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By Ron Halbrook
The theme of Romans is "the gospel of Christ" as "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth . . . . For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith" (1:16-17). The letter is a polemic against Jewish Christians who taught that once a Gentile obeyed the gospel of Christ, he must then be circumcised and keep the law of Moses. Because Paul affirmed the all-sufficiency of faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, he has been called the great Apostle of faith and Romans the great epistle of faith. The fourth chapter helps to unfold the theme by showing that to the sinner who "believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (v. 5).
The first three chapters of Romans read like a legal brief, convicting all mankind of sin. Those who did not retain God in their minds but who turned to idolatry and immorality, had been cast off by God for their sins (1:18-32). Those who received and retained the oracles of God condemned the other nations, but were self-condemned because they were guilty of the same sins (2:1-3:20). Standing before God, the perfect and impartial Judge, all men were condemned because all had sinned (2:2, 12; 3:9, 19, 23). Jew and Gentile, alike needed the salvation which is in Jesus Christ by faith.
The conviction of sin is followed by a summary statement which reiterates the theme and sets the stage to further develop the theme (3:21-31). Since all have sinned, all have hope of justification only by the grace of God "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." A redemption is a deliverance or liberation obtained by payment of a ransom; the death of Jesus is the ransom price and, thus, "the ground of the whole remedial system . . . . The ransom is the meritorious means of the justification, or the valuable consideration which procures it . . . . Now when this blood is offered and accepted, when it takes effect as a ransom, which it does when we believe in, and obey Christ, then we are released from sin; and the sin is forgiven" (Moses E. Lard, Romans, pp. 116-18). Before turning to emphasis upon the condition of faith for justification, Paul emphasizes the only ground of merit upon which the gift is offered: the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ! Man's helpless condition in sin and God's matchless gift in Christ exclude all grounds of boasting. A perfect record in keeping the deeds of the law would establish, not exclude, boasting. Since all have sinned, boasting is to be excluded by a gift through "the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law" (vv. 27-28). Chapter four is a detailed defense of this conclusion.
Faith Counted for Righteousness: "What Abraham Hath Found" (Vv.. 1-8)
Abraham, father of the Jews, himself confirmed Paul's argument. What had Abraham learned about justification before God? He found as all men find that his own works were sinful, that he had no record of perfection to offer God, and therefore that he was ungodly under the law of God. Finding himself in sin, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" (v. 3).
The first eight verses picture God as though he were keeping a ledger or book of accounting. What He sees, this He reckons, counts, or imputes. That is, He marks down on the ledger "sin," charging the debt to a man; this man has worked sin and the account thus shows him to be "ungodly:" God does not mark down the sin of one man onto the account of another man. Sin is put down to the account of the sinner himself and to no one else (cf. Ezek. 18). If a man never sinned, his ledger would be always clean and thus the account would show him to be innocent, just, righteous. If our works are all perfectly just, "the reward" must be given by right of a debt on God's part; we could then boast of our doing. "What is owed as a debt cannot be reckoned as a favor" (Vine's Dictionary of New Testament Words, III, p. 258). Reckon, count, or impute does not mean transfer. God does not juggle the accounts, marking down one man's sin or righteousness on the account of. another. He marks down what He sees.
Abraham worked sin and was ungodly, so could not offer his own record of perfection nor demand the reward (3:23; 4:2, 4-5). The only way God could put down righteousness to the account of a sinner is by forgiving the sin, thus giving a gift of grace or unmerited favor. Such a favor could be bestowed universally and unconditionally upon all men, or conditionally and, therefore, only upon those meeting the condition. Abraham found that God justifies the ungodly by grace, upon the condition of faith. What must God see and record in order for His ledger to show us being innocent, just or righteous? Faith is regarded and recorded for righteousness (vv. 3, 5)! Upon the meritorious ground of the death of Jesus Christ, God records faith and the account shows righteous, just, innocent. The chart below illustrates what happens when the ransom price is applied to our need:
David learned the same lesson and exclaimed the blessedness, the wholeness, the happiness of the man who receives this gift:
Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Though Paul does not discuss the nature of faith in the first few verses of Romans 4, his quotation of David from Psalm 32 reminds us that the nature of saving faith is an obedient faith. David's exclamation followed upon his meeting the condition for forgiveness, the condition of an obedient faith expressed in the confession of sin and prayer for forgiveness (Psa. 32:1-5). In like manner, the faith of Abraham was an obedient faith from the first moment that we learn anything about his faith (see Gen. 12:1-4; cf. Heb. 11:8 - "by faith Abraham . . . obeyed"). Abraham, before the law of Moses, and David, under the law, both learned that not their record of perfection but rather their faith was "counted for righteousness." The sinner throws himself upon the mercy of the court and obtains forgiveness upon the condition of obedient faith.
Faith Counted for Righteousness: "Upon the Uncircumcision Also" (Vv. 9-15)
Since certain Jewish Christians insisted that Gentile Christians be circumcised, Paul asked whether the blessing of forgiveness came "upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also?" The case of Abraham is conclusive. "Faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness" when he himself was still "in uncircumcision" (vv. 9-10). The statement, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness," is a quotation from Genesis 15:6 and circumcision was not commanded until some time later in Genesis 17. When he did receive circumcision, it was a sign that God already recognized and approved his faith. Thus, God sealed Abraham as the father of all "who also walk in the steps of that faith," whether they be uncircumcised Gentiles or circumcised Jews (vv. 11-12). To walk in those steps is "to believe what God says, and by reason of so believing, to do what he says . . . . They were being led away from the truth into a judaistic concept of their duty . . . . To keep the law and practice circumcision in order to be saved is not walking in those steps" (Bryan Vinson, Sr., Paul's Letter to the Saints at Rome, p. 80). Neither can we walk in those faithful steps by keeping the commandments of men and by perverting the truth of God with human innovations.
The promise of salvation came not to Abraham through the law of Moses, but came before that law and through a "righteousness of faith" exemplified in Abraham (v. 13). (f the promised inheritance is "of the law, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect" (w. 14-15). Righteousness or salvation cannot be of the law, for "the law worketh wrath." The law could make men conscious of sin ("for where no law is, there is no transgression"), but the law could not remove the sin. Paul's conclusion that justification must be by faith, and that this justification is for us today, follows.
Faith Counted for Righteousness: "For Us Also" (Vv.16-25)
Paul concludes that the promise, then, indeed is "of faith, that it might be by grace." This makes Abraham truly "the father of us all" truly "a father of many nations" spiritually (vv. 16-17). The very faith by which Abraham was justified before circumcision was the same faith which made him "the father of many nations" in the flesh (Gen. 12:1-2; 17:5). How embarrassing for Judaising teachers that Paul should make the fleshly seed in which they took pride dependent upon the continuity of a faith which justified Abraham before circumcision! He believed that god would multiply his seed; Abraham "against hope believed in hope" when in his old age he received the promise of a son. by the same faith excercised before the covenant of circumcision, Abraham later discounted the fleshly limitations which seemed to preclude the birth of this son (vv. 18-20). Abraham "had to decide whether to believe God against nature, or believe nature against God" (Lard, p. 148). He was "fully persuaded" that what God has promised, "he was able also to perform" (v. 21). All this transpired before and without the law of Moses.
Abraham's faith was reckoned "to him for righteousness," making him the father of all who are justified by faith - even of all in the gospel age.
Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification (vv. 23-25).
Justification by faith is for us also!" To the sinner who "believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (v. 5). But Paul ends where he began this section of Romans: upon the only ground of merit for this marvellous gift. Jesus died as the sacrifice for sins and arose that as High Priest he might bear the blood into the Holy of Holies. Salvation by faith is truly of grace. "Oh to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be! Let thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to thee."
Faith Counted for Righteousness: An Abused Doctrine
There are still religious groups today which refuse to accept what the Spirit taught through Paul, and who abuse justification by faith in an effort to make it fit their own doctrines. The doctrine of the Armstrong's, Seventh-Day Adventists, and other Sabbatarians binds certain parts of the law of Moses. They separate Moses' law into "moral" and "ceremonial," keeping the former and rejecting the latter, in an effort to escape the law of animal sacrifices while retaining the law of the Sabbath. This does not break the identity of modern Sabbatarians with ancient Judaisers. There is no evidence that the Judaisers of Paul's day required animal sacrifices. The common identity is in selecting certain parts of the Old Law to bind today. All such efforts undermine the all-sufficiency of justification by faith in Christ. Abraham was justified before and without the Sabbath law just as certainly as before and without the circumcision law. Such laws have nothing to do with justification by faith in Christ today because He has neither revealed nor required them within "the law of faith." All those who attempt to defend polygamy, instrumental music in worship, infant baptism, or any other practice by an appeal to the Old Law abuse the all sufficiency of justification in Christ.
The term count, reckon, or impute has been abused. Some people insist that it implies the transfer of sin and righteousness from the account of one person to that of another. Calvinism argues that God transfers the sin of Adam to the account of every man, transfers the sin of every man to the account of Christ, and transfers the righteousness or obedience of Christ to the account of a penitent sinner. There is nothing at all about any transaction of transfer in Romans 4. God puts down righteousness to our account, on the condition of faith. The basis for this gift is forgiveness through the blood of Christ (3:25).
It was Abraham's faith and "not the righteousness of God, nor the righteousness of Christ" which was marked down to him. "Indeed, the position that Christ's righteousness, whether the attribute or the righteousness of perfect obedience, is ever imputed to human beings, is without even the semblance of countenance from the Bible" (Lard, p. 129). When Abraham complied with the condition of faith, "God, on the basis of the ransom which is in Christ, counted his belief to him, not instead of, nor as equivalent to, a life of perfect obedience; but that, by means of it, as a condition, he might attain to justification, or release from sin" (Lard, p. 138). Faith is the condition for merciful pardon and has nothing to do with a transfer or juggling of accounts.
It is also taught that when God does "not impute sin" (v. 8), He takes no account of the sin which we practice. This error grows out of the doctrine of transfers: God imputes or marks down (transfers) the perfect obedience of Christ to the account of the sinner, and consequently sees nothing but obedience even where there is disobedience. God marks down sin when we sin; to "not impute" is to forgive (v. 7). The doctrine of transfers creates a realm of unconditional and automatic grace in which sin practiced is never marked down at all. Romans 4 teaches that God imputes or marks down all sins; upon the condition of faith, He mercifully forgives them, clearing the ledger, and marks down righteousness.
Romans 3:21-4:25 does not teach the denominational doctrine of salvation by faith alone, or salvation at the point of faith before and without any other act of obedience. The passage establishes the essentiality of faith, with very little attention to the obedience of faith elsewhere discussed (1:5; ch. 6; 16:26). Where 3:28 says "justified by faith," "Luther made his famous translation, 'we are justified by faith only,' which daring act gave rise to that doctrine" (Lard, p. 123). Paul again and again says "by faith" but never once "by belief only, thereby excluding other condition" (Lard, p. 131). The nature of saving faith is obedient faith. That does not mean we will never err or sin, but it means we are always humble and penitent for' sin, willing to put it away, ready to implore divine forgiveness, and anxious to forsake our error that we may return to the divine standard of truth. This was the character of Abraham - not a character of perfection, but one of faithfulness.
The character of saving faith is obedient faith. Baptism in water for the remission of sins is justification by faith in the gospel age. The principle and purpose of faith declared in Romans 4:3 (faith counted "for - eis righteousness") is identical to the call issued in Acts 2:38 (repent and be baptized "for - eis - remission of sins"). That which moves a sinner to obey the gospel and lay hold on eternal life is faith. Faith is the motivating power, and thus faith saves. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." In the absence of faith, there can be no salvation because no motivation to sumit, obey, and accept the gospel. He that believeth not shall be damned" (Mk. 16:16). Romans 4 shows "that works without faith would not justify," and James 2 shows "that faith without works would not justify" (R.L. Whiteside, Romans, p. 95). Also, "the principle of justification is the same, whether the justification be that of the saint or the sinner. In both cases, it is by belief with other acts; and in neither case by belief without those acts" (Lard, p. 131). Saving faith is obedient faith.
Speaking where the Bible speaks, being silent where it is, we have a wonderful message to preach. It is the solution to man's greatest problem! When the ungodly obeys the gospel of Christ, "his faith is counted for righteousness" by the grace of God.
- How does chapter 4 reflect the great theme of Romans?
- What is a "redemption" and what place does it have in the gospel plan?
- Read Ezekiel 18 and explain how it helps us to understand what God imputes to a person's record (Rom. 4:1-8).
- On what ground of merit can God record our faith unto righteousness?
- Was Abraham justified by faith before he was circumcised? Prove your answer.
- Was Abraham justified by faith before and without any other act of obedience? Prove your answer.
- What are some practices which men attempt to justify today on the same principle used by ancient Judaisers?
- Denominational theories see transfer from one account to another in the Bible word "imputation;" what three transfers are claimed?
- How does the denominational doctrine of transfer create a realm of unconditional or automatic grace?
- Discuss the nature or character of saving faith.
Truth Magazine XXIII: 1, pp. 9-12
January 4, 1979


