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Disease factsheet about congenital rubella syndrome (CRS)
Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) is an illness resulting from rubella virus infection during pregnancy.
Factsheet about measles
Measles is an acute illness caused by morbillivirus. The disease is transmitted via airborne respiratory droplets, or by direct contact with nasal and throat secretions of infected individuals.
Disease factsheet about rubella
Rubella is a mild febrile rash illness caused by rubella virus. It is transmitted from person to person via droplets (the virus is present in throat secretions). It affects mainly, but not only, children and when pregnant women are infected, it may result in malformation of the foetus. Humans are the only reservoir of infection.


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Since the recovery from the worldwide financial meltdown commenced in 2009, global stock markets have closely mirrored international economic fundamentals: lots of false hopes and liquidity-driven bouts of enthusiasm followed by regular sharp corrections. The recovery has been sluggish, at best, and stock market rallies have lacked a solid foundation. On balance, the Global Dow Jones index has been in a holding pattern, trading in late 2012 very close to where it stood three years ago.
Individual markets have been extremely uneven—which is also true of the global economic recovery. It used to be that whenever the United States sneezed, the rest of the world, and especially emerging economies, caught pneumonia. From 2009 to 2011, however, China jumped-started its economy well ahead of the rest of the world. It became the world's largest market for motor vehicles, leapfrogging the depressed U.S. and helping sustain the crucial automotive industry in North America and Western Europe.
Insatiable demand for commodities from Chinese manufacturers also helped oil, metals and food exporting nations around the world to grow strongly.
Rich Country Malaise
Overall, emerging economies have outperformed rich countries on the road. Over the past four years economies such as Brazil, India, South Africa, Russia, Turkey and Indonesia have come into their own.
At the same time, rich industrial nations have underperformed. Japan has now sunk into perpetual stagnation and few analysts expect anything from its economy or stock market. Europe has become split into creditors and debtors, with disastrous consequences for the economies of the southern periphery, which have entered an open-ended recession. The Madrid and Milan stock market indices lost half of their value between early 2010 and mid-2012. The FTSE MIB index in Milan is down some 75% from its 2008 peak.
Until late 2012, Germany had benefited from the euro-zone crisis. Money that fled from debt-ridden countries found a new home in Germany. German borrowing costs fell to zero, and the weakness of the single currency stimulated German exports outside the euro-zone, making up for soft demand in Europe. The DAX index in Frankfurt has held up well over the past three years, and so did the Stoxx index of 600 largest European multinationals, which are mostly based in Germany, France and other Northern countries.
Then there is Wall Street. Despite a decidedly lackluster economic recovery, high unemployment and a depressed real estate market, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to nearly 14,000 in October 2012, coming within striking distance of its 2008 all-time high. The technology-heavy NASDAQ Composite index surpassed 3,000 at the same time and traded at its highest level since the dot-com bubble burst in March 2000.
Only after the Nov. 6 presidential election did investors become sufficiently worried about the so-called fiscal cliff—the automatic spending cuts and tax increases at the start of 2013—to head for the exits.
Lack of Conviction
On balance, Wall Street has performed well. It gained 40% between mid-2010 and October 2014, and even after the October-November correction its level was twice that of early 2009. Investors and savers have seen their battered holdings of mutual funds, pensions and college savings rebound, once again indicating that stocks—especially blue chips—are safe investments.
Nevertheless, the past three years have been a negative for long-term stock investment. Extremely sharp corrections, which come with unerring regularity and feature a 1,000-2,000 point drop in the Dow, heighten risk, as measured by volatility. Such fluctuations make a mockery of the "safety" of America's blue chips.
These problems will persist going forward. The euro-zone crisis has not been resolved. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has admitted that it will last another five years. Since there is no blueprint for resolving the situation, her timeframe seems arbitrary—just another example of a politician kicking a can down the road.
America's own fiscal problems are also here to stay. Even if the fiscal cliff happens—meaning that the Bush-era tax cuts are allowed to expire and government spending is slashed across the board—the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the budget deficit for fiscal 2013 would remain at $641 billion, and $400 billion a year later if a new recession can be avoided. A milder compromise between the White House and Congress will keep the deficit at unsustainable levels of around $600-800 billion annually.
A Stock Rally?
To be sure, there are reasons for optimism in 2013. A BofA-Merrill Lynch survey of fund managers found in November that a major shift was underway from bonds to stocks. That could be a huge boon for equity prices the world over. Except for euro-zone debtors, bond yields have been extremely low, both in nominal terms and in terms of spreads over record-low yields on U.S. Treasuries. Bond yields have little room to decline further, whereas the downside risk is substantial, and a flight from bonds and into stocks could become massive.
At the same time, an increasing number of U.S. companies are now boosting their dividend payouts. In 2012, as much as $300 billion will have been paid out. Announcements of higher dividends from blue chips and run-of-the-mill companies have been coming at a rate of around 25 per week in mid-November. This, too, could become a groundswell, as companies are sitting on a record amount of cash; the stock market's dividend payout ratio stood at less than 30% in early 2012, compared to a historic average of around 50%.
But that's more the symptom of the underlying problem bedeviling stock investment rather than part of the solution. When an investor buys a share of a company, it is in the hope of future growth, which is achieved by the company investing in its business. But interest rates are at zero—and the U.S. Federal Reserve has indicated that it won't raise them for another two years. A New York Fed survey found in mid-November that dealers expected the Fed funds rate to average 2.88% in the second half of 2016. This suggests that demand for borrowed funds will remain tepid.
Plus, the existence of a cash hoard suggests that, with record profits rolling in, businesses are in no mood to invest their own money, either. True, the uncertainties surrounding the fiscal cliff and the prospects of future tax increases have kept some investment decisions at bay during 2012, but cash holdings have been accumulating for many years. At $1.5 trillion for S&P 500 companies, cash on corporate balance sheets presages a future trend of weak investment and limited growth.
U.S. stocks may not reflect this, but Chinese markets surely do. The Shanghai Composite index rebounded along with the Chinese economy in 2009, but once the Chinese recovery took hold, it began a prolonged descent. In November 2012, it touched 2,000, renewing the lows not seen since the height of the global financial crisis in 2008. There are a number of other factors depressing Chinese shares, but China remains the engine of global economic growth and industrial investment, and the fact that Chinese investors are shunning their own companies is not a good sign.
At the same time, the uneven pace of the global recovery provides a number of opportunities. True, the broad S&P 500 index has not moved over the course of a dozen years, trading around where it was during the 2000 election. But some industries have emerged and become mature during this time, and a large number of companies—such as Apple, Google, Amazon and Priceline, among others—have become market leaders, making investors billions.
Technological progress is not over by any means, and other industries—notably biotech, bio-pharma, synthetic biology and energy-related technologies—are poised to lead the stock market going forward. Moreover, the emergence of exchange-traded funds allows investors to pinpoint growth industries and sectors without taking on the excessive risk of backing individual companies.

subset: commoncrawl


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I found "Sex Without Shame" very disturbing. I agree with most of what Graber Miller says on the beauty of sex and the need for it to be more openly talked about in a positive light, and that it should come from a committed, intimate relationship. I agree that the church has throughout history often condemned what God has given as a beautiful gift. But what disturbs me is that I see no clear mention of marriage being the God-intended relationship for sex. If the biblical understanding of marriage is not the reference we base our values of sexual relationship on, then we have nothing solid to offer a world messed up by media images of sex and self-centered relationships.
God created us and gave us sex as a gift to enjoy within the "safety" of a good marriage. If Graber Miller's "redemptive sexual counterculture" defines the "rules" for shameless sex by "human" definition, leaving out God's definition of marriage as being the committed relationship where sex is safe, I fail to see how this is redemptive.
Karol Svoboda, San Francisco, California


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RALEIGH, NC (AP) — North Carolinians will observe the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and public inauguration of President Barack Obama with observances, calls to service and celebrations.
The King holiday and Obama's second inauguration ceremony outside the US Capitol both occur Monday.
The North Carolina Democratic Party is hosting an inaugural ball Monday evening on Fort Myer outside Washington. Several hundred people were expected to attend. The Asheville High School marching band was scheduled to perform in the inaugural parade Monday afternoon. Obama was officially sworn in Sunday in a smaller White House ceremony.
Back in North Carolina, scores of King events were scheduled Monday. Gov. Pat McCrory was slated to participate in a Triangle-area King breakfast at a Durham hotel. The new governor urged citizens to participate in service projects.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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A Virtual Tour Renovating the Poetry Room »
The Poetry Room
Located in the Thomas Jefferson Building, this small room and an adjoining office constitute the Library's Poetry and Literature Center.
Gertrude Clarke Whittall
This portrait of the poetry center's benefactor hangs in the eastern end of the room, overlooking the legacy of her charity.
Eastern Corner
The furniture in the room was donated by Whittall and includes pieces from the English Edwardian and American Colonial Revival periods.
Best View in Town
The room's east-facing window offers one of the best views of Washington, overlooking the west front of the U.S. Capitol Building.
Writing Desk
A bust of Dante peers above a writing desk of burled veneer inlaid with tromp l'oeil decoration.
Pastoral Scenes
A vibrant jade coats the walls and lines the floor, while painted pastoral scenes compliment the ornamentation of the room's furnishings.
Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt
This bust Mrs. Bobbitt, in whose honor the Library bestows the Bobbitt Prize, smiles from the western corner of the room.
Detail of Candelabra
Rebecca Johnson Bobbitt's bronzed face is illuminated by a pair of cast brass candelabras on either side of the doorway.
An elaborate mirror hangs next to the entrance to the Poetry Room, in the Poetry and Literature Center office.
Poets Laureate
Portraits of Consultants and Poets Laureate line the office, reminding visitors of the Center's great history.


