text:
Computational Biology: Insights into Hemagglutinin and Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 Function
Kirk, Brian David
Ma, Jianpeng
Doctor of Philosophy
Influenza B virus hemagglutinin (HA) is a major surface glycoprotein with frequent amino-acid substitutions. However, the roles of antibody selection in the amino-acid substitutions of HA were still poorly understood. An analysis was conducted on a total of 271 HA 1 sequences of influenza B virus strains isolated during 1940∼2007 finding positively selected sites all located in the four major epitopes (120-loop, 150-loop, 160-loop and 190-helix) supporting a predominant role of antibody selection in HA evolution. Of particular significance is the involvement of the 120-loop in positive selection. Influenza B virus HA continues to evolve into new sublineages, within which the four major epitopes were targeted selectively in positive selection. Thus, any newly emerging strains need to be placed in the context of their evolutionary history in order to understand and predict their epidemic potential. As key epigenetic regulators, polycomb group (PcG) proteins are responsible for the control of cell proliferation and differentiation as well as stem cell pluripotency and self-renewal. To facilitate experimental identification of PcG target genes, which are poorly understood, we propose a novel computational method, EpiPredictor , which models transcription factor interaction using a non-linear kernel. The resulting targets suggests that multiple transcription factor networking at the cis -regulatory elements is critical for PcG recruitment, while high GC content and high conservation level are also important features of PcG target genes. To try to translate the EpiPredictor into human data, we performed a computational study utilizing 22 human genome-wide CHIP data to identify DNA motifs and genome features that would potentially specify PRC2 using five motif discovery algorithms, Jaspar known transcription binding motifs, and other whole genome data. We have found multiple motifs within the various subgroups of experimental categories that have much higher enrichment against CHIP identified gene promoter than among random gene promoters. Specifically, we have identified Low CpG content CpG Islands (LeG's) as being critical in the separation of Cancer cell line identified targets from Embryonic Stem cell line identified targets. Additionally, there are differences between human and mouse ES cell predictions using the same motifs and features suggesting relevant evolutionary divergence.


text:
Al Qaeda is major threat to EU: anti-terror chief
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Al Qaeda remains the major terrorist threat to the European Union and a fresh attack by Islamist militants is likely, the bloc's new anti-terrorism chief said on Monday.
"An attack perpetrated by local or international networks remains likely," Gilles de Kerchove, appointed in September to coordinate member states' counter-terrorism policies, told EU lawmakers.
"Al Qaeda ... continues to be the most serious terrorism threat to Europe," de Kerchove told the European Parliament's justice, liberty and security committee.
He said the movement founded by Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden, who inspired the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, inspired local radicals.
The Belgian official said many EU countries were particularly concerned by radical terrorism in North Africa.
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb grew out of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) in January, after winning approval from bin Laden to rename itself an al Qaeda affiliate.
Since then, the Islamists have launched a wave of attacks targeting Algerian security and Western interests.
"The fact that it has embraced Al Qaeda's international terrorism, and the Maghreb's geographical proximity to Europe brings terrorism closer to the borders of Europe," de Kerchove said.
Conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan had "a considerable impact on radicalization of extremists in Europe", he added.
Attack plots with suspected ties to Al Qaeda were foiled in Germany and Denmark in September.
An attack by British Islamist killed 52 people on July 7, 2005 on London's transport network.