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Backwall for 3m x 6m GazeboEasy to fix spare sidewall with 5 velcro fixing points at each end of curtain. Please note that gazebos must be secured in windy condit... More£14.40 £12.00
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AT&T of Toms River is bringing it all together for our customers, from the revolutionary iPhone 4S & ultrafast iPhone 5, to next-gen TV services.
Be the first NJ.com user to add photos or videos of Gyros Hut
At&T Store is located at 181 Route 37 W, Toms River, NJ. This business specializes in Cellular Providers.


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(from PL70's FB page)
Today at 4pm, Piecelock 70 Open House. Come through and drink a beer with the crew. Live DJ sets by People Under The Stairs, Dj Day and more. Westernworld Clothing in the house. Stand up arcade game competition. Be There!!!
253 West 7th Street, San Pedro, Ca. 90731 4pm.
you lucky bastards. i would give my left nut for a peek inside mission control.


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Exclusive Bonuses
My next self-funded business hit $160,000 in revenue in its first year alone. After that first taste of self-made success, I've gone on to sign consulting contracts worth tens of thousands of dollars with startups like LinkedIn and Google, launch profitable online courses, and build a following of hundreds of thousands for this blog and my podcast series.
The $15-$20 is to cover the ticket price, but the majority of these events are usually free. Keep an eye out on the speakers and guest lists and see if there's anyone you'd like to connect with. Being in the same room with them will make it that much easier to develop a rapport and establish a relationship.
Every year, hundreds of millions of documents are notarized in the United States: wills, mortgages, citizenship forms, handgun applications. While for decades, this has all been done in person, there is a budding crop of sites that allow notaries to take their services online. If you're already a notary, you can sell your services online. Or, if you want to get started, check out the National Notary's checklist for becoming a certified notary.
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Lately, I've been receiving a lot of questions from people selling a service–or thinking about selling a service–over the web, asking what you need to do differently than those people marketing a physical product.
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Strategy #3: Demonstrate your flexibility. As I mentioned earlier, people will not only want to see proof that you've delivered great results for other clients, they'll want to know that you're prepared to customize your service to meet their own unique needs.
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Normally Santa is only associated with the Christmas season, but with North Pole Notes, he can become a part of the family all throughout the year as he dresses in different outfits and also sends poems with news ideas on how to remain in Santa's nice list. After all, shouldn't we always be encouraging children to stay on the nice list?
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Now the cost of this one might vary depending on the library near you, but in my experience, a membership to your local library is always one of the best investments you can make. And most of the time, they are free.
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I tried it and received an unusual, metal, spider-like object. It winds up and moves along the floor or tabletop. I looked it up and found that it usually retails for about $28. While I wouldn't necessarily have bought it in the first place, for $10 I got a pretty good deal.
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Blogging is not capital intensive, but there is a high potential for return. The best bloggers make 6 figures monthly. Even if you are just blogging as a hobby, it will teach you the basics that you need to know for an online business, such as web design, content creation, SEO, and advertising. These skills are essential for any other type of online business.
Strategy #5: Get your site listed in local search directories. Current estimates say 40 percent of search engine queries are now for local businesses and services. When you combine this with research that indicates 92 percent of local searches convert later offline, you can start to see a pattern of consumer behavior.
So many people dream of writing a book, but never go through with it. Yet no matter what, I'm sure you have experience and value you could give through writing a book. By packaging your skills and knowledge into a downloadable eBook that helps people learn a skill, advance their careers, or start a businesses, you can change someone's life and even make good money online.
Writer, side project aficionado, and part-time entrepreneur. Join me here, on ryrob.com and learn how to start a business while working full-time. Let's chat on Twitter about business and side projects.
You don't need to invest in expensive video equipment. Just learn how to use your smartphone's video capability to upload entertaining or informative videos, and opt to have ads play before your videos to get a bit of cash for each video view. YouTube star PewDiePie earned a total of $7.4 million in revenue, according to multiple media reports.
If you happen to have a bit more free time, then reach out to the event organizers and see if you can volunteer or help in any way. That way you're guaranteed a backstage pass and a higher chance of striking up a conversation with an expert one-on-one than if you just walked in through the door.
Teaching and tutoring English as a second language is a great way to make money online, not to mention open some doors for you to travel the world if you'd like. While full ESL (English as a Second Language) accreditation is recommended, as long as you're a native speaker and have the ability to teach, there are people in countries such as Hong Kong or the UAE who are willing to pay upwards of $25/hr for you to tutor them English via Skype. Check out Indeed, Learn4Good and Remote.co for remote english tutoring jobs or sign up on a specialized site like VerbalPlanet or Chegg Tutors.
1. Network with other local businesses. If you want local traffic, start making personal connections with other local business owners–preferably those with sites of their own. Look for ways to position your service and your site as a resource to their customers, and then request a link on their site or get permission to leave your business cards (printed with your URL, of course) in their lobby or next to their cash register. Even consider rewarding local business owners for sending traffic and leads your way by offering them a special gift, a discount off your service or even a portion of the profits.
You might have to offer a free service now and build a freemium model (offer free accounts with limited features, then charge for upgrades) for the future in order to make some large amounts of cash. It's one of the good business ideas for those with extensive amounts of knowledge. You could:
Challenge #3: You must prove your ability to deliver measurable results, while emphasizing flexibility. People will want to see proof that you've delivered great results for other clients, but they'll also want to know that you're flexible enough to meet their own unique needs.