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Profile Home
Aerzen USA was founded in the United States in 1983, and is a wholly owned division of the German manufacturer, Aerzener Maschinenfabrik GmbH. Founded in 1864, Aerzener Maschinenfabrik has been a recognized world leader in the production of rotary positive displacement machines since 1868.
Continuous improvements in their production facilities, staff training, and innovations in their product offerings provide their customers with the best product and service available in the blower and compressor market today.
Their presence in North America has grown steadily since their establishment in 1983. Their customers are most pleased by the dependable operation of Aerzen blowers and compressors, low life cycle costs, and Aerzen Quality as a standard.
They will provide an experience
- by inviting their Customers and Suppliers to join them to collaboratively define and meet their customers' needs in the most efficient and sustainable way
- through their living tradition of reliability and their team's dedication to the finest standards of quality, courtesy and service
- through their individual desire to do what is right, taking ownership, learning from experience, and growing, both personally and professionally


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Message Board
Andre Gide Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Gide has written!
Author Gide's Book Reviews
The Immoralist
Michel is a wealthy young man who marries Marceline in order to please his dying father. He admits he does not love his wife, however he has never loved any woman and believes this is a good enough basis for marriage. On their honeymoon travels through Africa Michel is struck by tuberculosis, and the disease will make him reassess his life and begin to live in a whole new way. Marceline dotes on Michel during his illness, and introduces him to local b...


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The royal tour of New Zealand and Australia has been a spectacular success for the monarchy. With thousands turning out to see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George's face appearing on front pages around the world, it has been a PR coup for the palace. As the tour winds down, we'll talk to royal experts and historians about what went on behind the scenes, the new portrait of Queen Elizabeth (who turned 88 this week) and the upcoming visit to Canada of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. On our panel: Robert Finch is the Dominion Chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada, Professor Carolyn Harris is a royal historian at the University of Toronto and Lynne Bell writes for Majesty magazine and is co-author of Queen and Consort. Be a part of our discussion, Friday at 12 p.m. ET.


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DIY Wedding Invitation Template Set Editable Word File Instant Download Printable Invitation Wreath Wedding Invitation Floral Invitation
Instant Download Wedding Invitation Template You will receive files from Etsy once you order and payment procedure is completed.The listing is for Editable MS Word files of Wedding Invitation set. Just Download, Edit & Print.****Font (size, color and style) and wordings are 100% editable.****Kindly let us know if you require any other addition with this set. Sizes:- Wedding Invitation- 5x7 inch Details- 5x4.5 inch Response- 5x3.5 inch
Source : https://www.etsy.com/listing/241669025
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Modern fireplaces
Think outside the firebox for a sleek and stylish look
Still the focal point of many interior living spaces, the latest fireplaces look anything but traditional. Although their inner workings are largely standardized ― most new models contain prefabricated fireboxes ― the front can be much more expressive.
As long as you follow building codes regulating the distance that combustible materials must be from the firebox opening and the distance a mantel shelf can project from the wall, you are free to decide how you trim out, or decorate, the area around the firebox.
From glass and steel to tile and stone, the material options are broad and enchanting. So read on and let the following examples inspire you to curl up by the fire.
Shadow play
A heavy oak-and-marble fireplace ― the result of an unfortunate '80s-era renovation ― once sat between the living room and the canyon view in this Los Angeles home. Everyone agreed it had to go, says architect Alejandro Ortiz. His solution: a see-through fireplace.
Ortiz installed the new firebox behind a sheet of sandblasted glass, which, like an architectural shower curtain, turns the firebox and chimney into a ghostly silhouette. Behind the glass lies the firebox, completely exposed. The 7- by 4-foot steel base, which is painted black, functions as a raised hearth and was designed to store firewood on one side and magazines on the other.
DESIGN: Alejandro Ortiz Architects, Los Angeles (310/313-4611)
Four-part harmony
The serenity of this living room arises from the simple clarity of the fireplace design. The front is divided into four distinct rectangular segments: the slate hearth, which is flush with the floor; the fireplace opening; the wood-storage box that is built into the wall; and the projecting fir mantel above that caps the composition.
DESIGN: Becca Cavell, architect, and Joe Schneider, Portland (503/248-0162)
Nested boxes
Architect Mark Horton used a 15-inch-deep, boxlike steel surround to give a small fireplace ― which seemed undersized relative to the room it was in ― a larger presence. He shifted the surround to one side to make the fireplace appear more centered in the room. The simple, clean-lined structure, which integrates the hearth and mantel, is made of bead-blasted stainless steel with a waxed finish.
DESIGN: Mark Horton/Architecture, San Francisco (415/543-3347)
Made-to-order modern
The choices in fireplace fronts made of concrete ― a quintessentially contemporary material ― are ever expanding. These three manufacturers offer a particularly good range of options. Most concrete surrounds must be custom-sized to firebox dimensions, so cost can vary widely (typically between $2,200 and $6,000). Labor and complexity will also add to the total. For more information on contemporary fireplace designs, check out Ideas for Great Fireplaces (Sunset Books, 2004; $15).
Flying Turtle Cast Concrete The company emphasizes a handcrafted approach to integrally colored concrete in a variety of vibrant hues; 209/530-1611.
Doverra Simple rectilinear shapes, some of which resemble picture frames ― such as the company's Clybourn and Ravenswood mantels ― are made with fiber-reinforced cement; 847/285-1902.
Sonoma Cast Stone Specializes in colorful, lightweight concrete in a range of textures; 888/807-4575.


