypress Mill Estates Com Res


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Andrew Kenny
The Wooden Birds' Two Matchsticks is the follow up to their critically acclaimed 2009 debut Magnolia. The Wooden Birds are fronted by American Analog Set founder and Broken Social Scene collaborator/touring member Andrew Kenny. Two Matchsticks was recorded in a converted bedroom studio in Kenny's Austin home and mixed at Resonate Studio with producer Louie Lino (Nada Surf). It features special guest Ben Gibbard along with members of Ola Podrida.
While Two Matchsticks keeps the percussive affects of The Wooden Birds' debut, the band drew on the strengths of their live show in writing the album, making it a stronger record sonically, more driven, upbeat and fuller than the Birds' previous efforts. The most noticeable difference is the increased presence of members Leslie Sisson and Matt Pond who, in addition to singing backing vocals on the album, sing lead and duet with Kenny on some of the album's most memorable songs. There is also a heat and a passion behind Kenny's voice and throughout the album's lyrics, and the return of the vibraphone's warm tones will also be a welcome sound to AmAnSet fans.


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Slander From Santorum: Former Senator Once Again Proves That He's No Jack Kennedy
Here in part is what Kennedy said in his Sept. 12, 1960, address in Houston: "I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute - where no Catholic prelate would tell the president (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote - where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference - and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the president who might appoint him or the people who might elect him. "I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish - where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source - where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials - and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all." Good stuff, that. Santorum disagrees. During a recent speech in Newton, Mass., Santorum said he was "frankly appalled" by Kennedy's statement, adding, "That was a radical statement [that did] great damage." Continued Santorum, "We're seeing how Catholic politicians, following the first Catholic president, have followed his lead, and have divorced faith not just from the public square, but from their own decision-making process. Jefferson is spinning in his grave." To Santorum, I can only say: Look, it's bad enough that you run around talking trash about Kennedy, but adding Jefferson to your Festival of Ignorance is just too much. Leave the man out of it. You apparently know nothing about him. Jefferson spent his entire life opposing government-mandated religion and fought every member of the clergy who supported that foul idea. Here's a famous example: During the election of 1800, presidential candidate Jefferson knew that many New England preachers were yearning to win favoritism for their faith from the federal government. He also knew that they hated him because they realized he would never let that happen. That's why they spread wild tales about Jefferson being a libertine who, if elected, would burn Bibles. Wrote Jefferson to Benjamin Rush, "The returning good sense of our country threatens abortion to their hopes, & they believe that any portion of power confided to me will be exerted in opposition to their schemes. And they believe rightly; for I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." (Those words might sound familiar; they're carved on the Jefferson Memorial here in Washington, D.C.) If anything is causing Jefferson to spin in his grave, it would be the machinations of people like Santorum, who want to mix church and state into a poisonous theocratic gumbo and force-feed it to the American people. No thanks, Rick. We know all about the theocracies you admire so much. They don't work because they crush human freedom. We found a better way: separation of church and state. Supporting that good old American concept is hardly "radical." In fact, I'd say the real radicals are the ones who want to tear it down. Believe what you want about religion, Rick. Pray, go to mass and engage in other religious activities of your choosing. But don't think you can turn this country into a modern version of medieval Spain with iPods and Twitter. We won't have it. In his famous speech, JFK eloquently laid out a vision of freedom of religion for all in a country that did not presume to aid or hinder faith. The choice of whether to take part in a faith community is always yours. Santorum has made his vision clear as well. It's one that crushes freedom under the heavy heel of government-sponsored religion. I think I know which vision the American people prefer.
Slander From Santorum: Former Senator Once Again Proves That He's No Jack Kennedy | 6 comments (6 topical, 0 hidden)
Slander From Santorum: Former Senator Once Again Proves That He's No Jack Kennedy | 6 comments (6 topical, 0 hidden)