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and the Case for a Marine Corps
"...in terms of cold mechanical logic, the United States does not need a Marine Corps. However, for good reasons which completely transcend cold logic, the United States wants a Marine Corps. Those reasons are strong; they are honest, they are deep rooted and they are above question or criticism. So long as they exist...we are going to have a Marine Corps. I feel that is a certainty. And, likewise, should the people ever lose that conviction - as a result of our failure to meet their high - almost spiritual - standards, the Marine Corps will then quickly disappear."
- from First to Fight: An Inside View of the U.S. Marine Corps
by Victor H. Krulak, LtGen, USMC (Ret)
After many years - decades really - and many billions of dollars, it appears the U.S. Marine Corps' Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) program may get the axe. Good riddance.
Not that it was all that bad an idea. The Marine Corps discovered prior to World War II that if it wanted to assault defended beaches it needed something more than just flat bottomed landing craft and ships' boats. It needed a tracked vehicle to negotiate the numerous corral reefs present at landing sites throughout the soon-to-be Japanese held Pacific islands. Tides could present tricky timing challenges as well, grounding standard landing craft (still necessary due to their capacity and availability) that might otherwise have been able to make it to the beach and back. Moreover, a tracked vehicle did not have to stop at the beach and could be used to carry Marines and supplies inland and the wounded back out.
The war came, and amphibious assault against defended shores, once viewed as militarily infeasible or costly at best, was proven viable, due in no small part to the "landing vehicle, tracked" or LVT. Since then, the Marines have always had a tracked landing vehicle of some kind.
The original concept for the EFV was to provide a new tracked amphibious landing vehicle with increased capabilities such as:
Extended Range. Rather than launch from ships only a km or so out, the EFV could launch 25 miles out, giving the Navy time to respond to cruise missile threats and confusing the enemy as to the actual landing site
Increased Speed. The current vehicle can only putt along in the water at 5 knots; 25 miles would be a long trip at 5 knots. The EFV has increased horsepower to get up on top of the water and scoot.
Improved Armor. The EFV has greater protection against small arms and machine gun fire. That could be important to its occupants.
Improved Armament. One challenge of the amphibious assault is to provide enough firepower to cover the Marines as they stumble out of their landing craft in the face of an enemy that is well supported, is not throwing up after bobbing around in the ocean for a couple of hours, and is ready to fight. The EFV has had its detractors from day one, but no one has seriously criticized the Mk44 30mm chain gun system developed for it. Quite the opposite; it combines horrific firepower, great range and deadly accuracy with video game ease. The Navy is buying it for its ships.
The EFV appears to deliver on all counts. So what's the problem?
The problem is the Marines wanted a vehicle that travels great distances, goes fast, shoots accurately, carries lots of stuff, carries lots of Marines, protects those Marines from very bad things, is reliable, easy to maintain, and is small enough to carry a bunch of them on Navy ships. Oh, and it has to skim across the water like a jet ski for 25 miles. I'm no engineer, but it seems to me that this would be very hard to do. It appears I'm right. The vehicle has been riddled with reliability issues and has been hugely expensive. Even so, my hat's off to the folks at General Dynamics for bringing the program as far as they did. Check out YouTube for videos of this thing in the water. It really is a marvel.
There were other issues. Packaging all that capability into one machine limited the EFV's role to that of a personnel carrier. It's ancestors always did double duty as resupply vehicles and were configured accordingly. It will not carry as many Marines - maybe 17? It's incredibly cramped inside. Not that the current vehicle in service isn't - it's pretty cozy with 25 or so Marines and their gear in there. But the EFV has them really crammed in, even smushing a few Marines on either side of the weapons basket. Emergency egress, especially if the vehicle is taking water, will be a near run thing at best. I was stunned when I first saw a mock-up of the vehicle back in 1998. I was sure then, and remain convinced, that most Marines, especially officers (the ones who do the planning), have no idea what the vehicle looks like on the inside or of its inherent limitations.
And even though it skims like a jet ski, it has to do a little transformer thing underneath to create a nice smooth bottom for skimming. Once near the shore, it does its transformer thing again to get the tracks ready for the beach. It needs somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-15 feet of draft (my guesstimate) to do this. To be assured of 10-15 feet of draft, the landing force will probably have to come off plane (stop the jet ski thing) a good 500 meters out - maybe more, who knows. Which means that we're back to a nice slow chug of 8 knots right into the teeth of the enemy.
I won't attempt to debate the challenges of training young Marines to navigate at night across 25 miles of open ocean.
My main beef with the vehicle is that precisely because it has been such an engineering challenge and because it is so expensive, it has become the Marine Corps' raison d'etre; not just amphibious assault operations (the need for which is another discussion), not just amphibious vehicles in general, but this vehicle, this specific solution to the problem of putting Marines across the beach, the EFV itself. If we really needed it, we would buy it no matter the cost. If we don't buy it, we clearly don't need it and so the reasoning goes: no need for an EFV, no need for a Marine Corps or an amphibious assualt capability.
That the Marines struggled to exist as a service throughout much of the first half of the twentieth century is a story beyond the scope of this article. The Marine Corps is guilty of being a second land army. Yes, it is mandated by law to specialize in amphibious operations, but it should not be lost on Marines that the largest landing in history was conducted by the U.S. Army. There is nothing the Marine Corps does that could not be done by the Army if properly equipped. As Marine General Victor H. Krulak put it, America has a separate Marine Corps because it wants one.
I don't see the failure of the EFV as an existential threat for the Marine Corps...yet. But when it comes to defense spending, the Marines have a long and proud tradition of doing more with a lot less than the other services get. Where once the Corps enjoyed the trust and respect of our nation's lawmakers, the EFV debacle, along with the ultra expensive MV-22 Osprey, now threatens to cast the Marines as just another spendthrift branch in need of increased oversight. The Marine Corps went a bridge too far with the EFV. The cost to the nation is in mere dollars. The cost to the Corps may be more substantial.


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Jan 26, 2018
How to save some money while using the Tokyo subway
Living in Tokyo and going around by train can get very expensive if you have to use trains every day. In case you are just using the Tokyo subway (Metro) there are a few tricks to save a little bit of your hard earned money.
Pasmo/Suica Card
The Pasmo/Suica is a non-contact, rechargeable electronic ticket in the form of a credit card-sized chip card that can be used in the Tokyo area and partly also in other areas of Japan. The card makes it very easy to use the subway by just taping the card on the ticket gates when the fare will be charged. You don't need to buy a paper ticket. Also, you are getting a small discount by using the card.
Changing trains
Have you ever seen, that some gates have different colors than others when changing to a different subway line? Those gates (often in orange or pink) are for people who are changing the subway line and don´t want to fully check out of the platforms altogher. If you tap on these gates, no extra fee will be charged to your card. If you just use a normal gate, you have to pay twice.
Coupon tickets
The Tokyo subway (Tokyo Metro) offers three kinds of coupon tickets, which can be used at any subway station. The Ordinary Coupon Ticket is sold in a pack of 11 tickets and has no time or day restriction. The price of those ordinary Coupon Tickets is the same as if you buy 10 regular tickets. The good point about it is that you will get one ticket for free.
The second Coupon Ticket is the Off-Peak Coupon Ticket which can only be used Monday - Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays and holidays as well as December 30 - 31 and January 2 – 3 and comes in a pack of 12 tickets.
The third option is the Weekend/Holiday Discount Coupon Ticket, which can be used only Saturdays, Sundays and holidays as well as December 30 - 31 and January 2 – 3 and comes in a pack of 14 tickets.
Tokyo Metro 24-hour Ticket
The Tokyo Metro 24-hour ticket offers unlimited rides on the Tokyo subway for 24 h. It costs 600 yen for an adult and 300 yen for children. The ticket is perfect if you are using the subway very often. It is even possible to use it in the evening of the first day and keep using it the next day, until the evening.
If you are planning your day in Tokyo very well, you can save a lot of money using the methods / tickets above.
I´m a german girl living in the center of Tokyo, but my true love belongs to the countryside of Japan (especially Chiba and Hokkaido). I love traveling Japan and explore hidden areas.
I want to help people with my articles to get in touch with the Japanese culture and all the beautiful places you can explore.
Besides traveling around, I love trains, handcraft and my little rabbits.
1 Comment
Great advice! I didn't know about the orange and pink gates so thanks for that information. If you're heading to Tokyo as a tourist I can highly recommend the 3-Day special passenger ticket for travellers. It gives you unlimited transit on all nine Tokyo Metro lines and all four Toei Subway lines and it's just 1,500 yen! We certainly saved a lot of money using this ticket when we were in Tokyo in September last year. Here's a link if you want to buy these tickets during your short stay in Tokyo: http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/TOPICS/2016/160204.htm