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I am publishing this essay even though it is long because it the first serious discussion of the culture of the Millenials (20-30 Somethings) written by an Orthodox that I have come across. I know that author John Anderson hits some important points. I have been talking to Millenials over the last year and how they approach truth and authenticity is far different than what Boomers and even Gen-X'ers think.
I also agree with his central thesis that post-modernism provides a doorway to the recovery of sacramentalism.
It's worth a read. Hopefully it will spur some beneficial discussion.
Source: Orthodox Ruminations | John Anderson
Preface: This is just a simple paper assigned after an introductory study of postmodernity and the current cultural shifts and a reading of "The Younger Evangelicals" by Robert Webber. This paper is not designed to be very formal containing a thesis and points. It is merely a personal reflection upon 5 cultural shifts that are opportunities for the Church, 5 cultural shifts that are a danger to the Church, and 5 ways I want to create ministry in this cultural context or how to carry out ministry. I believe the ways these younger evangelicals, who come from multiple Christian Traditions, have some solid ways of engaging the culture that we Orthodox Christians can implement and learn from as we wrestle with the context in which God has placed us. I hope this will be of benefit as you continue to wrestle and to struggle in these anxious times.
Dr. Carlus Gupton writes, "Our time is best described as transitional, a very fluid moment where previous ways of understanding the world and functioning within it are increasingly abandoned, yet without clear definition of what will replace it. Something has ended, but the new beginning has not yet taken shape, thus we are in the uncomfortable wilderness, the neutral zone." The Church is living in a day and age where absolutes are being denied and truth is relative. This day and age of Postmodernism can present to the Church opportunities to ministry and dangers to the Church's ministry to preach the Gospel and be a hospital for the sick sinners.
Five Opportunities the Cultural Shifts Present
Robert Webber writes:
The younger evangelicals are conscious that they grew up in a postmodern world. One younger evangelical writes of ways postmodern thinking differs from modern thought. Postmoderns 'no longer feel a need to bow the knee to the modern God of rationality.' Postmoderns, he argues, 'have a much broader conception of what counts as reason' because they acknowledge that 'all rationality (religious, scientific, or whatever) is laden with faith.' Postmodern young people recognize that 'thinking is highly indebted to others.' Therefore, the younger evangelical rejects the modern notion of individualism and embraces community. And to be postmodern in a Christian way is 'to embrace the kingdom of God and renounce the values of the world.'"
This is the first opportunity presented to us to witness to people. This opens the door that much of Protestantism, with its emphasis on the rational, had closed and that is the door to sacramentalism or a sacramental world-view. For too long reason has dominated the Church in the Western societies. We, as Orthodox Christians, must not let reason dominate the life of the Church too much.
The Enlightenment with the emphasis on reason and scientific method stole all the mystery from the Christian faith ranging from throwing out the sacraments and calling them "ordnances" to the rejection of Christian mysticism. This shift away from reason allows for the Church to restore a sacramental world-view for it allows for a restoration of mystery, the Mysterium tremendum et fascinans (fearful and fascinating mystery). This shift opens the door for the Numinous to be once again believed, for there to be transcendence beyond our reason. This is not to say reason is invalid. The Church would be wise to follow the words of Blasé Pascal, "If one subjects everything to reason our religion will lose its mystery and its supernatural character. If one offends the principles of reason our religion will be absurd and ridiculous …There are two equally dangerous extremes, to shut reason out and let nothing else in."
"The postmodern September 11, 2001, world has led to the recovery of the biblical understanding of human nature. The language of sin, evil, evildoers, and a reaffirmation of the deceit and wickedness of the human heart has once again emerged in our common vocabulary," writes Robert Webber, "The liberal notion of the inherent goodness of humankind and the more recent evangelical neglect of the language of sin and depravity have failed to plumb the depths of the wickedness that lurks in the human heart. The younger evangelical approaches humanity with a more realistic and biblical assessment of our estrangement from God." This presents the Churches second opportunity to present the Christian meta-narrative of the Creation, the Fall, Israel, and Jesus Christ. This allows for the Church to tell Her story of redemption and how She has been made a part of the re-creation attempts of God.
Pragmatic Evangelicals, seeking to draw in seekers (no pun intended), neglected to preach about the wickedness of men and the depths of humanity's depravity. David Crowder, of The David Crowder*Band, put it this way: "When our depravity meets His divinity it is a beautiful collision." This cultural shift allows for a sacramental understanding of the Cross and Resurrection to take place. The shift allows for the preaching of humanity's depravity coming into collision with God's divinity, which overcomes the wickedness and clothes the redeemed in the Divine Nature (II Peter 1:4-5).
The Church can present the story of the Fall, but that there is more to life. That there is a door for humanity to be ontologically changed, transformed back into an original state of glory. David Horseman writes, ""Theosis is neither a mere psychological change nor a simple behavioral change. It is both, but not in a superficial sense. These changes of thought and behavior are but the indices of a deeper, ontological change, in our nature, a sharing of the divine nature, in which we become more and more like God, changed from glory into glory, until the day of our final redemption…" This could be the story we tell with this change in culture.
The third opportunity presented by this cultural shift is in the context of evangelism. The Next-Wave web magazine states of younger evangelicals' desire "is to see people enter a relationship with Jesus Christ. Receive His forgiveness, enter His community with the saints, worship in ways that are meaningful to them, and reach out to others in their world." Robert Webber believes that the new landscape of the culture will provide a new type of evangelism that is ancient-future evangelism. The old is that the Church must emphasis a personal regenerative relationship with the Triune God via Christ, but the new is the context in which the Church worships and facilitates community that is missional.
This aura creates an opportunity for the Church to fashion a community focused on relationships of reconciliation: relationships with humanity and with God. The Gospel is presented through relationship primarily. A good model of evangelism in the postmodern world would be: dialogue, demonstration, declaration, and defense all lived out incarnationally in the context of our greater society but also within our communities.
The Church's fourth opportunity within this cultural shift is to begin to see Christianity as more than a world view. Robert Webber writes, "Today the younger evangelical questions the priority given to Christianity as a worldview. Younger evangelical Charles Moore writes, 'The idea of Christianity as a worldview is essentially Gnostic. It makes Christianity an idea, a philosophical viewpoint, and a construct. Christianity is primarily a kingdom, an embodied reality and is more about a faithful discipleship than affirming an intellectual construct.' Moore argues that making Christianity a worldview 'abstracts reason from history and pits the existing, choosing subject against the object. It reduces Christianity to metaphysics.'"
This part of the cultural shift is very important to the life of Christianity because seeing the faith as something to be believed, rationed, and defended can leave it shallow and empty for there is no living it out. Christianity is primarily relational and has to be incarnational in this world. The Church can benefit with this ideological shift because it allows the Church to embody Christ and be formed to His image and live as He lives.
"The Christianity Today articles reported that 'postmodern Christians are trying to redefine the relation of faith and knowledge, that instead of coming to the faith rationally, true knowledge requires the Holy Spirit to work an ontological change in the human heart,'" writes Robert Webber. He goes on to clarify that this is not a new approach, but that younger Christians are deconstructing in order "to reconstruct an historic life of the mind". The road to the future lies in the past. The Church has an opportunity today to revisit the past with the Creeds, the Church Fathers, St. Aquinas, and St. Augustine and let that ancient wisdom shape and mold the way the Church carries out faith and practice. Many young Christians are even reverting to the ancient Orthodox Church and becoming one with Her and Her Mysteries. This is a good thing!
Five Dangers the Cultural Shifts Present
The number one thing for the Church to distinguish in the cultural shift of postmodernity is that there are two schools of postmodernity: soft postmodernity and hard postmodernity. Milliard Erickson, in Postmodernizing the Faith, writes:
Hard postmodernism, best represented by deconstruction, rejects the idea of any sort of objectivity and rationality. It maintains that all theories are simply worked out to justify and empower those who hold them, rather than being based on facts. It not only rejects the limitation of meaning of language to empirical reference; it rejects the idea that language has any sort of objective or extra linguistic reference at all. It moves from relativism to pluralism to truth. Not only is all knowing and all speaking done from a particular perspective, but each perspective is equally true or valuable. The meaning of a statement is not to be found objectively in the meaning intended by the speaker or writer, but is the meaning that the hearer or reader finds in it. 'Whatever it means to me' even if it is quite different from what it says to you."
The Church has to remember that wonderful idea by Blasé Pascal that there are two dangerous extremes shutting reason out or letting nothing else but reason in. The pluralism of today's society is dangerous to the truth of the Gospel. The Church must defend and live the truth of the Gospel and learn to evangelize to a pluralistic society instead of assimilating into society.
Religious tolerance is the second danger. Dr. Gupton writes about what postmodern thinkers believe, "No religion should be thought of as superior to another. Indeed, this belief in superiority is the major roadblock to religious unity." This hard postmodernism belief is very dangerous to the truth of the Gospel. The Church believes that She has an exclusive claim on the Truth, which She must stand by and defend.
The third danger of hard postmodernism found in this cultural shift is in the area of evangelism. Dr. Gupton writes about postmodern thought, "Proselytizing is bigotry, pure and simple. The idea of winning converts is based on the antiquated notion that one religion has more to offer than another. Our task is to help others discover the hidden inner meaning of their religions, rather than convert them to our own." This is something the Church must absolutely reject to defend the Gospel. Only through Christ is forgiveness of sin offered and deification began. Other religions contain some universal truths, but do not contain the Truth found in the Gospel presented by the Church.
The fourth danger the Church must be careful to be aware of moral relativism or moral pragmatism. Easum writes, "In the new emerging society right and wrong will not exist. Whatever benefits the individual will form the basis for ethics." The Church has to come to the defense of morals and ethics. The problem with hard postmodernism is that it deconstructs to the point of chaos, which cannot be upheld. This is no accountability of ethics, but the Church can account for its ethics, which stem from God and absolute truths. Society and individuals are dangerous grounds upon which to build what is moral, right, or just.
The fifth danger to the Church is privatization. The Church must be careful to fight against this idea that faith, too, can be privatized and individualized. The Church must maintain a strong emphasis on communal living both at home and in ecclesiastical settings. Easum writes, "People are preoccupied with themselves. Whatever is done behind closed doors is considered acceptable conduct. Privacy is the ultimate price…The majority of people will tend to withdraw physically and psychologically." This is the danger to an incarnational people called to be God's hands and feet in the world. We must do well to remember that our faith is personal, but it is not private! The rampant individualism of Western culture is an extreme heresy that we must be aware of and reject thoroughly.
Five Ways to Interface with the Culture
As a young man who feels called to the priesthood, I am feeling lead more and more lately to plant a church from the ground up. There is a great outline of postmodern churches compared to pragmatic Evangelistic churches and how they function within the postmodern culture, by Eric Stanford, found on pages 116 and 117 of "The Younger Evangelicals" that I think fits perfectly how I would like to approach ministry in this postmodern society:
1. Even though I would be the priest and carry out all the sacramental duties I want to approach leadership as a team effort with all the members of the parish helping to carry out the duties of the church. Ministries may not always come from the leadership team, but from within the congregation who feels lead to start up a ministry. Christ is the head of the Church, and I am a part of that thus He moves mysteriously and powerfully in all our lives in the parish.
2. Life is about relationships. My life motto is "I am a person of worth created in the Image of God the Father, the Almighty, to live, to love, and to commune with fellow humankind and with the Blessed Trinity." This is how I want to carry out ministry in the church. Programs, as Eric says, "are means not ends." Everything thing we do ought to be to foster community and relationship and not just to learn and do. Developing close, healthy relationships is the focus within the postmodern context I want to employ.
3. Eric writes, "Be authentic. Don't pretend you've got it all together, spiritually or otherwise. Admit your mistakes and struggles, for then we can work on them together. No posers allowed." I believe this is core to who I am. I strive to be real and authentic. I am drawn to real and authentic people, so I want to be a part of a community that emphasizes that over excellence or perfection, but wants to strive towards those together.
4. I want to help create a community that honors "intellect and emotions, doctrine and intuition," as Eric states. I want to take a holistic approach to faith and life. I want to focus on the power of the story that Christianity tells: Creation, Fall, Israel, Jesus. I see it often as a five act Shakespeare play that has last the fifth act thus we are left to write the fifth act on our own according to the authority of the other four acts. Our stories should come inside of this grand story.
5. I want to create dialogue and relationship between Catholics, Protestants, Anglicans, and Orthodox. There is no us vs. them in regards to other Christians or in regards to non-Christians. After all, our Lord told His disciples when they told Him someone was casting out demons in His name that was not a part of their group, "whoever is not against us is for us." Christians and non-Christians often face the same issues and have the same questions. It is about cooperation and not competition or condemnation. I want to clarify that I do not propose a false sense of unity or ecumenism either. The Orthodox Church is the one true Church, and I firmly believe this. We have made our conditions for unity known, but I think that dialogue is a good thing that promotes healthy conversations and understanding among those who profess Christ. I want to help foster this healthy conversation.
John Anderson has a B.S. in Bible and Preaching/Church Leadership from Johnson University and is a member of Saint Anne Orthodox Church in Oak Ridge, TN, where he resides with his wife, Courtney, and their Chihauhau, Charlie. He is very passionate about preaching, church leadership, missiology, and preaching the Gospel to a lost and hurting society. He aspires to become a priest in the Orthodox Church. He is the editor-in-chief for Orthodox Ruminations.