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I know, I know. When you hear March Madness, you usually thinks of basketball but judging by the sheer number of roller derby events we got going on just in the first few weeks of March, I think that's going to change. There's derby bouts going on everywhere. You'd be hard pressed to find a corner of the country that doesn't have a bout happening.
We are, of course, so proud to be part of the national roller derby movement and encourage everyone to go out and support this grass-roots, DIY sport that's on the rise. Look for another list towards the end of the month featuring more derby madness!
Roll on guys and gals, roll on!
Saturday, March 3
All Girl Flat Track Roller Derby Bout – Prescott, Arizona Come on out as Prescott's hometown roller derby girls bring another Arizona State Conference game!! NAZRD Whiskey Row-llers will be taking on Tucson's Copper Queens in a hard hitting fast paced game of roller derby.
Bleeding Heartland Roller Derby Main Event – Bloomington, Indiana Come Watch this double header roller derby event between the Bleeding Heartland Roller Girls vs. Ohio Roller girls.
Demolition City Roller Derby: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – Evansville, Indiana To paraphrase Clint Eastwood, in the roller derby world, there are two kinds of people: those who hit, and those who get hit! The hits will be good, bad and ugly at the Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in Evansville, as the rollergirls from Demolition City Roller Derby host arch-rival Black-n-Bluegrass in a wild derby showdown.
Moonshine Massacre – Redding, California Join the Redding Rollergirls as they bout against the Golden State Rollergirls for this high action Roller Derby event!
Roller Derby – North Las Vegas, Nevada The American Roller Skating Derby is proud to announce that Jim Fitzpatrick's World Champion San Francisco Bay Bombers are coming to Las Vegas to take on Mizz Georgia Hase's Brooklyn Red Devils and Ice Box's Los Angeles FireBirds in a wild 3 team tournament. Fun and excitement for the entire family!
Roller Derby Bout – Stockton, California Over five years of hard work has paid off for the Port City Roller Girls, Stockton's only Roller Derby league as they are into their 6th Season. They are ready to share with their community what they have learned from long hours of practice and some painful bruises as they take to the track to play an intense, fast-paced sport against other women's athletic organizations. PCRG is owned and operated by the skaters, for the skaters. It is the motto of the flat track roller derby revival that's been sweeping the country over the past several years. In this bout,the Port City Roller Girls will face off against South Coast Roller Derby.
LA Ri-ettes vs. New York Gotham Girls – Los Angeles, California Are you ready for some All Women's Bank Track Roller Derby action? Then purchase your tickets now before they sell out to see the LA Ri-ettes take on Gotham Girls Roller Derby from New York. At the LA Derby Dolls – Doll Factory located in LA's Historic Filipino Town. Trey Sandusky will be singing the national anthem. ATTALOSS will be performing at half-time in the Vendor Village.
Read More…


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You must meet all the following requirements to qualify for property tax deferral:
Call us for more information at 303-271-8330.
Show All Answers
Yes, a tax deferral program is available to senior citizens whereby the state of Colorado pays the taxes on your residence and holds a lien on your property until it is sold or changes are made to your qualifications. The annual percentage rate is set by state statute. A qualified individual must be 65 or older on January 1 of the year claimed. Call us for more information at 303-271-8330.
Contact the Treasurer's office by phone 303-271-8330 or submit this contact form to request an application. Applications for deferral must be submitted to the Treasurer's office between January 1 and April 1 each year.
If approved, the county treasurer will issue a Certificate of Deferral, record it and send the certificate to the state treasurer. The state treasurer will charge you interest on the amount deferred beginning May 1 of the year in which the deferral is claimed. The interest is compounded annually. The deferred taxes may be paid at any time without affecting your deferral eligibility. If your property taxes are normally paid as part of your mortgage payment, you should present your deferral certificate to the mortgagor for a refund of the property tax monies held in escrow.
When deferring your property taxes, the state makes the payments to local governments. Your county treasurer submits your claim form to the state treasurer, who pays the county; therefore, you are borrowing the payments from Colorado until you can repay the state. Call us for more information at 303-271-8330.
Get more information about the senior property tax exemption on the assessor's webpage.
When the claimant dies, the deferred taxes plus interest are due within one year. For all other reasons, the money is due within 90 days. Property may be given to the state of Colorado in lieu of payment. If the taxes are not paid, the state will foreclose on the property. Call us for more information at 303-271-8330.
Colorado residents 65 or older may defer or postpone property tax payment on their residence. Call us for more information at 303-271-8330.