Prosecutors say the March 2004 attack on Madrid, which killed 191 people, was carried out by a group linked to Al Qaeda.(Reporting by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Matthew Jones

subset: commoncrawl


text: Excerpt: After a first arc, circling the upper North of Thailand, this is the second half of the story, the lower North Thailand arc, with a stop over in Sukhothai. "An Unbroken Circle" Second part : Lower North Thailand See also first part: "An Unbroken Circle 1 - Upper North Thailand" https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/threads/34587-%93An-Unbroken-Circle%94-1.-Upper-North-Thailand Larger pictures and the complete photo story can be found at : https://picasaweb.google.com/campusadvise/NorthCircleLowerNorth# To the Old City of Sukhothai Itinerary from Nam Pat to Sukhothai: {} In reality, there was continuity in my journey around the North of Thailand, and the subdivision in two parts is just a writing convenience; This trip report is about the south-west arc. After a dull evening, the morning was cloudy and bleak. I left the hotel early, in direction of the "Sirikit Dam", located just twenty kilometres away (starting on route 1047, then shortly on 1046). The "Rabiang Nan" (Nan balcony) restaurant was already open (starting at six thirty) and I savoured a copious breakfast. With the greyish weather, my visit up to the dam did not harvest bright pictures, but it is still interesting to discover such majestic monuments. {} {} {} {} Back on route 1047, I continued my journey toward Pi Chai and Sukhothai, when I met the first natural shower of the day. It was intermittent and tenuous so that, at least for the moment, I was spared from slipping into my waterproof sealing. This road is an enjoyable link, with slopes through forests. After a bifurcation, on route 1214, it changes to straight links, running through the green landscape of the Klong Tron valley. Another crossing and I was following the more worn out route 1246, in direction of the highway 11 junction. {} {} {} {} It was sugar cane harvesting season and I appreciated the scene of farmers overloading their small trucks. No heavy lorries were collecting crops in that region as the yield is probably limited and small vehicles can handle the transportation tasks. {} {} {} Passing the intersection with highway 11, I continued straight to the West, on route 5003. After crossing the rail-road, I reached Pichai station, a halt on the Chiangmai - Bangkok train line. {} {} {} {} {} The city is named after Phraya Pichai, a heroic warrior who defeated the Burmese. His shrine, erected just behind the station, is a testimony to his bravour and loyalty to King Taksin. At that period, it was usual for guards to follow masters in their death. {} {} Crossing the Nan river, after Pichai, route 1104 drives toward Tron. Another bifurcation and I was on route 102 where rain became more persistent. With sixty kilometres left, it was worth to unpack the waterproof covers. {} {} {} {} {} In Sukothai I checked into « At Home » guesthouse (500 THB). A comfortable small place, actually a large private house, transformed in an accommodation. Food, books and wifi are available, in a cosy environment, without TV to spoil the ambiance. {} {} {} {} In order to prepare my next day's visit to the "Historical Park" of old Sukhothai, I toured the place and collected documents from the visitors information centre. In the evening, I only wanted some subsistence, a couple of drinks and an Internet connection. As everything was available in the guest house, I did not leave the place anymore. The distances from Nam Path to Sukhothai was 240 kilometres. I added another 60 kilometres of local tours. Someone heard my prayers to Buddha (he avoids to intervene in such matters) and I was gratified with the nicest weather in store in Thailand. No boring rain, no sun casting harsh shadows and making me sweat, but a sky draped with clear clouds and a light breeze to sense the freshness of the air. I spent the whole day rambling through the historic place, enjoying the rugged testimonials of past splendours, contrasting with the serene images of the Buddha. Ramkamheng's statue is an appropriate starting point for the visit of Old Sukhothai. The "Great King" initiated the Thai script, and promoted Theravada Buddhism. His contribution to the culture and national identity is paramount. My next call was Wat Maha Tat, a large edifice and the most important of the compound. Then whilst walking though the ruins of all these temples, I contemplated their majestic past and imagined an incredible heritage, had time and human destruction spared them. {} {} {} {} {} {} After a day in the park, my electronic memory was filled with souvenirs. The following overview is just an incentive, for people who have never visited Sukhothai, to include it in an itinerary. Additional (and larger) pictures are posted here: https://picasaweb.google.com/campusadvise/NorthCircleUpperNorth# Wat Chana Songram, wat Si Sawai (khmer style) wat Traphang Ngoen, Wat Sra Sri, wat Phra Pai Luang (khmer style), wat Sorasak (with the elephants) are some of the temples located inside the coumpound: {} {} {} {} {} {} {} {} {} {} Other temples are located outside the walls, for instance Wat Saphan Hin and Wat Si Chum (with famous Phra Achana image): {} {} {} {} {} {} {} The Kaliang road At 6 A.M, when I woke up, wet weather was well established. I had expected this downpour for