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Recipe from Diana of Arizona
2 and 1/2 lb. Hamburger
1 small onion chopped
1 stick celery chopped
1 small can of green chilies chopped
1 package of taco seasoning
2 tbsp butter
2 cans refried beans
1 block of cream cheese (microwave for 45 sec or until melted/blended)
1 1/2 lb cheese your favorite
1 package tortillas
Sauté the onion and celery in butter. Cook the hamburger half way and drain the juice. Add the onion and celery mix and finish cooking till the meat is browned. Drain the meat again and add the taco seasoning and green chilies. Using a 9 X 13 pan (sprayed with Pam) place two tortillas to cover the bottom. Now use half of the beans to spread over the bottom tortillas. Now spread the hamburger mixture over the beans. Then spread half of cheese on top. Repeat to make layers. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until the cheese on top is melted. It also tastes good if you substitute the refried bean mixture with 2 cans of tomatoes with green chilies.
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Farmingdale State - 70, York College - 61
YORK, Pa. – The Farmingdale State men's basketball team defeated York College on Saturday afternoon, with a 70-61 decision in the consolation game of the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament. With the win, the Rams improve to 6-4 overall, while the Spartans dropped to 4-8.
The Rams got on the board first and held the lead for the majority of the half, starting the game on a 12-3 run over the first six minutes. Despite being down for most of the half, the Spartans continued to fight back. With just over seven minutes left in the first, Chad Styer (Elizabethtown, Pa.) hit two three's to cut Farmingdale State's lead to one point. A few minutes later Styer hit two more three's and helped York gain its first lead of the game.
But the Rams answered back with two three's of their own and finished the half with a traditional three point play to go up 31-29 heading into the locker room.
Farmingdale State led the entire second half. At the 6:27 mark, the Rams went on a 7-0 run and with only 18 seconds left, they took a 12-point lead, the biggest of the game.
Leading the way for the Rams was senior forward AJ Matthews (Brooklyn, N.Y.). Matthews finished the game with 16 points, while senior guard Ryan Davis (Flushing, N.Y.) added 13.
York finished the game with four players in double digits. Mitch Kemp (York, Pa.) was the Spartans leading scorer with 16 points. Styer added 13 points and went 4-5 from long range. Julian Watston (Odenton, Md.) and Todd Maciejewski (Red Lion, Pa.) each chipped in 11 points.