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(Redirected from PRINCEPS JUDÆORUM.)Name of a prominent Hungarian family which flourished in the latter half of the fifteenth century and in the first half of the sixteenth in Ofen (Buda). Members of three generations of it are known; namely, Jacob, Israel, and Isaac Mendel, who held the office of "Princeps Judæorum," "Supremus Judæorum," or "Præfectus Judæorum" between 1482 and 1539. This office, which seems to have existed only during that period, was created by King Matthias in order to give the Jews in accredited representative at court, who at the same time should be responsible for the payment of their taxes. The "Præfectus Judæorum" was empowered to impose fines and other penalties on the Jews. As an official of the crown he was exempted from wearing the Jews' hat.
- Kohn, Magyar Zsidók Története, pp. 216 et seq.;
- Engel, Gesch. des Ungarischen Reiches, i. 80 et seq.;
- Büchler, A Zsidók Története Budapesten, pp. 50 et seq.;
- Venetianer, A Zsidóság Szerverete, pp. 273 et seq., 326 et seq.


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Bold & Beautiful: 8 Colorful Tablecloths for Eating Outside
Normally, we tend toward simple tablecloths, ones that will serve as a solid backdrop for our fabulous food and table settings without drawing too much attention of their own. But when it comes to summer, picnics, and eating outside, we say bring on the color!
These tablecloths just scream summer to us. They're bold, colorful, and a little flirty. Also, no one is likely to notice if we drop a little mustard or spill the wine!
• Round Tablecloth GIRASOL, $75 from micasaflamenca on Etsy – So tempting to buy the matching pillows!
• Alsace Floral Print Tablecloth, $39-$49 from Williams-Sonoma – Guaranteed to transport your party straight to the French countryside.
• French-Designed Jardin Tablecloths, $39.95-$119.95 from Sur la Table – The watercolor effect on this one is so cool.
• Marimekko Mustikkamaa Tablecloth, $69.95 from Crate & Barrel – What fabulous shades of red!
• Sölbrand, $9.99 from IKEA – A classic picnic cloth print in three bold colors.
• Dwell Studio Suzani, $21.99 from Target – Loving the strong sweeping patterns on this one.
• Fiesta Table Linens, $24.99 from Macy's – Break out the sangria!
• Calypso Indoor/Outdoor Tablecloth, $14.99-$34.99 from Bed Bath & Beyond – And if this one doesn't say relax and have a good time, we don't know what will!
Do you have special tablecloths for summer entertaining?
(Images: micasaflamenca, Williams-Sonoma, Sur la Table, Crate & Barrel, IKEA, Target, Macy's and Bed Bath & Beyond)


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I never had great intuition when it came to thermodynamic concepts and potentials even though reading a textbook and completing the exercises has never been a huge problem.
In one of them, I was asked to show that maximizing the Gibbs entropy $$-\sum_n p_n \text{ln}(p_n)$$ under the constraints of normalization $$\sum_n p_n =1$$ and the existence of a fixed average energy $\sum_np_nE_n =E^*$ gives the canonical ensemble, ie: $$p_n=\frac{e^{-\beta E_n}}{\sum_ne^{-\beta E_n}}$$. And then I am supposed to show that maximizing the entropy is equivalent to minimizing the free energy. It's quite evident looking at its definition: $$F= E -TS$$ At fixed T and E, the minimum of T matches the maximum of S (I assume S to be positive).
But is there an explicit variational derivation of this result? For example, by rewriting a Lagrangian with F as a function of $p_n$ (maybe something else than replacing E and S by their definition?)


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At the official adwords blog...
there is mention of data collection sites...
"Data collection sites that offer free gifts, subscription services etc., in order to collect private information"
Are all those sites out there that offer an autoresponder series, or a free white paper in exchange for your email address... are all these sites now automatically deem "low quality"? If so, is this really fair?
Well, first I'd like to know the details... as this is quite a common practice... for website to offer free materials in exchange for your email.
Wouldn't it make more sense to penalize sites that abuse your email, than to penalize everyone? Isn't this akin to throwing the baby out with the bath water?
I just got off a very pleasant chat with adwords chat support, and I was promised a reply on this matter via email, from Kristen.
I'll update this post when I hear from her.
If it is true though... it seems that the only recourse would be to remove email subscriptions from the site, leaving only the RSS feed.
Or... to add a prospect's email address manually, only after they have contacted you privately.
Is it possible that Google has deemed autoresponders all low quality?