several days; even so it is abnormal for the season. To wait for better skies was useless, and I packed everything waterproof, filled my stomach with a generous breakfast and started my journey on route 12 (Asian highway 16). The first part, toward Tak is a straight link. After that city, the ride goes up to the mountain, directly into the clouds. Visibility became poor and the lorries traffic important. The road itself, with three or four lanes, is enjoyable under better meteorological conditions. Travelling in the rain is uncomfortable, but still feasible, on these types of pavements. At eleven o'clock, I arrived in Mae Sot were I had planed to stop. Then, I reflected that driving another two hundred kilometres would give me more time and choices for the next days. After throwing down a couple of Amazon "black shots" (they are now everywhere), I continued my journey, climbing route 105 toward Mae Sarieng. Progressively, the rain dried out and blue colour replaced grey mist. The pavement was still wet, a reminder of the recent downpour, but the shower seemed over. As I reached Mae La refugee camp, I extracted my camera from her waterproof hiding. The view of these compact settlements, harbouring some 50'000 Karen refugees, is touching. Despite the romantic sight of traditional thatched houses, barbed wire fences and vigils at every entrance, point to the hardship of these displaced people. My feeling, during this trip, was that a lot more guards were on duty than during my previous visit. This might only be an impression. (="https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/threads/31631-Mae-Sot-a-short-loop" {} {} {} {} {} Business is done, directly on the road by Karen families selling what ever they yield from the forest. It was the season of "Dok Khae Khaao", the flowers of a wild tree, who are boiled and eaten with "nam prik" or "kaeng som". I am more interested in the sales people than by the vegetables and, when I asked about their origin, they answered, "we are Kaliang". {} {} {} {} {} {} After a wet morning, I enjoyed the weather on fancy route 105, the gentle curves, loving through the forest, and a smooth pavement on that sector. {} {} {} {} While the sun increased his celestial share, my double linen became uncomfortable and I looked for a place to rest. A gilden temple, next to a Karen village offered an appealing harbour. The Abbot of "Wat Phra Tat Jula Manee Sri Siam" welcomed me with food and drinks. His generous ration of roasted bee nests and bee larvae was a sweet treat, too big to be enjoyed at once. He also invited me to spend a night on the premises, during another trip. {} {} {} {} The temple has a statue of King Naresuan (Somdet Phra Naresuan Mahara) a monarch who fought the Burmese. His saga was recently brought to the modern screens. Around the place, ordained trees are protected from the covetousness of the neighbour village. Few materials, others than wood pillars, bamboo walls and thatched roofs, are available to build houses. Erecting a couple of shacks is, nevertheless, inconsequential compared to the logging abuses of the Salaween forest (1) {} {} {} The first hundred kilometers of route 105 are a racing track. Thailand invests heavily in improvements and developments of his roads network, building fabulous links with smooth pavements all around the country. The inconveniences of this process are portions under construction, with red dirt and gravels, and, just after, worn out trails. This "work in progress" scenario was ongoing, just before Mae Sarieng. {} {} {} {} {} {} {} Eventually I followed the Yuam valley and reached Mae Sarieng were I checked into Riverside Guest-house (350 THB).. {} {} {} {} I like to amble around this small city, short rides conduct to several interesting spots. {} {} My final destination was up a hill, paying a visit to wat Chom Thong. Sitting near a large Buddha image I watched the last colours of the day playing with the Yuam river. A strong breeze brought an agreeable freshness to this scenery. It was the end of a long day, starting under water but ending in a spectacular twilight. {} {} {} {} {} Total drive of the day 414 kilometres A Night in Pai Dawn broke with a fresh morning, one of the coldest since my departure on the North Circle. Some rainy days and Mae Sarieng's altitude cleaned the air and made it invigorating, without being chilling. Before leaving the city, I filled the bike's tank and bought a couple of 7/Eleven "treats" for breakfast. Down the road, monks were walking for alms, a happy beginning for everybody. {} {} {} After Mae Sarieng, the road's number changes to 108. It is again a nice winding trail, with his share of "77" milestones {} {} {} Just before Mae La Noi, a coffee shop catered for my "morning call". It is a relaxed stop-over, with a charming panorama on the valley. Traffic is light, particularly in the morning hours, and people are happy to chat, whilst preparing the drinks. {} {} {} The twisting continues toward Mae La Luang, Khun Yuam and finally Mae Hong Song, on a smooth winding forest road, boarded by colourful trees with a backdrop of scenic landscapes and plunging views toward valleys. {} {} {} {} {} {} I had visited Mae Hong Son recently and was not surprised by the cosmetic changes, since my first trip, about twenty years ago. (="https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/threads/31733-Mae-Hong-Son-loop-twenty-years-later" Whilst adapting to an increased