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An angry witch and a charge of religious hatred
When I wrote my last blog, I didn't anticipate that my next one would be devoted to defending it from a charge of 'religious hatred' by an angry Wiccan. I'll call my critic by his Twitter name of 'Rushyo', though he does use his real name on some of his comments under my last blog. To introduce him, here's a clip from his own blog:
As readers of this blog will be aware, I'm currently attempting to put a journal to study witchcraft. In the interests of good research, I openly disclose the fact that I am a) part of the skeptical community and b) part of the Wiccan community. A skeptical Witch.
Rushyo basically has two issues with what I wrote: one is that the blog contained a "horrendously poor skeptical analysis". The other is that, in my response to his first comment beneath the blog, I'm guilty of religious hatred/intolerance. I'll try to address both of these.
The post in question contains a spell lifted from a witches' website. The spell involves writing "a goal you desire" on a bit of paper and throwing it into a river or sea while reciting a rhyme. The spell is accompanied by the categorical statement that "the ink and paper dissolve into the water and the spell begins to work".
No plausible mechanism by which this spell might achieve the desired outcome is suggested and it struck me that there was some small similarity with homeopathic remedies, in that both appear to rely on water having a power that has not thus far been confirmed by scientific research, in spite of extensive investigation of water at a molecular level.
A further similarity between homeopathy and this particular remedy may be inferred by the claim that the spell begins to work when the paper and ink dissolve, implying an inverse relationship between the degree of dissolution and the efficacy of the spell. The more dilute, the more potent. Sound familiar?
Anyway, I didn't state this argument in as many words but expected instead that readers would see the point without explanation. I concluded with the suggestion that it wasn't wrong to call homeopathy witchcraft after all.
In one of his comments below the piece, Rushyo says,
Your argument makes as much scientific sense as someone looking at Western medicine and using the description of the 'cold treatment', bringing people back to life, as a justification for calling all Western medicine a sham.
Rushyo's objection, then, is that I generalised from a single example and, because one spell appears to bear some similarity to homeopathy, I shouldn't assume they all do. Thus, the evidence I present to support the claim that homeopathy is witchcraft (or vice versa) is insufficient. This is a fair point and, had I been trying to make a serious case that homeopathy and witchcraft are pretty much the same on the grounds that they both rely on the 'memory' of water or on the notion that dilution makes things more potent, then I wouldn't have supported my argument with a sample of one.
However, as most readers appreciated, my blog post was not intended to be taken seriously; not for a nanosecond, did it occur to me that anyone would and, so far as I know, nobody but Rushyo did. And he was so aggrieved by my perceived violation of skeptic principles that he left the kind of snarky comment that just begs for a put-down. Thus, I suggested he calm himself with a frog's toe special. As a consequence, I found myself accused of "preaching religious hatred". He even tweeted it.
In his own account of what happened, Rushyo writes:
I made quite sure my dismay was evident when I found somebody mocking witchcraft and comparing it with Homeopathy (something that has been thoroughly proven not to work) which they themselves stated was based on absolutely the most flimsy and pathetic evidence.
This quote suggests that it was more the mockery of witchcraft than the 'bad science' that offended Rushyo but, given his emotive comments beneath the article, that was pretty obvious already. Here's an example:
So, essentially, you just wanted to preach a bit of religious hatred? Don't mask this as skepticism, it puts the skeptical community to shame. I'm ashamed to be associated with you. Pathetic.
He later adds:
A skeptic that throws skepticism out of the window as soon as Witchcraft is mentioned is no better than Wiccan that turns around and throws the rede out of the window when it comes to issues of scientific interest (such as medicine).
It may occur to some readers, as it did to me, that a skeptic who threw skepticism out of the window as soon as witchcraft is mentioned would end up embracing witchcraft wholeheartedly, as Rushyo seems to have done. A skeptic who embraces and adopts a worldview first and starts a more thorough investigation only after having done so sounds like….well, I hesitate to say 'an oxymoron', given that when someone said the same thing on twitter Rushyo responded with ill-tempered abuse, which doesn't get us any further.
In case anyone doesn't get where the charge of religious hatred comes from, Wicca involves the "ritual practice of magic" (wiki). Ergo poking fun at witchcraft is insulting the Wicca religion. In his blog, Rushyo explains further
The insult related to my religion. What makes this attack astounding was that I was not shouting from a religious soapbox – I was shouting from a skeptical one. I felt that the article was the anti-thesis of skepticism for reasons which I will go into later. My argument was completely unrelated to my religious belief. Were I an atheist I would have felt exactly the same.
And there was I thinking that faith — belief without evidence — is the antithesis of skepticism. I'm very surprised to learn that I was wrong and that in fact mocking magic spells is the antithesis of skepticism. Good grief!
Seriously now, I think we can discount the claim that his argument was completely unrelated to his religious faith. Were it not for his religious belief, he would have either seen the piece as nothing more than a bit of fun or, if he really did take it seriously, calmly pointed out that my argument was fallacious. At least, that's what any other skeptic would have done. By his own admission, what dismayed Rushyo was my "mocking witchcraft and comparing it with Homeopathy (something that has been thoroughly proven not to work)".
I did indeed poke fun at witchcraft with references to newts' eyes and making things disappear. And clearly Rushyo also sees the mere comparison with homeopathy as mockery of witchcraft, which I suppose it is, though my intention at the time was only to mock homeopathy by comparing it with medieval nonsense, which is how I view witchcraft. I'm afraid Rushyo's explanation of it doesn't make me view it any differently.
Witchcraft is the act of invoking power beyond the material world defined by science, often linked with a spiritual element, intended to perform a tangible task with a particular stated goal. As practised by Wiccans, Witchcraft is used to invoke the power of the Gods through prayer and ritual.
Interestingly, while Rushyo evidently thinks witchcraft isn't a legitimate target for mockery, he seems to think homeopathy is. He says,
Homeopathy is the subject of ridicule because it has a weight of scientific evidence against it. Witchcraft does not (surprisingly!).
The claim that there is a lack of scientific evidence against witchcraft is arguable, to put it mildly but, even if it were true, should the fact that there is a lack of evidence against it protect it from mockery? I mean, if there hadn't already been hundreds of trials of homeopathy, if it hadn't already been proven to be a crock, would we (and by 'we' I mean people who identify as skeptics) treat it with any more reverence because it was untested? Of course not, because it's scientifically implausible; it contravenes scientific laws and is therefore ridiculous. Just like witchcraft.
By the way, I have since seen a few other spells from the same source and concede that they don't all rely on an unknown power of water, thereby undermining my original contention that witchcraft is homeopathy, which I happily withdraw, seeing as I didn't really mean it in the first place. However, the spells do all involve some element of magic, as do homeopathic remedies, so the comparison — and, indeed, the reverse contention that homeopathy is witchcraft — aren't as outrageous as Rushyo would have us believe. And they're both suitable topics for skeptical humour, as are any number of other ridiculous quack therapies or 'weight-loss eating plans' making claims for which there is no evidence either way. These are mockable not so much because they haven't been properly tested but because, if true, their claims would force us to re-write all our physics and chemistry text books.
So it seems Rushyo's understanding of skepticism differs somewhat from my own. For the record, it was the explanation of skepticism on UK-skeptics that first resonated with me, leading me to adopt the label. It points out that skepticism is not a world view but a methodology. It starts with doubt and applies it to everything. Claims — whether they be about global warming, quack therapies or supernatural powers — are not taken at face value but must be supported with good quality evidence before they will be accepted:
assuming or holding the provisional position that a claim is false until proven otherwise is also the correct approach to take
As he is a scientist, I don't think Rushyo could disagree with this, any more than I would disagree with the definition of skepticism Rushyo quotes from wiki (see below). What I do disagree with is his claim that he is attacking from a perspective of skepticism and that those of us who disagree with him are betraying true skeptic principles. From his comments:
I would give the topic the gravitas I feel it deserves. Call it a 'Galileo complex' if you like. The value of establishing facts over adopting society's wider views has become a core tenant (sic) amongst Witches. Something I was under impression us, as skeptics, were supposed to champion as well.
If I may quote Wikipedia:
"Scientific skeptics attempt to evaluate claims based on verifiability and falsifiability and discourage accepting claims on faith or anecdotal evidence."
and "Scientific skeptics do not assert that unusual claims should be automatically rejected out of hand on a priori grounds."
Were I an independent observer I would surmise I was not talking to skeptics – in fact I might reasonably surmise I was talking to the polar opposite given those definitions.
As I said, I would agree with both those extracts from wiki and I don't know why Rushyo feels they make some sort of case for him. To repeat, the starting point for skepticism is doubt. We don't look at a proposal that claims throwing a bit of paper into the sea while uttering a spell will work in achieving a desired goal in life and think: "Hmmm….there's no evidence against this idea so we should wait until it's been tested before we mock it." Rather we would argue that everything we know about the natural world indicates that this proposal is absurd and unworthy of investigation. That's not to say we won't change our minds if a scientifically plausible explanation were offered but, in the meantime, the proposal is worthy of ridicule. And if it were being funded on the NHS, it would, like the similarly implausible homeopathy, be a campaigning issue for skeptics.
To aid our understanding of why my 'frog's toe special' suggestion qualifies as religious hatred, Rushyo helpfully provides the criteria by which he defines religious hatred/intolerance (he treats these words as synonyms) and proclaims that my comment to him meets every one. A perfect fit!
a) It has to be for the purpose of insulting.
b) It has to relate to a religion
c) It has to reference the person's religion belief
d) It should display ignorance/prejudice
…to meet all these criteria for insulting a Muslim you might need something like the following: "Don't worry, I'm sure your Mother and Father Mohammed will calm you down, Mohammed." This statement would meet the above criteria – and it would similarly be considered unacceptable. In most circles.
Well not in mine because I don't even understand it and my Muslim friends are pretty chilled about religious insults. (Less so about racism, say, because they recognise that religion in adult life is a choice, ethnicity isn't.)
If I'm being totally honest, offending people's religious sensibilities isn't something that bothers me too much. This isn't religious hatred, it isn't religious intolerance, it's religious indifference. We each of us choose our different worldviews and none of them should be seen as exempt from ridicule. If ridiculous ideas are to afforded special protection just because they are part of someone's religion, can someone tell me where we would draw the line? Would the 'religious ideas' of someone who decides to invent a new religion over breakfast be entitled to the same protection?
In conclusion, 'hatred' is a strong word and certainly not something I feel for mildly eccentric people and their barmy religion — as long as they do nothing to harm others. And, while I am grateful to Rushyo for making me think this one through, I don't think his claim that he is criticising from a skeptic's perspective stands up to scrutiny His argument amounts to no more than special pleading that witchcraft should be exempt from mockery and because it's part of his religion and, as one commenter here already said, that's just creepy.
21 Responses to An angry witch and a charge of religious hatred
"This isn't religious hatred, it isn't religious intolerance, it's religious indifference. We each of us choose our different worldviews and none of them should be seen as exempt from ridicule."
The trouble is that didn't apply in instance because a) it was contrived solely as an insult – there was nothing indifferent about that and b) I was talking as a skeptic. The fact you brought my religion into it at all implies a lack of 'indifference'. Either point seems strong enough.
"His argument amounts to no more than special pleading that witchcraft should be exempt from mockery and because it's part of his religion and, as one commenter here already said, that's just creepy."
I apply the same rules universally. As I pointed out (and encouraged) on International Blasphemy Day you can attack the religion all you want. Go burn a pentacle if you like. Then link on my blog to it. Great! That's what we have freedom to do.
That doesn't give people the right to turn around and insult people based on their beliefs. And you don't have to be religious to have beliefs. What is morality?
I'm an ardent secularist. Always have been and I apply the same rule just as strongly to Wiccans – which sometimes brings me into conflict with them.
Your statements would have made perfect sense in any context other than the following: It was religious. It was an insult. It was in response to a non-religious statement. Ergo, unprovoked religious insult. I'm not seeing any dispute of these particular points.
If you find the use of the term 'hatred' inappropriate then perhaps that's just a subjective difference of semantics. Your argument came not from any evidence, so I must presume it came from prejudices. Insulting someone based on prejudice is hatred. I'm happy enough to stick by that statement on those terms.
My first comment about your article was off the wall. It was logically valid (as you said), but I shouldn't have said it in that manner. I let myself get emotional because your statements were undermining the scientific work I'm trying to do. I had spent the week, as I said, discussing with Wiccans just how skeptics DON'T make statements like that. Then you did, throwing my heated arguments that skeptics as trustworthy on matters of applying logic reasonably to witchcraft into no small manner of disarray. I wasn't happy just saying 'well, guess what, I was wrong about the skeptics'.
I probably deserved an insult in return (and I wouldn't have minded one). But then using my religion to insult me – I was amazed.
On a rather different note. If you think sprititual and scientific understanding are incompatible, I would urge you to contemplate the beliefs of scientists in eras past. Like Einstein, as I quoted, who gives very deft consideration to the subject.
To clarify, by "Then you did, throwing my heated arguments that skeptics as trustworthy on matters of applying logic reasonably to witchcraft into no small manner of disarray." I mean by applying the scientific method, before the inevitable comments that would arise.
Would you care to chat about this through a more immediate medium? Slinging huge great responses back and forth doesn't seem very effective at clearing anything up.
Oh, so this still isn't over?
Rushyo, I'm afraid you're mistaken. The freedom of speech we all enjoy gives us the right to "insult" whatever religion we choose to, even yours and you'll have to deal with it, just like I have to deal with the fact that you consider yourself to be a sceptic.
When I talk to others about scepticism and they cite people like you as example of what "we" believe, I'll just tell them that "sceptic" is something you self-identify as, so if you ask two sceptics about the same subject you won't necessarily get the same answer. I don't see why you can't just do the same thing but instead have to come here whining how people are all no real sceptics and insult your religion and that this is not what real sceptics would do.
By the way: Einstein may have believed in the sky fairy, but "sceptics like me" don't think his belief in it proves there actually is a sky fairy. Or a Father Christmas. Or mermaids.
"Rushyo, I'm afraid you're mistaken. The freedom of speech we all enjoy gives us the right to "insult" whatever religion we choose to, even yours and you'll have to deal with it, just like I have to deal with the fact that you consider yourself to be a sceptic."
My mistake. 'Right' was absolutely the wrong word on my part. My point was that it you insult someone's beliefs and you will be called out of it. You invite a response and not a friendly one. Just like with anything else: You have a legal right, but not a moral one. I totally failed to distinguish those.
"By the way: Einstein may have believed in the sky fairy, but "sceptics like me" don't think his belief in it proves there actually is a sky fairy. Or a Father Christmas. Or mermaids."
Indeed. Just wish the argument that a scientist can't be religious would shoo, it's nonsense – and keeps cropping up.
If I may elaborate on that: You can't be surprised if, when you insult someone's beliefs there is a recipocal response about you. A right of freedom does not automatically mean you're morally justified to do it. Nothing about that freedom exhonerates you from the insults you make towards human beings.
So what? You cannot blame me for fallacious arguments other sceptics use. I never said that a scientist can't be religious, nor did Skepticat (or if she did I oversaw it). We all have our faults and I'm pretty sure I have loads of them. It has happened more than once that I found out something I believed was absolutely wrong, but as long as I am willing to change my views when I find (or am presented) new evidence I don't think that's a huge problem.
Also I don't need to have the same moral standards you do, so in my eyes it's perfectly valid to tell people their irrational beliefs don't mean a thing to me and I don't give a sh*t if they're offended by me not "accepting" their religion.
Darn "false friends", what I meant was I overlooked it.
My point: I resent the implication I should lie down and accept it because it was religious. I won't – and if 'religious hatred' is a term that people felt was strong, then I feel it's because it implies a greater misdemeanor than simply being prejudiced about something. But that's not my problem, it doesn't diminish the fact I saw a prejudiced insult based on religion (for reasons earlier stated).
Perhaps you might consider the reason I find using that term acceptable is I'm using it literally. I'm not applying the connotations of morally inacceptability others are applying to it. That use of the term isn't anything to do with why I used it.
@Vicky No, you did not. But unfortunately this issue has expanded beyond the originl dispute. The post this is in response to specifically expresses the further problems being encountered.
"so in my eyes it's perfectly valid to tell people their irrational beliefs don't mean a thing to me and I don't give a sh*t if they're offended by me not "accepting" their religion."
Which is not what I'm discussing. I've stated ad nauseum I don't care whether you accept my religious beliefs or otherwise. It's a very different thing. It isn't an insult, it's an observation of personal opinion! You can tell me all you want 'I think you're completely wrong and loony'. Please do not confuse this with the issue at hand.
My justification for using the terms I chose hinges on the context of the original statement. It is not a generalised argument applied to all circumstances.
"As he is a scientist"
A "multi-disciplined scientist" "guided primarily by the certainties of logic and Wikipedia policy", no less:
My point: I resent the implication I should lie down and accept it because it was religious.
I see it the other way around: just because in your eyes this is religious doesn't mean that others shouldn't mock it. If it's OK to poke fun at someone who believes that swallowing lots of vitamin pills will prevent them from catching a cold it's also OK to poke fun at someone for throwing a slip of paper into a river while speaking some kind of incantation, thinking that this will make something they wish come true. You may think that it's not OK to make fun of anyone or anything, but you'll have to accept that others' standards may be different.
Bottom line: you think Skepticat's other blog was a poor "sceptical analysis" of what homeopathy and witchcraft have in common, I thought it was an amusing tongue-in-cheek comparison of two pseudoscientific disiplines, so I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.
"Bottom line: you think Skepticat's other blog was a poor "sceptical analysis" of what homeopathy and witchcraft have in common, I thought it was an amusing tongue-in-cheek comparison of two pseudoscientific disiplines, so I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree."
Sure. No problem with that. I obviously see the intention was such – I'm only defending my behaviour at the time as far as that one goes. I was irate – and I herein present my reasons in the fact of accusations (not from yourself) that this is somehow what my being a witch represents, when it was nothing to do with that.
"You may think that it's not OK to make fun of anyone or anything, but you'll have to accept that others' standards may be different."
Yet some of those same people are up in arms that I would use the term 'religious hatred' in good faith. Either a religious insult based on prejudice is bad or it isn't. You can't say it's fine to do it, but not fine to call someone out on it! That's the crux of it.
"The claim that there is a lack of scientific evidence against witchcraft is arguable, to put it mildly but, even if it were true, should the fact that there is a lack of evidence against it protect it from mockery?"
Oh, totally missed this. The intention of that statement was to define 'prejudice'. It was in the context of defining terms for an argument which relied on the definition of prejudice (ie. what constitutes religious prejudice?)
The format of the debate as it presently stands harms discussion I feel. When things are pulled from a much larger article (and a much larger context) it can create a risk of invalid 'strawman' arguments on both sides. I'm glad Vicky and me could get some 'live' responses in, it cleared up alot.
Your conduct is exemplary at demonstrating the validity of what are arguably the weakest of my arguments, thank you.
@Rushyo (The Mr. Magoo of science and scepticism)
Thanks – for that exquisitely 'meta' logical fallacy and all the other comedy you've entertained us with here. 😀
To repeat, the starting point for skepticism is doubt. We don't look at a proposal that claims throwing a bit of paper into the sea while uttering a spell will work in achieving a desired goal in life and think: "Hmmm….there's no evidence against this idea so we should wait until it's been tested before we mock it." Rather we would argue that everything we know about the natural world indicates that this proposal is absurd and unworthy of investigation.
Yes and we argue that way precisely because there is (a mountain of) powerful evidence against many of these claims and ideas. That's why those physics and chemistry textbooks would need to be rewritten rather than just having chapters of phenomenology added. It's also why the ostensibly reasonable and scientific direct testing of such claims – CTs of homeopathy, trials of witches' spells, Roger Shawyer's EMdrive experiments etc. – is actually unreasonable and futile cargo cult science. The contents of those textbooks means that we sceptics can (and more often should, IMO) be saying just "STFU" instead of "Evidence or STFU". 🙂
Does Wicca encourage littering in any other instances? Or is biodegradable paper and ink recommended?