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Going Green Starting With Your Home Products
Every person living in this day and age has surely gotten a feel of the ill effects of climate change as well as global warming, the two topmost evils that have affected the environment in a lot of ways. Even if these problems are something that are that obvious in the recent times and can see to not have any solution, you need to know that there are just solutions out there that any person will be able to do. In order for people to start making a conscious effort in ensuring that their future will still include living in a much greener environment, they are now changing their ways and how they live their lives, more specifically. Your inspirasi rumah is the best place that you must be starting to deal with in terms of doing something that will benefit the environment the most. Not a lot of people have the means to fully adapt to a much greener home but this does not mean that they cannot start living a much greener life; one of the best ways will be buying eco-friendly home products and looking at model taman kreatif.
Eco-friendly home products are the term that is used to denote any product that is only made of materials that can be recycled and materials that are biodegradable and has no presence of any harmful chemicals. What sets these products apart from other products is their being healthy to the environment by not having bad effects when they will be made and when they will be disposed. The thing about home products that most households are using such as pesticides and cleaning agents and Cat Rumah Minimalis is that they are capable of producing toxic waste when they are being made that could put in danger any person that will be breathing into the air. This, in turn, can negatively affect the environment which will then lead to damaging the health of the people that are living in the environment. So, if you do not want to be putting your health at more harm and the environment at more damage, then you must be able to purchase eco-friendly home products over the traditional home products that are being produced by the factories.
There are lot of things that you and the environment can get when you make use of eco-friendly home products. In addition to not feeling the ill effects of toxins that the environment produces, these eco-friendly home products also allow you to not be spending a lot of your money. The cost that you will be paying for them is not that high since their packaging is just minimal and not over the top. There are a lot of products that only be come expensive with the packaging that they currently have. In addition to being cost-effective, using eco-friendly home products cannot put at harm the health of the person.


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Game of Thrones for the Self-Driving Car Market: How the Battle Lines Are Being Drawn - June 9, 2018
Amazon Reportedly Developing Wearable 'Emotion Reader' Device - 6 hours ago
TransferWise Becomes Most Valuable European Fintech at $3.5 Billion - May 23, 2019
Do New Hearing Aids Represent Coming Wave Of Mind-Controlled Wearables? - May 20, 2019
German Start-Up Lilium Aims For 'Air Taxis' By 2025 - May 20, 2019
Ubisoft's Share Price Takes A Tumble Despite Growing Video Games Sector - May 17, 2019
New Genome Research To Boost Tastiness Of Supermarket-Bought Tomatoes - May 17, 2019
How Technology Is 'Disrupting' Refugee Resettlement - May 17, 2019
How Close Are We To Lab-Grown Seafood In The Supermarket? - May 15, 2019
Early Details of Dyson's First Electric Car Design Revealed - May 14, 2019
Industry Experts Believe Mass Adoption Of Driverless Cars 10 Years Away - May 9, 2019
SmartyCard: Learn and Earn for Kids
Attention all parents who are tired of arguing with their kids about whether or not educational games are fun. If you've found that the "bribe" system works great with your kid, then SmartyCard is for you.
It works like this: parents set up an account for their kids, add whatever information they think the system needs to know (age group, learning level, what subjects to emphasize, etc.). Then they fund the account with money—basically, $1 equals .50 in refundable points. They Then then turn their kids loose on this child-friendly site.
The children play games that are offered up and earn points as they succeed. These points can be redeemed for prizes like iPods, iTunes credits, and memberships at Club Penguin. Basically, ten bucks gets 5,000 points to reward to your kids and those 5,000 points will buy about $5 worth of merchandise or prizes.
Some parents are lauding the site as the greatest learning tool since Speak n Spell. I don't take this view. For what it's worth, it seems to me that sites like this are nothing more than new versions of the old "boob tube" scenario where children are put on automated entertainment so parents don't have to deal with them.
I might be sounding old here, but in my day, my parents actually sat at the kitchen table and talked with us while we ate dinner. My dad actually gave us chores to do and my mom actually read homework with us. There was actual interaction in my childhood. Today, it seems, kids are pushed off onto the latest techno-toy to keep them occupied while parents do their own thing.
But I can see where things like this are getting popular and might have some merit. At least the kids aren't sneaking into their rooms to play GTA behind their parent's backs, I guess. Could be worse.
SmartyCard is a kid-friendly and based in San Mateo, California. It launched earlier this year and its founders include charter Revolution Ventures member Robert Hutter and Bhavin Shah of Leapfrog Enterprises.
A free version of SmartyCard is available that does not fund merchandise rewards, but lets kids play the games anyway.
7 Comments on this Post
Gary, I appreciate the input on SmartyCard. But, you're not quite getting the point. This is a tool for the whole family — kids and parents can do this together. Our own customer research shows that parents and kids are using SmartyCard as a supplement, and they're having fun playing educational games together. The analogy is board game night, not boob tube. Would like your reaction to that.
Perhaps that's what SmartyCard is made for, but it seems to me that most of these types of tools tend to get used as "feel good" measures that parents use to occupy their kids without feeling guilty about it.
Whether that's what it's designed for or that's how it appears to be being used wasn't the point. Gary talked about the site as a boob tube replacement because that's often how these sorts of things seem to be viewed by many. Of course, good parents will interact with their children and will use tools like SmartyCard as an asset to supplement and enhance the learning process.
However, the way the site is set up, it appears that it would more likely be used as a way to bribe children into doing "homework" rather than as a way to socialize with the child while involved in the learning process. Let's face it, more often than not bribery is how parents get their children to "behave" and any child psychologist will tell you that this is sending the wrong message to the child.
Gary doesn't seem to be knocking SmartyCard's value as a learning enhancement tool, just the social phenomenon it will likely cater to.
@Craig, SmartyCard doesn't market or suggest bribing children to do their homework. SmartyCard reinforces the universal values of learning and achievement, and provides families with supplemental learning activities that a parent can choose to use. But, to your point, we can't control usage and application within the home. I just wonder where you draw a distinctions on judging parents? It's an interesting conversation. I've heard members of the media tell me "bribing" kids for grades or learning activities is wrong and teaches the wrong values, but they give their children an allowance in exchange for completing chores. Is that wrong? Is it wrong to give children their desert only after they've eaten their vegetables? Strong viewpoints on both sides, but, I'm just wondering, where parents draw distinctions, etc. Personally, my kids are all about negotiating, my house is a marketplace where all manner of activities are on the table… sorry if that offends anyone.
I actually agree with you, though growing up, my household wasn't nearly as libertarian. I was expected to do chores and if I needed money, I had to go get it myself at a job outside of the home. I believe in discipline and teaching the value of hard work, but also in the way free market capitalism works and that these principles should be instilled in our children.
I guess where parents draw the line is up to them, in their households, to decide. I also know through experience that most parents teach their children through a combination of coercion and bribery. Whether this is right or wrong is subjective, but in my view it's not the correct way to teach children academically. Some force is necessary with all children in order to instill the basics of right vs. wrong and rewards for good behavior are also fine if used correctly.
The problem comes when parents use those rewards as the only incentive to get their kids to perform. Eventually, the child will stop doing things that don't offer instant gratification. If learning and academics are tied purely to rewards, the child learns only to parrot what's needed to get the reward and nothing more. The largest failure in our school systems today, in my mind, is the failure to teach kids to enjoy learning. Instead, they teach kids to "do it or else." Every parent knows that this works until the child believes he or she will not be held accountable. Then the discipline is out the window.
I see real value in services such as your website, but I also see that quite often those become a crutch instead of a stepping stone.
This is pretty cool, my youngest is trying this now
This is pretty cool, my youngest is trying this now
Thanks, it's really a knowledgeable article .Gives lot of info about smarty card. The input of the smarty card is really amazing.SmartyCard's unique system allows kids to earn points by playing interactive educational games and quizzes, which are then redeemed for popular real-world and virtual-world rewards.