tourist flow, the city has kept his magic and the character of a remote settlement. In the past, only "Bayoke Chalet" and few other places catered for foreigners. Now a KFC opened next door, and lodgings are available in all categories. {} {} {} {} {} As it was still early, my favored break, "Crossroad Pub", was closed, and I continued my journey. After the city, the link gets a new number and becomes route 1095. Out of the "1864 curves" of the Mae Hong Son loop, some of the most exhilarating were cut along this sector. Wrapped in a grandiose panorama, the ride through the region of Pang Mapha (Sophong) is a delight. {} {} {} At a roadside rest place, a couple of Lahu hill-tribe (Muser for Thai people), entertained passer-by with music. Despite the language barriers, it is possible to chat and joke with these people and to put souvenirs in the box. {} {} {} {} {} {} On and on, rolling and climbing, route 1095 leads to Kiu Lom view point and, eventually, down again toward Pai. {} {} {} {} {} {} In Pai, the northern hip city, I checked in to "Breeze of Pai Guest House" (500 THB, wifi). I could have completed my journey the same day, but as I had never spent a night in this city, I decided to give it a whirl. The relaxed atmosphere of a low season week day was pleasant, and I spent my time rambling and hanging out in tourist spots. {} {} {} {} {} My evening entertainment was similar, some food, some wine, a slow walk through narrows lanes, the gradual obscurity of the twilight and, finally, the end of a plentiful day. {} {} {} {} {} Journey from Mae sariaeng to Pai = 264 kilometres The blue tint of a spotless sky colored the small window of my bungalow. Dawn was breaking on another pleasant day and on the last short sector of my North Thailand circle. Without time pressure, I ambled to " The House" restaurant, for a lavish breakfast. {} {} {} {} Instead of taking route 1095, the main link toward Mae Taeng, I made a sidekick on route 4024 to May Yen, on the East side of the Pai river. This promenade drives through shady forest, scenic viewpoints toward the valley, and a couple of elephant camps. {} {} {} The final rush is on route 1095 again, passing the "77" kilometres marker to Mae Ma lai (Mae Taeng) and twisting through the remaining curves to close the loop on one of the most interesting and bending itineraries of the North. {} {} {} {} {} With the last roller coaster in front of me, I glided to the finishing line, the kilometer zero marker, at the beginning of route 1095. I got the ball rolling at that milestone, 10 days ago and had added 2354 kilometers to my odometer. {} {} The distance of the circle was 2354 kilometers, for a total journey of 2394 kilometers (adding the "radial" distances, Mae Rim to Mae Taeng and back). Local tours and side tracks are included. I spent nine and half days to complete the journey, including one full day excursion in Sukhothai. By cutting out the night in Pai, the driving would take just 8 days. Some corners could also be ironed out, for a smoother circle. However, the chosen itinerary follows mostly mountain roads, with pavement qualities from track race to "under construction" red dirt (and worse). Some sectors are straight, but the charms of this tour are the numerous winding and undulating roads, as well as the profusion and diversity of opportunities to stop for pictures. First part - Lower North Thailand https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/threads/34587-%93An-Unbroken-Circle%94-1.-Upper-North-Thailand Map of the circle: {} ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Index of links to my related stories: 1 - Mae Hong Son Loop – Twenty Years Later: ="https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/threads/31733-Mae-Hong-Son-loop-twenty-years-later" 2 - Mae Sot – A Short Loop: ="https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/threads/31631-Mae-Sot-a-short-loop" 3 - The quest for the Laughing Buddha: work in progress pictures only https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/threads/34907-North-Thailand-1-The-quest-for-the-Lauging-Buddha 4 - The North by the Book : work in progress pictures onlyhttps://picasaweb.google.com/campusadvise/NorthThailandMotorcycleTour# https://picasaweb.google.com/campusadvise/NorthThailand99# 5 - A New Golden Triangle work in progress no pictures posted yet 6 - A Loop through Eastern North of Thailand: ="https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/threads/34267-A-loop-through-Eastern-North-of-Thailand" 7 - Down The Central Plains: ="https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/threads/34445-Touring-The-Khorat-Plateau-first-part-Down-The-Central-Plains" 8 - Crossing the Border: ="https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/threads/33280-An-Easy-Road-to-Laos-1-Crosing-the-border" 9 – Bridges and Mountains: ="https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/threads/32199-Bridges-and-Mountains-Mukdahan-to-Chiangmai" 10 - Back to Northern Mountains no pictures posted yet (1) On Salaween logging some examples: http://www.ecologyasia.com/news-archives/2003/apr-03/bangkokpost_030424_1.htm http://www.burmalibrary.org/reg.burma/archives/199906/msg00167.html


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But, just like when the first Cottman opened back in 1962, at our core we're transmission specialists. We've spent years developing our skills and reputation as your neighborhood transmission repair shop.