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re:publica 2014 - Hannah Fry: I predict a riot!
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re:publica 2014 - Hannah Fry: I predict a riot!
Explaining the London Riots with math.
Hannah Fry
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If You're a scientist or just a curious person and You often see or read the latest news in the field of science or technology. Just for You we've created this section, which highlights the latest news in the world of new scientific discoveries, achievements, and also in the field of technology. Only the most recent events and only trusted sources.
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This year I've had the opporrtunity to enjoy all the action from Los Angeles in the days leading up to Summerslam 2012. Here are the tidbits I have collected from several WWE Superstars:
Stephanie McMahon gives an interesting answer on whether or not she will return to WWE TV.
Wade Barrett says he is 99 percent healed from injury and details the character changes we can expect when he returns to WWE TV.
Antonio Cesaro has already heard the idea you probably have for him (and I certainly had) as U.S. champion.
Dolph Ziggler says Summerslam vs. Chris Jericho is the most important match of his life and he idolized Jericho growing up.
Alicia Fox notes that there will be a wardrobe change in her future.
Kelly Kelly hopes WWE uses her more.
The Miz thinks critics are wrong when they say the IC title lacks prestige and it's a step down to hold it at this point in his career (after having won the WWE title and main evented WrestleMania).
Mark Henry is at peace with the idea that his WWE career may be over and his latest World Heavyweight title run might have been his last hoorah. He also talks about Olympians that he scouted for WWE while in London.
Reks and Hawkins joke about finally being done working Ryback, and Reks getting pink eye during their matches. Hawkins also talks about working with The Rock and helping him get back into ring shape prior to WrestleMania 28.
Natalya speculates that her next move on WWE TV might be with Raw general manager AJ Lee.
Alberto Del Rio credits his lineage to why he pays so much attention to detail in the squared circle and talks about sending a message about bullying to kids at a B.A. star rally despite being a heel on TV.
David Otunga says the WWE locker room didn't believe him at first and wasn't totally well received when he was introduced as a Harvard Law graduate.
There are also interviews with American Idol's James Durbin (who wants to step into a WWE ring) and Disney actor Ryan Ochoa (who mentions his first WWE memory is of Val Venis) located here.
Also, be sure to check out our Summerslam info graphic, full of stats and facts from the first 24 Smmerslam events.
Arda Ocal is an on-air personality with theScore Television Network. Follow Arda on Twitter as he live tweets the event.


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Back when EventDV was EMedia magazine, columnist Bob Starrett was one of our resident "deep technology" gurus. In the days when CD recorders had just entered the consumer market, player compatibility was hit-and-miss and, all too often, more miss than hit.
One of the things Starrett noticed was that the likelihood of a CD-R playing back successfully on any given player correlated almost directly to the price of the player. In my favorite installment of his CD Writer column, Starrett argued that the manufacturers of CD media had a responsibility to make sure that their discs were as likely to play on a $50 boombox as on an audiophile's $300 component player. Fast-forward a decade. CD-R compatiblity is virtually a non-issue. Same goes for single-layer DVD±R; if it's authored at a reasonable bitrate, it's going to play back on most players, whether it's a $39 off-brand from Wal-Mart or a unit with a higher price tag and recognizable nameplate. (The new dual-layer recorders, unfortunately, have yet to achieve this level of compatibility.)
The bottom line is that if you're doing your own DVD authoring and duplication, as most videographers are, you thankfully don't have to worry much about whether your discs will play on your client's (or their family members') players. If you're delivering video from your Web site, however, it's a different story. Just because you've got a G5 and broadband in your studio, that doesn't mean your clients have the same level of PC power or a fast Internet connection. You need to consider everyone from dial-up to T1 users when encoding clips—demos or final product— for your Web site.
All of which means you'll want to encode your clips at at least two, and maybe even three, different bitrates and resolutions. Most broadband users can reliably receive streams between 200 and 300Kbps, so 256Kbps is generally considered the "sweet spot" for broadband encoding. For those who've got faster connections, you also might want to offer a 512Kbps version. In either case, you'll also need to consider the resolution (or screen size). According to Steve Mack, author of The Streaming Media Bible, the best bet is to start with an encode at 240x180, then work your way up through larger screen sizes until the quality of the video becomes unacceptable. Since high-action video puts more of a strain on codecs, in terms of both bitrate and resolution, your results likely will vary from project to project. For most wedding videos, however, you should be able to encode at 320x240 and achieve acceptable results.
But that leaves dial-up users out in the cold. Even though the installed base for U.S. broadband access surpassed dial-up for the first time in late 2004, there are still plenty of modem users out there. (If there weren't, we wouldn't be seeing all those TV commercials for NetZero and AOL TopSpeed, would we?) To ignore them is to ignore almost half of the potential viewers of your work. While you might cringe at the thought of delivering any video in a format that doesn't do justice to your productions, you should at least consider the option of offering a 112Kbps version at a 160x120 resolution, with a disclaimer that the quality of the Web video does not reflect the quality of your finished products. (Progressive download is another option. Check out the November 2004 STUDIO STREAMING, http://www.emedialive.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=9031, for more on that approach.)
Worrying about bandwidth and screen sizes might seem like putting the cart before the horse. Isn't it more important to decide on a format first? Microsoft, Real, Apple, and other codec and format proponents would like you to think so, but that's just so much marketing bluster. Truth is, from a player standpoint, it doesn't make much difference. If you encode in Windows Media Player (for viewers on PCs) and QuickTime (for Mac users), you've likely got all your bases covered. In fact, if you encode for the Macromedia Flash player—which is on virtually every PC in the market—you can bypass the Windows vs. QuickTime vs. Real dilemma altogether. (Plus, the Macromedia Video Kit makes it ridiculously easy to embed video into Web pages created with the company's Dreamweaver so that the video doesn't need to pop up in a separate player screen; viewers never take their eyes off of your brand.)
Now, I won't argue that videographers have the same kind of responsibility to the public to make their video accessible to everyone with a computer as CD media and player manufacturers do with CD-R compatibility. It's just good business sense, even if the lower-bandwidth, small-screen versions don't provide an ideal reflection of the quality of your work. I know that's anathema to many of you, and there's something to be said for never displaying any work that doesn't meet your own high standards.
But the potential client without broadband is accustomed to video playback that's less than top-of-the-line, and your clips will be on the same playing field as every other videographer's. If you make sure that you take the limitations of low-bandwidth viewers into account, at least you'll be in the game.