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Welcome to Lake Garda Italy!
Here you can get useful travel information for Northern Italy. This travel guide is built with Desenzano del Garda, Lake Garda Italy, as the base and it shows you daytrips you can take from there.
Ducati Museum and Factory Tour, Bologna
Bologna ItalyLocated at the Ducati factory headquarters in Bologna, this is an excellent day out for anyone with an interest in motor sports history. Bologna is approximately 140km from the south end of Lake Garda down the E45/E35.
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The Ducati Museum, BolognaThe Ducati Museum opened in 1998 and has preserved 50 years of Ducati racing history although the company actually began in 1926. The well laid out museum recreates Ducatis history, beginning with the Ducati brothers, Bruno, Marcello and Adriano and the products they made in the thirty years prior to motorcycles. The Cucciolo was the first engine produced in 1946. Later the famous Pantah twin cylinder was developed. The bikes are all on show alongside the stories of some of the great racing legends: Mike Hailwood, Paul Smart and Gigi Mengoli. Follow the development of the bikes around the circular racetrack and then explore in depth the seven thematically organized rooms. The huge collection of memorabilia and artifacts from collectors, riders and staff has made this a fantastic showcase of Ducati history.
To complement the Museum, guided tours of the factory are available twice daily. Prior reservations must be made with the factory and visitors must meet at the factory gate 10 minutes before the tours start, which is at 11am and 4pm. The guided tours are free of charge and are given in English and Italian. This is surely a day out to remember for any motorcycle enthusiast.
Other Sights in BolognaThis trip can be coupled with a visit to the sights of historic Bologna which includes the Piazza del Nettuna, the huge Basilica di San Petronio and the impressive Renaissance Palazzo del Podesta. The famous 12th century leaning towers of the Torri Pendenti and a visit to the National Art Gallery will complete a full day in this interesting city.
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Conn Lab Research
Our lab uses a broad array of biochemical, structural biology and other state-of-the-art approaches to dissect the structures and functions of biomedically important RNA molecules and their protein binding partners. Current topics include:
Non-coding RNA-mediated regulation of host cell innate immune proteins
Our lab has long-standing interests in the structure and activity of viral non-coding RNAs, such as Adenovirus VA RNAI – an essential, pro-viral RNA best known for inhibition of the double-stranded (ds)RNA-activated protein kinase (PKR). More recently, we have begun new studies that aim to determine which features of simple dsRNAs and larger, complex viral and cellular non-coding RNAs are important for regulation of a second innate immune protein, oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1).
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Current projects include:
Non-coding RNA mediated control of PKR. Our early work defined the stabilities and roles of the conserved domains within the adenoviral non-coding transcript VA RNAI , best known for its inhibitory action against PKR. A remarkable finding was that the entire Terminal Stem could be deleted without loss of activity (whereas smaller deletions were detrimental), complementing the parallel discovery that VA RNAI is similarly processed in the cell by Dicer. Our most recent studies have defined the minimal requirements for PKR inhibition by VA RNAI, offering a satisfying explanation for why VA RNAs from different serotypes are equally effective despite their wide variation in sequence and length (Wilson et al. J. Biol. Chem, 2014).
Our current work is focused on understanding the contributions of each PKR domain and the interdomain linker to inhibition by human viral non-coding RNAs, as well as the structure and activity of a recently identified human cellular non-coding RNA regulator of PKR (nc886).
Molecular mechanisms of RNA-mediated regulation of OAS1. In a new direction to our studies of RNA-mediated regulation of innate immune system proteins, we recently identified a novel signature for activation of the enzyme oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1). In response to dsRNA, OAS1 produces 2'-5'-linked oligoadenylate second messengers for which the only known target is the latent ribonuclease, RNase L. Activation of the OAS/RNase L pathway triggers a program of cellular and viral RNA degradation designed to halt protein synthesis in the infected cell. We found that a single-stranded RNA motif (termed 3'-ssPy) can potentiate OAS1 activation by diverse RNAs, including a short model dsRNA duplex and several structured viral or cellular non-coding RNAs (Vachon et al. Nucleic Acids Res., 2015). Our current studies will extend this initial finding to define the "rules" that govern potent OAS1 activation by both simple dsRNAs and larger, viral and cellular non-coding RNAs. Additionally, in collaboration with Dr. Anice Lowen at Emory, we aim to uncover the potential impacts of motifs like 3'-ssPy on the activation of the OAS/RNase L pathway in the context of cellular infection.
RNA modification and bacterial antibiotic resistance
Rising antibiotic resistance among human pathogenic bacteria is a major contemporary healthcare problem. We are studying several examples of how bacterial antibiotic resistance can arise through chemical modification (methylation) of the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) antibiotic binding site. This mechanism of resistance is predominant among antibiotic-producing bacteria, but has also more recently been more recently identified as an acquired form of resistance in diverse human pathogens. Such modifications of the drug binding site can confer exceptionally high-level resistance and broad specificity to a given class of antibiotics, making them a significant potential new threat.
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Current projects include:
Aminoglycoside-resistance 16S rRNA methyltransferases. Aminoglycoside antibiotics typically act by binding and inducing specific conformational changes in the ribosome "decoding center" that result in aberrant protein synthesis. Aminoglycosides have retained potent activity, leading to a reevaluation of their potential utility in the clinic in the face of increasing resistance to many first line drugs. Drug-producing bacteria invariably use 16S rRNA methyltransferase enzymes to modify their ribosomal drug binding site, either at the N7 position of G1405 (m7G1405) or the N1 position of A1408 (m1A1408). Over the last decade or so, the acquisition and spread among human bacterial pathogens of these enzymes has seen them emerge as a serious new threat to the potential future clinical usefulness of aminoglycosides. 16S rRNA modification at G1405/A1408 confers exceptionally high level resistance and, combined, these modifications are capable of blocking the effects of all clinically useful aminoglycosides including the latest generation drugs.
Determining the structures of these enzymes and defining the features which govern their interactions with cosubstrate S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) and 30S substrate, have been a major focus in our lab. We determined the first structures of m1A1408 enzymes with cosubstrate, KamB from the aminoglycoside-producer S. tenebrarius, and NpmA which was earlier identified as the source of treatment failure in a clinical infection (Macmaster et al. Nucleic Acids Res., 2010). More recently, in collaboration with Christine Dunham's group we presented a major break through with the determination of a first structure of a resistance methyltransferase (NpmA) bound to its 30S substrate (Dunkle et al. PNAS, 2014). This structure revealed the basis for the requirement of mature 30S as substrate, and the molecular details underpinning specific target recognition, including flipping of the target A1408 base into the NpmA active site.
Our on-going studies include efforts to obtain complementary structure-function insights for members of the m7G1405 family, and investigating the molecular mechanisms of action of enzymes from both families. Our long term goal is to exploit the understanding we develop of these enzymes and their target recognition mechanisms to facilitate development of specific inhibitors of these resistance determinants.
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The thiostrepton-resistance methyltransferase (Tsr). Tsr is a SpoU/TrmD (SPOUT) family rRNA methyltransferase enzyme which methylates the ribose 2'-OH of adenosine 1067 (A1067) in the bacterial large ribosomal subunit (23S) rRNA to confer high-level resistance to thiostrepton. We previously determined the structure of Tsr in complex with SAM (Dunstan et al. J. Biol. Chem., 2008) and, more recently, identified a critical role for RNA conformational changes in controlling Tsr substrate recognition and activation of methyltransfer activity (Kuiper & Conn, J. Biol. Chem. 2014). Our current goals are to determine the structure of the Tsr-rRNA complex to reveal important new insights into RNA recognition by the SPOUT family of methyltransferases and allow the specific but distinct RNA recognition processes of two proteins (L11 and Tsr) to be directly compared.
Molecular mechanisms of RNA and protein methylations in biology and disease
In collaboration with other labs at Emory and elsewhere, we are investigating the molecular mechanisms and biological impacts of other RNA and protein modification processes.
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Current projects include:
tRNA modification by Trm10. In collaboration with Drs. Jane Jackman (Ohio State University) and Lindsay Comstock (Wake Forest University) we are investigating the structural basis for tRNA recognition and modification by yeast and human Trm10 methyltransferase.
Lysine 5 (K5) trimethylation of P. aeruginosa EF-Tu. In P. aeruginosa the translation factor EF-Tu is trimethylated on residue K5 and found on the bacterial surface, where it is proposed to mediate attachment to airway respiratory cells through platelet-activating factor receptor. In collaboration with Dr. Joanna Goldberg (Emory University), whose group discovered this EF-Tu modification and the enzyme responsible (EftM), we are investigating the recognition and modification of EF-Tu by EftM, and the molecular basis of EftM temperature sensitivity which may provide a molecular "off switch" for EF-Tu modification following infection.Read Less


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A serpentine back sofa, the upholstered back and upholstered Shepherd's crook arms enclosing a double large pillow back and two seat cushions, on square tapering legs. With nail head decoration on arms and base. Inspired by a 20th century European original.
Width outside: 72 in
Depth outside: 38 in
Height: 39 in
Arm height: 26 in
Seat height: 19 in
Depth Inside: 19 in
Width Inside: 64 in
Theodore Alexander
Made-to-Measure Upholstery by TA
Jamie Drake
Keno Bros.
Sleeper Program
Michael Berman
TA Studio


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Many Buffalo Bills fans are hoping that the team will draft a quarterback in the first round come April's National Football League Draft.
However, the Bills may never draft one at all.
Many Bills fans are forgetting about a quarterback with the way the offense has been going, and that is Brian Brohm.
The Bills signed Brohm off the Green Bay Packers practice squad in the middle of last season.
Usually, when a team hire a new general manager he brings in his own head coach and scouting department. However, the only thing Buddy Nix did was bring in his own head coach.
Typically, head coaches have huge egos and feel they can turn chicken crap into chicken salad.
Head coach Chan Gailey will most likely not be able to resist giving Brohm a chance to be a starter, because of the talent that he poseses. Also, if he were to turn Brohm into a franchise quarterback the Bills offense would be even more dangerous than it is now.
In the end, Bills fans can forget about drafting a quarterback.