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If you require a user name and password for full access to the RTÉ Press Center please send us a Registration Request here.
The programme information published on this site is for promotional purposes only. The information is correct at the time of publication, but may be subject to change. Interview opportunities and further information are available for programmes highlighted in the release section. Please contact relevant press officers.


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Jay McCauley Bowstead
Jay McCauley Bowstead lectures Cultural and Historical Studies at London College of Fashion (UAL). He is co-convener of the university's Masculinities Research Hub, where with Charlie Athill he organized the conference Globalising Men's Style in 2020.
Jay's scholarly work focuses on gender, design, and materiality, with recent publications including the monograph Menswear Revolution (2018), a co-authored article on designer Charles Jeffrey with Fenella Hitchcock (2020), and a chapter on cultural hybridity in the anthology Dandy Style edited by Shaun Cole and Giles Lambert (2021). Other research interests include the relationship between ethics, fashion production and public policy discourses: Jay recently published an article in the journal Fashion Practice focused on technology and industrial strategy.
Contact: London College of Fashion – University of the Arts London, 20 John Prince's St, Marylebone, London W1G 0BJ, UK.


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Norvos | |
Free City | |
Norvos © FFG | |
Location | Essos, Free Cities, Hills of Norvos |
Government |
Council of magisters (nominally) Bearded priests (de facto) |
Organizations | Bearded priests |
Norvos, called Great Norvos by its people,[1] is one of the nine Free Cities. It lies in the interior of Essos, between Pentos and Qohor.
Norvos sits among the Hills of Norvos, upon the eastern banks of the river Noyne, a tributary of the massive Rhoyne, and is surrounded by limestone hills, dark forests of oak, pine, and beech.[1] Located between Pentos and Qohor, it serves as a gateway for caravans and travelers going east-west on the ancient Valyrian roads, with the ruins of Ghoyan Drohe to the southwest and Qohor to the southeast.[2] Norvos is located in a land of rolling hills and terraced farms, surrounded by small walled villages.[3]
The domains of Norvos stretch as far as the western bank of the Darkwash to the east and the Upper Rhoyne to the west. The Noyne is ruled by Norvoshi river galleys as far south as the ruins of Ny Sar, where she joins the Rhoyne. The city also claims dominion over the Axe upon the Shivering Sea, though the Ibbenese are known to dispute this claim, often bloodily.[1]
Norvos's climate contains sweltering summers and bitter winters, with harsh, cold winds,[1] and a pale, wan sun.[4]
Norvos is made up out of two parts, joined only by a massive stone stair, known as the Sinner's Steps. The high city, where the ancient nobility of Norvos lives, is ringed about by mighty stone walls,[1] and located on the tallest hill in the region.[5] Here, the great fortress-temple of the bearded priests is located.[1]
The lower city is located three hundred feet below, at the base of the hill, by the river,[5] spread out along the muddy shores. It is defended by moats, ditches, and a timber palisade, overgrown with moss. The riverfront is lined with wharves, brothels, and beer halls.[1] While the upper city is grim, the lower city is lively.[1]
Bells of Norvos
Norvos's three bells govern every aspect of the lives of those in the city. The bells tell the Norvoshi when to rise, sleep, work, rest, when to take arms, when to pray, and when they are permitted to have carnal relations.[1] Each bell has its own distinctive 'voice' and name:[1][5]
- Noom, with a deep sound
- Narrah, with a strong sound
- Nyel, with a higher pitched sound.
Lomas Longstrider counts the bells of Norvos as one of his nine Wonders Made by Man.[1]
Norvos is a theocracy. While it has a council of magisters, its members are chosen by the bearded priests, who speak for their god and wield the true power in the Free City.[1] The magisters give lavishly to passing Dothraki khals, so their khalasars will not savage the city.[6] Among the Norvoshi only the priests are allowed beards. The priests wear hair shirts and untanned hides. Once initiated, these men are forbidden to cut or shave their hair. They practice ritual flagellation as part of their worship. The name of the god worshipped by the Norvoshi is known only to initiates.[1]
The freeborn of the city, both noble and lowborn, favor long mustachios; Byan Votyris, for instance, dyes his mustachio blue and sweeps it to his ears.[7] Norvoshi women shave off all of their hair, though noblewomen don wigs, especially when in the company of men from other lands and cities.[1] Some Norvoshi women wear dresses with squirrel collars.[5] The Norvoshi do not foster children.[8]