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Police and Crime Commissioner Candidates visit Honiton
PUBLISHED: 10:45 15 November 2012 | UPDATED: 13:49 20 November 2012
This is what they said...
Candidates standing for the Police and Crime Commissioner role for Devon and Cornwall battled it out in Honiton Yesterday (Wednesday).
The hall of Honiton Methodist Church was packed out for the meeting, which was organised by Honiton Senior Voice.
Candidates Tony Hogg (Conservative), Brian Blake (Lib Dem), William Morris (Independent), Nicky Williams (Labour), Brian Greenslade (Independent) and John Smith (Independent) were in attendance.
Fellow candidates standing in the election Tam MacPherson (Independent), Ivan Jordan (Independent), Robert Smith (UKIP) and Graham Calderwood (Independent) were unable to attend.
Voters will be going to the polls today (Thursday) to vote for their new police and crime commissioner.
Brian Blake (Lib Dem) is a retired police officer and has served on the force for 31 years and after retiring from the police force he worked for the Ministry of Defence and NATO.
Policing faces a big decrease in its budget and Mr Blake told the meeting that he will "fight tooth and nail" to make sure the budget reflects the need for people to be able to walk the streets in confidence and be safe in their own houses.
He listed anti-social behaviour, drug related crime, burglaries and support for victims and the vulnerable as some of his main priorities.
He added: "If I am elected I will make it an uncomfortable place to live those commit burglaries, deal drugs, and make others lives a misery."
Nicky Williams (Labour) is a senior cabinet councillor in Plymouth and has responsibility for a multi-million budget in children's services. She is a member of the Children's Safe-Guarding Board and leads the Youth Offending Service.
She said: "One reason I wanted to stand before you is I really wanted to speak up against the cuts going through policing. We need to campaign for a better settlement for Devon and Cornwall from Central Government."
Miss Williams said the budget settlement allocated by the Government did not take into account the large geographic area, infrastructure and the large number of visitors that come to Devon and Cornwall.
She added: "I am used to helping preserve and maintain services and improve them whilst making budget cuts."
Miss Williams emphasised the need for a multi-agency approach and ensure a visible police presence on the streets.
Brian Greenslade (Independent) was a member of the Devon and Cornwall Police Authority as well as a the National Association of Police Authorities and chairman of the resources committee for the Police Authority. He was also a former leader of Devon County Council.
He told the meeting "I have quite a lot of experience of policing and crime issues locally."
Mr Greenslade said he wanted to see that Devon and Cornwall got a fairer distribution of money for the budget from the Government and has already started lobbying for the release of more funds.
He said: "Priorities should be issues like anti-social behaviour are still a problem. It shouldn't be the case that people are frightened to go out of their homes and have their lives disrupted by anti-social behaviour."
He called for the police to work in partnership with other bodies.
William Morris (Independent) has worked as a farmer, miner and publisher and currently heads up a charity called the Next Century Foundation.
He said: "My priorities if I get elected will be to introduce zero tolerance areas."
Mr Morris felt violent crime was getting out of hand and emphasised that there had been an increase in violent crime and that sexual crimes.
He told the meeting: "We have got to make this a safer place."
Mr Morris told the meeting that he had spoken with the police and who wanted funding for officers and that a lot of crimes were drug-related, which was an issue he wanted to focus on.
John Smith (Independent) is a former teacher, social worked and member of Devon County Council as well as working as a lead member for children's services and the Devon and Cornwall Police Authority for eight years.
He said: "My priorities are just this and will be the budget, we have to tackle grants we receive from central government - the first thing I would have to do is get more money out of the Government."
He would also make good use of volunteers such as Special Police Constables.
He added: "I will make sure we maintain high visibility policing. We do need to maintain high visibility policing - we do know it has an effect."
Mr Smith said there was a correlation between offending rates and the number of police officers employed. "We have a huge amount of work to do and I have a track record of service delivery and good management."
Tony Hogg (Conservative) has spent 33 years in the Royal Navy and was a commanding officer of RNAS Culdrose, where he managed 3,000 personnel and a budget of £81million.
He said: "My priorities are to cut crime, bring policing closer to the people. I will support four main pillars of leadership and to first of all appoint an open minded chief constable, address issues of moral and respect for our police."
Mr Hogg said he would tackle issues of moral and respect by projecting the successes of the police and would look to recover more money for the budget.
He will focus on serious crimes, equipping the frontline "properly" with the right equipment and strengthening neighbourhood policing and special police constables as well as improving public engagement with the police.
In addition to this he will look at early intervention particularly for young people.
Candidates who could not attend:
Robert Smith (UKIP) – He is a chartered child and educational psychologist has been in private practice for more than 20 years. He provides advice to courts regarding child protection and family issues.
He says he wants the police to be tough on crime and wants to reconnect the police with the people and their communities.
Tam Macpherson (Independent)- He aims to reduce crime and cut re offending, protect victims and witnesses and introduce greater transparency and accountability to improve the quality of the police service.
Ivan Jordan (Independent) - He is an architect and farmer. He lists tackling hate crime as a priority area, as well as focusing on strong community policing, protecting the force from privatisation and smarter budgeting.
Graham Calderwood (Independent) - A criminal lawyer for 40 years, he is now a part-time advocate and duty solicitor. He says he would look to using officers more efficiently and look at how procedures can be improved.
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Objects in the shade of Tumbleweed
The closest color to #c8bb8f in the Crayola® color palette is
Tumbleweed which has the hex code of #deaa88.
Perhaps you'd like to see the intersection between this color and CSS3 or CSS4 palettes?
Alas, there are no images to show you right now.


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Solution 1: The units may be too close to each other. Make sure the parent unit and the baby unit are at least 1 meter/3 feet apart.
Solution 2: The volume of the parent unit may be set too high. Decrease the volume of the parent unit.
Solution 3: Only for DECT monitors: The parent unit may be too close to another DECT system or another baby phone that is disturbing the frequency.
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Ladies and gentleman, we are finally on the new server, which means, without further adieu. I'd like to go live with our latest project, the iPhone Skinner.
The app allows you to upload a background, icons, and a dock to the workspace, and simply drag them onto the iPhone demo on the screen. You can also drag and drop the Display Order directly from the app.
We have a few features and tweaks we will be adding, as well as getting ya'll a guide on how to use it, etc.
Basically, this creates an .ipb file, which can be put on your iPhone using InstallIPB by timblade. See this thread for more info.
Make sure you have your icons and your display order matched up. Again, I will have a full guide up tonight or tomorrow on how to use this properly and how to install .ipb files.
I know, I know, where is the link?
iphone skinner
cash edit:
Oh yeah forgot to mention.
This is a free trial, depending on system resource uses this may or may not continue to be a free service and might be moved into a monthly/yearly subscription service for the site. We will monitor the resources this takes and keep it free for as long as possible.
+++ RELEASE! ModMyI iPhone Skinner +++


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The PlayStation 3 was instrumental in the efforts of an international team of security experts to successfully hack VeriSign's SSL website security scheme, and it only took 200 consoles to do it.
I'll try not to get too technical here, mainly because I don't truly understand a great deal of this myself. Using a pool of 200 PlayStation 3 systems, the team of researchers managed to create a rogue certificate authority which could then be used to issue fake security certificates to websites. This was done by exploiting a bug in the MD5 hashing algorithm used to create the real counterparts to said security certificates. What this all means, in layman's terms, is that a hacker could theoretically use such an exploit to convince users they were entering information into a real website, then using said personal information for various nefarious hacker purposes, like installing a cookie monster virus or something.
Researchers are doubtful a real-world attack like this would actually occur, but suggest their results indicate that schemes that use MD5 should really think about swapping out for something a bit more secure.
Once again the power of the PlayStation 3's Cell processor has been proven, making the world a better place to live!
Researchers hack VeriSign's SSL scheme for securing Web sites [Computerworld]


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Complete Story
Korn Ferry Enlisted to Find McSlarrow's Successor
By: John Eggerton, Multichannel News
The National Cable & Telecommunications Association has retained executive search firm Korn Ferry once again to help find the next head of the cable organization.
Current NCTA president Kyle McSlarrow announced he will be leaving in the spring to take a job with an operator or programmer.
Nels Olson, managing director of the Easter Region will head up the search. Anyone looking to throw their name in the hat can contact him at firstname.lastname@example.com or (202) 822-9444.
Olson headed up the 2005 search that resulted in McSlarrow's hiring.
Olson will report to NCTA chairman and Cox president Patrick Esser.
Source: http://www.multichannel.com/article/461166-Korn_Ferry_Enlisted_to_Find_McSlarrow_s_Successor.php?rssid=20059&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MultichannelBreakingNews+%