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1. That feeling of dread when you start to desend down the stairs and you see a crowd of people leaving the station
2. But wait! You get to the train and it's still at the platform!
3. Did I mention it's abnormally short?
4. If it's the weekend or after 11pm, you can forget seeing a G anytime in the next ten hours.
5. And if you are lucky enough to catch a train, you'll probably get stuck in The Tunnel of Death
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I'm starting to become slightly obsessed with this new hybrid short cut being referred to as the "Pixie-Hawk".
It can be worn sleek, roughed up, or even curled.
I have been seeing it styled as somewhat of a cross between a fauxhawk and a pompadour.
There's plenty of length on top and tightly cut or even clipper cut sides being tapered to a "V" shape in the back.
Just stunning…
The cut has plenty of versatility, style and is a change up from traditional crop cuts for women. So what do you think? Love it, or make it stop? Check out my pineterest board "Chop" for more of my favorite fall cuts (yes, in also includes the beloved and popular Lob/long bob).
Follow Samantha's board Chop on Pinterest.


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Traditional medicine generally relies upon the scientific study of a therapy or treatment, while alternative treatments may not have been studied with the same intensity and may not have government approval. When selecting a treatment that you are considering for your child, you should ask if it is safe, is there strong evidence it is effective, and is it worth the cost in both time and money? Some treatments do not have a high success rate. There are some red flags to watch for in choosing treatment, be cautious with those that claim they have quick results. Consider the objectivity of the funding source of the study, and be skeptical if testimonials are used instead of objective information. Partnering with your medical provider, mental health professional, and education team can help in making decisions about therapies by identifying research that has been done, potential harmful effects, and helping to monitor responses to treatments.
Since there currently is not a cure for autism, some find it beneficial to use a variety of methods to help the underlying symptoms. Some families have found that certain vitamins, minerals, and or diet changes have helped their child's behavior or autism symptoms improve. Over the years there have been reports of specific vitamins helping behavior, such as B6 and magnesium, and the removal of gluten and casein in the diet to aid with digestion and overall gastrointestinal health. Not all researchers agree that these vitamins and/or dietary changes are really effective and/or necessary.
Over the past 10 years or more, claims have been made that vitamin and mineral supplements may improve the symptoms of autism, in a natural way. While not all researchers agree about whether these therapies are scientifically proven, many parent, and an increasing number of physicians, report improvement in people with autism when using individual or combined nutritional supplements.
Malabsorption problems and nutritional deficiencies have been addressed in several, as-of-yet, unreplicated studies. A few studies conducted in 2000 suggest that intestinal disorders and chronic gastrointestinal inflammation may reduce the absorption of essential nutrients and cause disruptions in immune and general metabolic functions that are dependent upon these essential vitamins. Other studies have shown that some children with autism may have low levels of vitamins A, B1, B3, B5, as well as biotin, selenium, zinc, and magnesium, while others may have an elevated serum copper to plasma zinc ratio, suggesting that people with autism should avoid copper and take extra zinc to boost their immune system. Other studies have indicated a need for more calcium.
Perhaps the most common vitamin supplement used in autism is vitamin B, which plays an important role in creating enzymes needed by the brain. In 18 studies on the use of vitamin B and magnesium (which is needed to make vitamin B effective), almost half of the individuals with autism showed improvement. The benefits include decreased behavioral problems, improved eye contact, better attention, and improvements in learning. Other research studies have shown that other supplements may help symptoms as well. Cod liver oil supplements (rich in vitamins A and D) have resulted in improved eye contact and behavior of children with autism. Vitamin C helps in brain function and deficiency symptoms like depression and confusion. Increasing vitamin C has been shown in a clinical trial to improve symptom severity in children with autism. And in a small pilot study in Arizona, using a multivitamin/mineral complex on 16 children with autism, improvements were observed in sleep, gastrointestinal problems, language, eye contact, and behavior.
If you are considering the addition of vitamins or minerals to your child's diet, a laboratory and clinical assessment of nutritional status is highly recommended. The most accurate method for measuring vitamin and mineral levels is through a blood test. It is also important to work with someone knowledgeable in nutritional therapy. While large doses of some vitamins and minerals may not be harmful, others can be toxic. Once supplements are chosen, they should be phased in slowly (over several weeks) and then the effects should be observed for one to two months.
Individuals with autism may exhibit low tolerance or allergies to certain foods or chemicals. While not a specific cause of autism, these food intolerances or allergies may contribute to behavioral issues. Many parents and professionals have reported significant changes when specific substances are eliminated from the child's diet.
Individuals with autism may have trouble digesting proteins such as gluten.
Research in the U.S. and England has found elevated levels of certain peptides in the urine of children with autism, suggesting the incomplete breakdown of peptides from foods that contain gluten and casein. Gluten is found in wheat, oats and rye, and casein in dairy products. The incomplete breakdown and the excessive absorption of peptides may cause disruption in biochemical and neuroregulatory processes in the brain, affecting brain functions. Until there is more information as to why these proteins are not broken down, the removal of the proteins from the diet is the only way to prevent further neurological and gastrointestinal damage.
It is important not to withdraw gluten/casein food products at once from a child's diet, as there can be withdrawal symptoms. Parents wishing to pursue a gluten/casein free diet should consult a gastroenterologist or nutritionist, who can help ensure proper nutrition.
Some hypothesize that children with autism have what is referred to as a "leaky gut" — tiny holes in their intestinal tract that may be caused by an overgrowth of yeast. Some believe that this overgrowth may contribute to behavioral and medical problems in individuals with autism, such as confusion, hyperactivity, stomach problems, and fatigue. The use of nutritional supplements, anti-fungal drugs and/or a yeast-free diet may reduce the behavioral problems. However, caution should be paid to the fact that just as antibiotics can lead to bacterial resistance, antifungals can lead to fungal resistance.
Copyright 2007 Autism Society of America
Refer to our Treatment Evaluation Guidelines for ideas on what types of therapies might work for your child.