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text:
Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella
1/2 c. shredded cheddar
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 slices bacon, cut into 2″ strips
3 jalapeños, thinly sliced
Preheat oven to 400º. Make 5 slits in each breast, being careful not to cut through completely. Transfer to a small baking sheet and season all over with salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese, mozzarella, cheddar, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Stuff each chicken breast with bacon, sliced jalapeños, and cream cheese mixture. Bake until bacon is crisp and chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, about 25 minutes.


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From Literary Hub:
The bookstore next to my apartment is one of the few places where a budding writer can go in New York to and feel nothing but optimism about their literary prospects. People don't just go there to buy books: they go there to gape at books, to think about books, to read—or fondle—books. Among the shelves of essays, short stories and criticism, the store has also set aside a few rows for writing manuals penned by icons like Stephen King and Haruki Murakami, advising aspiring writers on everything from how to construct a sentence to the best time to go to bed. Those who have gathered the courage to actually put words on paper can move on to the store's book printing machine; I've seen many MFA grads pay a few bucks to get their thesis printed in book form, just as I've seen many hopefuls pay some additional bucks to display their paperbacks on the store's self-publishing shelves.
Having recently graduated from an MFA program with a price tag higher than the average annual household income myself, this store is a comforting place for a writer. Inside, it feels less outrageous to have spent all this money to study how to be a writer. If so many places and services exist just to cater for writers like me, then surely that means the industry is booming?
This daydream extends beyond my book store. After graduation, an informal system of readings, talks, and other events exists to fill up the time I would have otherwise spent in school. I can go to a panel on Elena Ferrante to mingle with other writers and feel part of a literary community. Instead of my neighborhood cafe, I can take my laptop to one of the many co-working spaces especially designated for writers that can offer me a desk, like-minded company, and a reason to get dressed in the morning. Even if I were to move away from New York entirely, the internet would still offer a wide enough net of writerly support: there are complete industries offering online seminars on pitching, or remote workers that provide an editor's eye—as long as I'm willing to pay the fee.
What all of this seems to point to is the emergence of writing as a lifestyle good. Grad programs and services catering for writers are growing while newspapers and magazines shrink from repeated rounds of lay-offs, and this demonstrates exactly how living like a writer is no longer necessarily correlated to actually working as one.
Link to the rest at Literary Hub


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There are two impulses in a human mind – one which says 'DO' and the other that says 'DO NOT'. The mind weighs the good and the bad and uses an inbuilt scoring model which factors in one's risk appetite to finally make a decision. Everything we do or do not gives rise to a parallel universe. When we do something that changes the way of life, we have caused a disruption. Not only is the immediate impact profound but it also gets attributed as a state in chaos theory giving birth to a chain of events that creates a new history. Spare a minute to think about what the world would be like if we hadn't invented fire, wheels or for that matter a mobile phone.
When Graham Bell invented the telephone (s)he most certainly had not envisioned the universe as it is today, thanks to the mobile phone. That's saying something given the visionary (s)he was. The mobile has compressed the camera, GPS, diary, CDs, CD players and many more such objects all into one compact form that fits in our pocket.