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#RSL Tweets of the Day (@RealSaltLake)
Hey @ColoradoRapids, #DontCreep //www.realsaltlake.com/blog/post/2013/04/03/dontcreep …
Will tell SEA and LA fans to copy the #RSL faithful and #BELIEVE … @MLS *will* break through in #CCL
Jonah Freedman @jonahfreedman
Hopefully revisionist history will show that what RSL did a couple years ago was really damned remarkable. Still underappreciated. #CCL
What we're learning in #CCL is that only #RSL has the capacity to reach the Finals. Seattle and LA both lost at home. RSL's class of MLS
Jürgen Klinsmann @J_Klinsmann
Really excited our home WCQ vs. Honduras at Rio Tinto Stadium is sold out! The amazing #USMNT support continues!!!!
#RSL Fans: traveling to COL this weekend? Read this so you know what's up: http://www.coloradorapids.com/supporters/away-supporters-rules-and-regulations …
very cool #RSL v SEA time-lapse video from @RioTintoStadium ... http://bit.ly/ZAnCXW ... see if you can ID goals, entrance from @javi_mo11
A brief #RSL Notebook. Injuries, @wingert17 , USMNT and such. #DeseretNews #RealSaltLake #USMNT http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765626045/Real-Salt-Lake-notebook-Claret-and-Cobalt-banged-up-at-forward.html …
ESPN 700: Garth Lagerwey on "The Bill and Hans Show"
Real Nation: Photo Gallery: RSL 2-1 Seattle
Real Salt Lake News & Notes
RealSaltLake.com: Vote: Saborio nominated for Top 3 performers of March
DeseretNews.com: Real Salt Lake notebook: Claret-and-Cobalt banged up at forward
MLSsoccer.com: With Javier Morales' return to Real Salt Lake lineup imminent, who's the odd man out?
MLSsoccer.com: MLS Insider: The Colorado Rapids think Kyle Beckerman and Real Salt Lake are "creepy"
MLSsoccer.com: Who were the Top 3 performers of the Month?
For the Fans, By the Fans
RSL Soapbox: Kreis faced with Gil, Velasquez decision as Morales nears fitness
RSL Soapbox: Rio Tinto officially sold out for June 18 WCQ pitting United States against Honduras
RSL Soapbox: Power Rankings Overview: Galaxy jump top, RSL mosey up to 7th spot
MLS, Other News & Notes
MLSsoccer.com: CCL Match Recap: LA Galaxy 1, Monterrey 2
MLSsoccer.com: CCL: Bruce Arena doesn't mince his words after LA Galaxy collapse vs. Monterrey
MLSsoccer.com: CCL: LA Galaxy backline loses the plot during "the most important minutes of the game"
MLSsoccer.com: CCL: Juninho injury is the talking point, if not the turning point, in LA Galaxy loss to Monterrey
MLSsoccer.com: The Word: A new coach for the Portland Timbers, and a new philosophy for Merritt Paulson
MLSsoccer.com: Report: Costa Rica may make the USMNT play at Estadio Saprissa
MLSsoccer.com: LA Galaxy's Mike Magee earns MLS Player of the Month honors for March
Goal.com: Liga MX clubs inch toward CONCACAF Champions League final
Goal.com: Dax McCarty blog: Playing for New York has its perks
ESPN FC: Vermes, Moore get calls from U.S. Hall
ESPN FC: Five thoughts on MLS season's first five weeks
ESPN FC: Argentinean talent finding home in form of MLS DPs
ESPN FC: Gomez uses complicated MLS relationship to fuel his fire
ProstAmerika.com: Coker's Corner: MLS is the only league in the world that has the room to grow


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Complete Story
Genachowski Expected To Start Monday
By: John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable
Newly confirmed FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski released a statement thanking the president and Congress and praising his future colleagues, including giving a shout-out to the president's picks for the two open seats on the commission.
He was confirmed by unanimous consent Thursday evening and an FCC spokesperson said they expected the new chairman's first day at the commission would be Monday, June 29. The FCC's first public meeting is Thursday, July 2.
"I want to thank the members of the U.S. Senate for this enormous honor, first presented to me by President Obama to whom I am also deeply grateful," Genachowski said.
"The FCC has the inspiring mission of ensuring that our communications networks and technologies serve the nation's needs and improve the lives of all Americans. I salute the exceptional work and dedication of Acting Chairman Michael Copps, Commissioners Robert McDowell and Jonathan Adelstein, and the FCC's employees in advancing that mission.
Actually, Adlestein won't be a future colleage since Genachowski was nominated to fill the remaining four years of Adelstein's term. He is moving to the USDA to run its rural utilities program as soon as he can get confirmed by the Senate. It was not clear whether Friday or Monday would be Adelstein's last day, but when Genachowski is sworn in, Adelstein will no longer be a commissioner.
"I look forward to collaborating with Commissioners Copps and McDowell during this dynamic time of extraordinary opportunity," continued Genachowski. "It is with great pleasure that I congratulate Commissioner McDowell on his confirmation and wish Commissioner Adelstein well in his further important government service.
"I am pleased to congratulate Mignon L. Clyburn and Meredith Atwell Baker on having been nominated by President Obama to serve on the Federal Communications Commission. These two distinguished public servants have track records of great success and experience that will be strong virtues at the FCC. I wish them the very best in the confirmation process, and I enthusiastically await their arrival at the Agency."
Source: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/306899-Genachowski_Expected_To_Start_Monday.php?rssid=20065


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Guided tour through the exhibition "Wilhelm and Alexander von Humboldt"
4 € plus entrance fee
Public guided tours with a ticket for the exhibition "Wilhelm and Alexander von Humboldt" can be booked online.
Please note that we only provide a limited number of tickets online and that additional tickets are available at the ticket counter. Group and family tickets cannot yet be booked via the online system. Please purchase these tickets on site at our ticket counter.
Limited number of participants


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People love to fight on the internet. Old people, young people, people on Facebook and Twitter and in the comments under celebrity Instagrams. In the handbag world, one of the main things people love to fight about is logo bags, and when it comes to that look, there's no brand as closely associated with it as Louis Vuitton. LV boasts millions of super-ardent fans across the planet, but there are also plenty of handbag-loving non-believers. (We know there are a lot of both of you because we read all the comments!)
Because we like arguing just as much as anyone else online, and especially about handbags, we've put together a little primer for the logo lovers among us on exactly why we think Louis Vuitton's use of logo canvas is so successful. We trust you'll all have plenty to say from both sides in the comments.
1. They Already Have
The Louis Vuitton monogram print has been around for over 100 years, so at this point, debating whether or not bags made out of monogram canvas will stick around is sort of beside the point. The look's staying power is undeniable and backed up by historical precedent. There aren't too many handbag disagreements for which you can say that.
2. Monogram Reads as a Neutral
I sometimes hear people complain that Louis Vuitton monogram is overexposed, but in a way, its ubiquity is an asset. Monogram canvas is so recognizable and widely carried that it reads as a particularly luxe neutral, which means it can be more versatile in your wardrobe than other prints might be.
3. As Handbags Go, They're Pretty Indestructible
Monogram canvas has more going for it than just appearances; Louis Vuitton bags, trunks and luggage often seem well night indestructible in the brand's famous coated canvases. They don't scratch, scuff or rip easily, which is part of the reason it's so easy to find pieces from the 80s and before in vintage stores: in spite of wear, they're still in a shape in which people want to use them after all those years. So in a physical sense, these bags will very literally stand the test of time.
4. The Print Can be Endlessly Remixed and Recontextualized
Ultimately, LV's monogram canvas is just a material, which means that it can be a million different things depending on whose mind is at work. The brand is also fairly free with altering the colors and texture of the monogram itself, so it can range all the way from ultra-girly to sporty and androgynous. Just look at how different Louis Vuitton monogram has looked under Nicolas Ghesquiere versus his predecessor, Marc Jacobs: Ghesquiere goes sharp and clean, while Jacobs preferred to play up the ornate potential of luxury travel.
5. A Little Flash Can be a Lot of Fun
To paraphrase the great Diana Vreeland: a little bad taste is like a dash of paprika. Even if you find designer logos and their ostentation distasteful, it's hard to argue that they're not occasionally fun, and it's not even particularly hard to pull off, no matter your usual wardrobe. Bags are an ideal accessory to dial an outfit up a notch, which makes a logo bag the perfect choice when you need a little nudge.
6. Logo Bags Will Always be Primed for Some Kind of Resurgence
Trends come in, go out and then come back in again. The minute something becomes as unfashionable as possible is the minute it starts to become cool again. So even if logo bags as a whole strike you as too trendy for your tastes, the longevity of Vuitton's monogram and the eternal recycling of fashion trends means the bag will still get a ton of use in its lifetime.
7. The Biggest Luxury Brand in the World Isn't Going Anywhere
Louis Vuitton is unchallenged in its scale and reach when it comes to the global luxury market. No other brand is anywhere close. LV knows how to appeal to luxury shoppers, and it has unparalleled resources with which to do so. Don't bet against them.
8. Ultimately, the Only Person Whose Opinion Counts is Yours
"Standing the test of time" is sort of arbitrary and meaningless. The bags are well-made and many of them are classic. Others are super fun seasonal pieces. Whether any of them but well in your wardrobe or make you happy should be entirely up to you and your budget, and in this or anything else, we wouldn't let the unsolicited opinions of others get you down.


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Bingleton Surname Ancestry Results
Our indexes 1000-1999 include entries for the spelling 'bingleton'. In the period you have requested, we have the following 1 record (displaying 1 to 1):
Try these...
bing-wo bingey bingfield bingford bingham bingham-hall bingham-powell bingham-wallis binghamlodres binghams bingheston binghm binghsm bingield bingin bingkam binglae bingland binglay bingle binglee bingley binglie binglow bingly bingmore bingnitt bingo bingoe bingol bingon bingord bingoys bingrove bings bingtress bingum binhall binham binhame
These sample scans are from the original record. You will get scans of the full pages or articles where the surname you searched for has been found.
Your web browser may prevent the sample windows from opening; in this case please change your browser settings to allow pop-up windows from this site.
Research your ancestry, family history, genealogy and one-name study by direct access to original records and archives indexed by surname.


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An ideal tile for those who love to play Dominos.
We love combining the traditional and distinctive blue and white of Delft with a modern, quirky depiction.
This charming tile mixed with the myriad of our tile designs will bring your walls to life. Think kitchen and sink splashbacks, bathrooms, around a door frame and/or a fireplace.
Each tile is hand painted in the UK and are made to order therefore; the designs and colours may differ slightly from the photographs shown.
Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery.
Delivery Lead Time:
6 weeks