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A top document, just released by the Gujarat government, has raised a major alarm. Sponsored by the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA), and prepared by Mumbai-based engineering consultants, Prestels, in collaboration with international risk management consultants, IEM, USA, the document says, "As one of the most developed and industrialized states in India, Gujarat is home to a high number of hazardous chemical industries", adding, the data provided by the state government's Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health suggests that nearly 2,000 industrial units out of about 25,000 working under the factories Act are hazard prone.
Categorising these hazard-prone industrial units, the report says, as many as 380 are vulnerable to major accident hazard (MAH), while 1,019 are Type-A units where chemical quantities handled are below the threshold quantity for MAH units and 758 are Type-B units handle hazardous solvents and highly inflammable liquids. Apart from the MAH, Type-A and Type-B units, there are 1,427 units which pose fire and explosion hazard and 1,730 pose toxic hazard, the report adds.
The situation for Gujarat becomes particularly vulnerable because, the report, titled "Gujarat State Industrial Chemical Disaster Management Plan", says, in Gujarat, the chemical industry "occupies a preeminent position in the industrial sector of Gujarat, contributing to more than 40% of the industrial output." It adds, "Almost the entire range of the chemical process industry exists in Gujarat, including hydrocarbon processing/refining products, petrochemicals-polymers and man-made fibres, fertilizers, health care products, plant protection chemicals, dyes, pigments and intermediates, fine chemicals, surface coating products, salt and salt-based products, ceramics, glass, cement, vegetable oils, fats, and detergents."
Calling it a major manmade hazard which exists over and above natural hazards such as cyclones, earthquakes, flooding, tsunamis, and storm surges, the report says, "A stretch of 400 kilometres from Ahmedabad to Vapi is known as the Golden Corridor. In the Bharuch district, Ankleshwar, situated on the Narmada estuary, is Asia's largest chemical zone. To support the rapid development of the textile industry in the state post-independence, a large integrated chemical complex came up at Atul in Valsad district. The discovery of oil and gas in Ankleshwar and the surrounding areas led to the building of Gujarat Refinery Ltd, and the downstream units in the form of petrochemical complex (IPCL) and fertilizer complex (GSFC) at Vadodara."
Then, "major hydrocarbon complexes are located in Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, and Jamnagar districts. The caustic/chlorine manufacturing plants are located in Mithapur, Veraval, Surendranagar, Vadodara, Dahej, Jhagadia, and Atul. Toxic chemicals such as cyanides are produced in GACL Baroda, Cyanides & Chemicals at Olpad (Surat District). The refinery and the petrochemical complex triggered the development of small and medium scale chemical industries for the production of chemicals first in Nandesari, followed by Vapi, Vatva, Ankleshwar, and other places."
The report states, "These include Gujarat Refinery, Indian Petrochemicals Ltd. and Gujarat State Fertilizer Co. along with several downstream units in the Jawaharnagar (Koyali) petrochemical complex area; fertilizer plants at Vadodara, Hazira, Bharuch, Kalol, and Kandla; and petrochemical complexes at Vadodara, Dahej, Hazira, and Jamnagar. The caustic/chlorine manufacturing plants are located in Mithapur, Veraval, Surendranagar, Vadodara, Dahej, Jhagadia, and Atul. Toxic chemicals such as cyanides are produced in GACL Baroda, Cyanides & Chemicals at Olpad (Surat District). The refinery and the petrochemical complex triggered the development of small and medium scale chemical industries for the production of chemicals first in Nandesari, followed by Vapi, Vatva, Ankleshwar, and other places."
In addition to all this, "the state has a Chemical Port Terminal at Dahej. Kandla Port Trust imports and handles the majority of petrochemical products in India. Additionally, two ports in the private sector located in Mundra and Pipavav, handle major petrochemical products. It is expected that port-based mega-chemical industrial estates would be further developed. In addition to the manufacturing industries, there is significant infrastructure for handling chemicals such as pipelines, transportation (rail and road), and isolated storages", the report says.
It further says, "A cross-country 2,300 km Hazira-Bijapur-Jagdishpur (HBJ) gas pipeline originates from Hazira. A hydrocarbon supply pipeline runs from Kandla to Bhatinda (Punjab). A pipeline network of more than 17,000 km is present in the state. Major LNG terminals are proposed at Pipavav, Dahej and Hazira. The crude oil carrying pipelines are also proposed. Railways, state highways and national highways running through the state carry chemical cargo that originates in or transits through the state. There are several isolated storages mainly at Vadodara, Kheda, Sanand, Bavla, Rajkot, and Bhavnagar."
It adds, "Major LNG terminals are proposed at Pipavav, Dahej and Hazira, which would necessitate laying of long cross-country pipelines for carrying natural gas. The crude oil carrying pipelines include Salaya-Mathura, Viramgam- Vadodara, and those proposed from Mundra to Punjab State. The petroleum products carrying pipelines include Vadodara-Sabarmati, Kandla-Bhatinda and Jamnagar- Kandla (off-shore). Railways, state highways and national highways running through the state carry chemical cargo that originates in or transits through the state."
Then there are a total of 183 Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) estates, out of which 13 estates as chemical zones – in Ankleshwar, Dahej, Jhagadia and Panoli (in Bharuch district), Nandesari, Sachin, Petrochemical Complex and Ranoli (in Vadodara district), Naroda, Odhav and Vatva (in Ahmedabad district), Sachin (in Surat district), and Sarigam and Vapi in Valsad district. These estates make Ahmedabad, Bharuch, Vadodara, Valsad and Surat, apart from Kutch, more vulnerable to chemical hazards than other districts. "These districts except Kutch are situated along a north-south alignment, and it is therefore prudent to develop local and regional response capabilities in this geographical region as a priority before other regions", the report stresses.
Besides, the report states, what would make Gujarat even more vulnerable is if chemical or industrial disaster occurs "as an aftermath of a natural disaster". For example, Kandla cyclone of 1998 affected oil terminals, jetties, transportation facilities, factories, buildings, warehouses, and storage tanks. There have been reports of chemical spill in Kandla port in the wake of January 26 earthquake in 2001." Basing their analysis of "vulnerability assessment for MAH, Type-A and Type-B chemical units in the state as per the best available data", the consultants say, "The proximity to international borders also makes chemical terrorism a possible source of chemical disasters in the state."
Identifying the type of disasters that are associated with these hazardous units, the report states, the areas are vulnerable to "chemical emergencies are fires, explosions, and toxic releases that affect the population and environment". It adds, "Additional hazards include chemical spillage or spill over. Chemical corrosion too can cause damage to property and sometimes life. Chemical emergency or disaster can involve one or more of these hazards as described below."
Pointing out that "fires occur in industry more frequently than explosions and toxic releases", the report says, "However, the consequences in terms of loss of life are generally less because a fire allows some time for people to escape and physical protection against it may be available. The effects of a fire on people usually take the form of skin burns due to exposure to thermal radiation. The severity of burns depends on the duration of exposure and the intensity of the heat. Heat radiation is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source."
Chemical disasters: The report refers to the type of fire that is possible in chemical industries, saying, "Jet fires occur when a flammable liquid or gas is ignited after its release from a pressurized, punctured vessel or pipe. The pressure of release generates a long flame, which is stable under most conditions. Typically, jet fires have a length less than 50 meters and thus typically stay confined onsite. However, if this jet impinges on a neighbouring tank then that tank ruptures under heat stress. Therefore, it is important to control jet fires to avoid domino effects."
Then, there is pool fire which "occurs on ignition of an accumulation of liquid as a pool on the ground or on water or another liquid. Pool fire diameters are usually confined to the dyke area of the tank or tank farms. Pool fires can give rise to heat stress under certain conditions. Pool fires in large tank farms can result in a major disaster by a cascading / domino effect." Pointing towards what may happen in Gujarat, the report draws a parallel with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Jaipur fire of 2009, calling it "an example of a pool fire."
There is flash fire which "occurs when a cloud of flammable gas and air is ignited. Usually, flash fire or vapour cloud explosion results depending upon the spread of flame post ignition and environmental conditions. In reality, it is difficult to predict whether a flash fire will happen. In a flash fire, within a few second of ignition the flame spreads both upwind and downwind of the ignition source. The duration of this fire is very short, but it can give rise to secondary fires that may take longer to control. A capable fire department should be able to respond to such secondary fires (these are not chemical emergencies but a domino effect)."
Fireballs may occur as "rapid turbulent combustion of fuel, usually in the form of a rising and expanding radiant ball of flame. When a jet fire or pool fire impinges on a vessel containing pressure-liquefied gas, the pressure in the vessel rises and the vessel wall weakens ultimately resulting in catastrophic failure of the vessel. This phenomenon is known as a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE). Although the duration of the heat pulse from a fireball is typically less than 30 seconds, the damage potential is high due to the fireball's massive surface thermal radiation emissive power. A fireball can also be expected to cause significant overpressures (blast)."
The report states, "Explosions are caused when a mixture of air and fuel gets ignited. Depending upon the characteristics of the explosive vapour, the ignition may also result in a flash fire. The Vapour Cloud Explosion (VCE) can be unconfined or confined. Confined explosions occur within some form of containment (e.g. vessels, pipe work), or in less obvious situations (e.g. between buildings), while unconfined explosions can occur in open air."
The report warns, "Probably the greatest danger arises from the sudden massive release of flammable material producing a large cloud of flammable and possibly explosive vapour. If this cloud were ignited, the effects would depend on a number of factors including wind speed and the degree of dilution of the cloud with air. It could lead to large number of casualties and damage both onsite and beyond. However, the effects are generally limited to less than 300-400 meters."
Toxic disaster: Coming to the possibility of toxic disasters, the report states, "Continuous or sudden releases of toxic vapours have the potential to cause death and severe injuries at a much greater distance. In theory, such a release could produce lethal concentrations at several kilometres from the point of release. In practice, the actual number of casualties depends on the meteorological conditions, density of population in the path of the cloud, and the effectiveness of the emergency arrangements. Toxic materials can also be carried considerable distances by water."
It underlines, "Their release into the public sewerage system, rivers, canals and other water courses, either directly, or through contaminated water used in fire fighting, can result in serious threats to public health. While fire and explosion hazards can be controlled and responded by basic (but capable) fire resource capability. However, response to toxic leaks needs specialist training, equipment, and procedures."
Environmental impact: Coming to "possible environmental consequences of a chemical emergency include", the report says these could be:
• The release into the atmosphere of toxic or corrosive gases, aerosols or particulate materials which could ultimately harm the aerial, terrestrial or aquatic environments
• The release of liquids or solids which could adversely affect land or water courses and the flora and fauna therein
• Fires or explosions causing damage to buildings or natural environment
• The effects of environmental impact can be direct or indirect, immediate or delayed, temporary or persistent. The persistent effects are of particular importance, such as damage caused to habitats by fire.
Medical consequence: As for medical consequences or chemical explosion, the report states, "Human exposure to chemical releases can occur through air, food and drink, water or direct dermal contact with the chemical. Epidemiologists need to be aware that apparently inexplicable disease outbreaks may be the first evidence of a toxic release into the community. Chemical-induced disorders can manifest themselves in any organ system. Because the body has only a limited repertoire of disease responses, the signs and symptoms may resemble diseases arising from other causes."
The report points towards the possibility of following adverse responses to toxic exposures:
1. Effects that are local or arise at the site of contact with the chemical, such as broncho-constriction from respiratory irritants or irritation of the skin and eyes by irritant gases
2. Effects that are systemic or affect organ systems remote from the site of absorption, such as depression of the central nervous system from the absorption of solvents through the skin, or necrosis of the liver from the inhalation of carbon tetrachloride
3. Effects on mental health arising from real or perceived releases, which depend on the psychological stress associated with an incident. The timing of the adverse health effects after exposure may vary. Acute effects appear within seconds or minutes, and include eye irritation, broncho-constriction or pulmonary oedema Sub-chronic effects appear within hours or days, and include delayed pulmonary oedema from phosgene, or renal failure in arsenic poisoning Chronic effects appear weeks to years after exposure. These may be of the greatest concern in an incident, even in the absence of any casualties with acute or sub-chronic effects, and may include cancer and reproductive abnormalities.
The report further warns, "Gujarat has been struck by natural disasters frequently in the recent past. These disasters have impacted industries considerably." It enumerates them:
• The Kandla cyclone of 1998 affected oil terminals, jetties, transportation facilities, factories, buildings, warehouses, storage tanks, timber industry and, most important, the salt industry.
• There have been reports of chemical spill in Kandla port in the wake of January 26 earthquake in 2001.
• Oil production also suffered since the Hindustan Petroleum shifted its operations from Vizag to Kandla after the event of fire.
The report states, "The impact of these natural disasters could trigger a serious chemical accident in Gujarat, particularly in the port-based industries in coastal area that are vulnerable to earthquakes, tsunamis and flooding." In this circumstance, the report stresses on the need to "consider resilience against natural disasters while locating and designing the new chemical industry. For existing chemical industries, a retrofitting of infrastructure to remain safe in case of earthquakes and flooding should be prioritized by the industry."
— Rajiv Shah