Slaves are also shaved bare. There are whispers of torchlit cellars where slave women mate with wolves.[1]
Norvoshi enjoy wintercakes and nahsa, a drink of fermented goat's milk which can be laced with honey.[5] Once a year, there is a festival in Norvos that features bears dancing down the Sinner's Steps.[5]
Doro Golathis is a historian from Norvos.[9]
The Norvoshi are well known for their tapestries.[10] Norvos is involved in trade with Lorath,[11] but rarely the Seven Kingdoms.[12] Caravans are known to pass through the city.[13]
The original settlers of Norvos are unknown, but they were not Rhoynar. Some theorize they were mazemakers or Ibbenese, but most believe they were Andals. Hairy men out of the east are said to have driven these original villagers away, but these hairy men were eventually expelled by Prince Garris of Ny Sar. The Rhoynar did not remain, however, preferring instead the warmer lower Rhoyne.[1]
Modern Norvos, like Qohor and Lorath, was founded following a religious schism in the Valyrian Freehold. Dissidents found the religious tolerance of the Freehold intolerable, so the sect of the bearded priests founded Norvos as a theocracy where the "true faith" would be practiced.[1][14]
Recent History
Norvos came into conflict with Lorath when Qarlon the Great, trying to become King of All Andals, expanded his domain to the Axe and the headwaters of the Upper Rhoyne and Noyne. The Norvoshi closed the river, and Qarlon came forth to attack them. Two battles were lost by Norvos in the hills, leading Qarlon to march against the city. According to The Fires of the Freehold, a hundred dragons from the Valyrian Freehold descended upon the Andals laying siege to Norvos. Qarlon was burned with his army, and Lorath followed shortly thereafter, in the Scouring of Lorath.[11]
During the Century of Blood after the Doom of Valyria, Norvos and Qohor allied together against Volantis. They destroyed much of the Volantene fleet which had control of the Rhoyne in a battle involving fire galleys on Dagger Lake.[15][16][17] Since then, though the bearded priests are known to regard the Black Goat of Qohor as a demon, Norvos and Qohor have been allies more often than they have been enemies.[16]
Prince Daemon Targaryen and Lady Laena Velaryon visited Norvos and other Free Cities after their wedding.[18]
Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne has visited Norvos,[19] and he is married to Lady Mellario of Norvos, with whom he had three children.[20] Doran is guarded by Areo Hotah, a Norvoshi who was trained by the bearded priests.[5] Already angered by the fostering of Prince Quentyn Martell at Yronwood, Mellario became estranged from Doran and returned to Norvos when her husband planned to send Princess Arianne Martell to Tyrosh.[21] Areo remained with Doran at Sunspear, however.[5]
Recent Events
A Game of Thrones
Daenerys Targaryen passes Norvos during the journey of Khal Drogo's khalasar from Pentos to Vaes Dothrak.[22] Byan Votyris leads a caravan from Pentos past Norvos to Vaes Dothrak.[7]
A Feast for Crows
Areo Hotah, the captain of Doran Martell's guards, is from Norvos, where he was raised and trained.[5]
As punishment for his part in the conspiracy to crown Myrcella Baratheon, Ser Andrey Dalt is sent to serve Lady Mellario for three years in Norvos.[19]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: Norvos.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Map of the Free Cities
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 23, Daenerys III.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 38, The Watcher.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 2, The Captain Of Guards.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 23, Daenerys II.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 54, Daenerys VI.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 21, The Queenmaker.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: The Arrival of the Andals.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 20, Eddard IV.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: Lorath.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: The Quarrelsome Daughters: Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 36, Daenerys IV.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: Valyria's Children.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: The Doom of Valyria.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: Qohor.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 14, Tyrion IV.
- ↑ The Rogue Prince.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 40, Princess In The Tower.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Appendix.
- ↑ George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Doran Martell.
- ↑ The Lands of Ice and Fire, Journeys.