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Attention All Students!
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If your child would like to receive a letter from the "Jolly Old Elf," please click here.
Letters are $3 each. Envelopes will be available in the discussion rooms to collect the fee (checks preferred). Letters can also be submitted for siblings and relatives/friends outside of the program.
The final day to submit is November 30th.
Letters will be delivered from the North Pole to each classroom the week of December 7th.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from BPEC!
Please click here to download the flyer.


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Chateau Pontet-Canet 2005
Winemaker's Notes
#7 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2008
Very intense color and nose, marked by notes of cherry, blackberry and redcurrant with traces of vanilla, liquorice and cedar. The attack is full to the palate. The tannins of great smoothness reveal a fine elegance. The finish, with no trace of aggressiveness, is marked by a good length.
Critical Acclaim
The Wine Advocate - "Possibly the youngest wine of all the 2005 Médocs in terms of its evolution, at age 10 the inky purple 2005 Pontet-Canet tastes more like a two-year-old wine. Loads of pure blueberry, blackberry and cassis fruit are present along with a hint of licorice and background oak. It is full-bodied, ripe, and excruciatingly fresh, vigorous and exuberant. This is a tour de force, and a sensational effort that rivals the first growths. Give it another 5-10 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following 30-40 years."
Wine Spectator - "Black in color, with aromas of blackberry, black licorice, tar, mineral and fresh flowers. Full-bodied and powerful, with ultrafine tannins that last for minutes on the palate. A polished, thought-provoking wine. Shows wonderful purity of Cabernet Sauvignon."


text: Hi, PWG SC members take note - please take a look at this tool. Peter's XML Editor (PXE) is widely praised in the mailing lists of XML standards folks. A very nice, context-sensitive, DTD and XML Schema validating XML Editor with a *tree view* (similar to XML Spy). I use it as my default XML viewer and editor these days. Version 2.0 (2003) is available free at: http://www.iol.ie/~pxe/ RECOMMENDED. Note - I also still use Architag XRay Editor as a second XML validation tool, but it lacks the essential tree view: http://www.architag.com/xray/ Cheers, - Ira -- Ira McDonald (Musician / Software Architect) Chair - Linux Foundation Open Printing WG Blue Roof Music / High North Inc PO Box 221 Grand Marais, MI 49839 work: +1-906-494-2434 home: +1-906-494-2697 email: blueroofmusic at gmail.com


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You may have noticed (or you probably haven't) that things have gone a little silent over on my twitter and blog these last few days. I seem to forever go through peaks and troughs with regards to this blog but recently I've felt that no matter how much I try and through myself back into it, I'll never get it back to where it once was. Now I think I'm at a point where I've accepted that and therefore this blog is now solely for me. I was being too strict on myself by saying "only one baby or pregnancy post per week" and giving myself a routine of Mummy Mondays and then beauty on Wednesday and Friday and then a Video on Sunday... It's making my head spin just thinking about it. A routine may have worked for me when I had more time or head space, and a routine may be the "best" thing for readership but the best thing for me is to go with the flow.
I was thinking back the other day to when I was truly happiest with my blog, it was before the stresses of travelling the length and breadth of the country for fear of missing out on events. Before comparing what PR samples my fellow bloggers got sent that I was looked over for and before desperately trying to keep "in" with the latest blogger cliques and chats. Essentially, it was right at the very start. I didn't post on a set day, I posted about whatever took my fancy that day, whether it was a hack on my horse, a new lipstick or even about my tricks for eBay! I had no "blogger friends" (although those that I do now, I truly cherish) and it didn't bother me whether or not I had the latest Gwen Stefani for Urban Decay launch because I had no-one but Tanya Burr to compare myself to.
Don't get me wrong, I have a wonderful relationship with Clarins and not only do I value them as a "contact', I genuinely see them as friends and they were one of the first people in the blogging world who I told about conceiving Sophie! I do lust for the coveted "Blogger Mail" but seeing others get parcels from brands that used to contact me but now don't, doesn't fill be with jealousy anymore. I need to be happy for them and move on. Everyone seems so hung up on "SEO" and "traffic" and "analytics" and "DA scores" and for what? If it's your job then I get that, but for me it's a hobby and I don't have the time nor the inclination to get so invested into what is essentially an online diary. I shouldn't get upset because all of my photos don't have the correct titles or my links aren't all squeaky clean. When did blogging become more about HTML and internet algorithms than people spreading the word about what they love?
The blog needs to, and will, get back to the diary of Becka Shepherd that it started. It was a platform to use my writing skills, a means to an end when I was unemployed and a happy distraction from a pretty crappy home life. I'm not saying that I've gone back to such lows but it needs to follow me and my life. If I want to post 24/7 about Sophie and lists of baby things, then I will. If I want a simple post of a few photos of a day out with my dog, then I shall post one. If I want to purchase and review a new, not so new or down right old lipstick then that's the post I'll write. Either way, this blog needs to go back to being about me and less about everybody else.
You can also find me at:
Twitter - Facebook - BlogLovin' - Instagram - YouTube


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Jessica Lester, Chad Lochmiller, and Rachael Gabriel, eds.
Discursive Perspectives on Education Policy and Implementation
Palgrave Macmillan 2017
New Books in CommunicationsNew Books in EducationNew Books in LanguageNew Books in Politics & SocietyNew Books in Public PolicyNew Books in SociologyNew Books Network September 13, 2018 Pengfei Zhao
The study of education policy is a scholarly field that sheds light on important debates and controversies revolving around education policy and its implementation. In this episode, we will be talking with three scholars who have made substantial contributions to this field by introducing an innovative perspective to the studies of educational policy—the discursive perspectives. In their new edited volume, Discursive Perspectives on Education Policy and Implementation (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017), editors Jessica Lester, Chad Lochmiller, and Rachael Gabriel, together with other contributors of the book, argue that we should pay close attention to how language is used as a mediation in the entire process of education policy conceptualization and implementation. The book offers compelling and diverse examples to demonstrate how researchers interested in different aspects of policy studies may employ language-based methodologies to enrich our understanding of crucial issues in the realm of policymaking. Thoughtfully produced and carefully presented, the book also won this year's AERA Qualitative Research SIG outstanding book award.
About the host: Pengfei Zhao holds a doctoral degree in Inquiry Methodology from Indiana University-Bloomington. Her work employs critical qualitative research methodologies to examine topics such as youth culture, educational reform, and research ethics in both East Asian and American contexts.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 49:55 — 45.7MB)