If I were to choose what are the most powerful tools that a mobile offers then I would have to say location, omnipresent internet followed by a camera. Mobile has changed the way we find places to go to, be it a restaurant or our favorite store and the way we navigate, to such an extent that now I just can't get lost even when I try. Similarly, having a camera on your person has revolutionized life as we knew it. When I was a kid, my mom used to write letters to tell my grandparents when I took my first step, said my first words and describe every single milestone. Now I take a video of my little angel and WhatsApp it to my 70 year old parents. That's how much life has changed in the last 15 years. RIP the payphone, the walkman, the bank branch. The bank branch?
While in college, I had to open an account in the bank branch at my campus so that I could keep all my cash there. I used to get a pay order every time I went home during semester breaks for my expenses… Yes I know I am ancient (sigh). Once back I would have to fill up a form, stand in queue to deposit the DD in my account and when I wanted to get money out … well fill up a form and stand in queue again. Further, I had something called a passbook which maintained a record of the exact amount in my account so I had to ensure it is kept up to date too. What it took to do that … voila … stand in queue again. This process of filling up a form and standing in queue used to repeat itself many times over since given my limited resources in terms of moolah, I wanted to ensure that the balance in my leather wallet didn't spark a spending spree. So, what better than keep it all in the bank where it is safe? If my money ran out, dad had to wire money from my hometown and it took almost a week to reach me. The train journey to college took lesser time than that.
Well, all of us quadragenarians would remember many such nostalgic moments. However, the good old days are gone. The good new days are here.
The mobile has changed life for good for every possible rung of the pyramid. We have looked here at disruptions that the mobile triggered across the globe in the recent years.
Beyond banking the unbanked
The emerging economies have a lot to offer if one starts researching "mobile first" and "mobile only" initiatives that have been successful. mPesa is most probably the most famous example. With the limited financial infrastructure available in the country, Safaricom offered a person means to transfer money through his mobile phone. The offering was invaluable because it allowed transactions 24×7 and the recipient received the money instantly, something which the banks couldn't offer at the time. However, all of us have read about the success of mPesa and analysis of why it succeeded. So I won't harp on that. What I would like to draw your attention to would be the impact that this service has had beyond banking the unbanked.
I refer to a study published by the IRIS Centre, University of Maryland and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in July 2011 called 'Water Delivery through Payment Platform – M-PESA Pushes the Rural Frontier'[1]. The IRIS centre conducted a study from April to June of 2010 in Katitika, Kenya. Katitika is one of many small villages in the Eastern Province of Kenya, almost four hours drive from Nairobi. The region is prone to poor rainfall and faced severe water shortage following the two year long draught ending in 2009. The water project, run by Grundfos Lifelink was the first of 40 such water projects in Kenya that provide clean, hygienic water in rural areas.
The project nicknamed maji ya compiuta or "Computer Walet" was launched in 2009 as a collaboration between mPesa and Grundfos. It allows villagers to put money in their water cards through an mPesa account. The owner of the account and the water card need not be the same thus allowing anyone to send what is termed "water money" through their mPesa account. Given the lack of electricity in the village in 2010, rare few had a mobile phone. However, the few that did recharged the water cards for the others in the village. Some of the benefits that the study outlines are as follows:
- Reduction in corruption: In many villages where cash was used instead of water cards, the water supervisors would charge a premium rate from villagers. Thus, mobile money made clean water affordable for a larger number of people and individuals could buy more water.
- Banking water money: Since the water money cannot be withdrawn or cashed out, loading the money into the cards implied that the money had to be used for buying clean water. This ensured that the villagers did not spend the cash that was meant for buying water on other expenses.
- Reduction in water borne disease: Given the increased access to safe and clean drinking water resulted in lower rates of water borne diseases.
This is just one example of how mobile money has changed life across Kenya. Beyond such social projects, mobile money often extends itself into the paradigm of micro financing allowing the poor to earn interest on their deposits or get loans when needed.
The mobile POS
Sometimes we narrow our definition of users to mean consumers only. We completely forget that there are many others such as merchants, the operations team running the system or the revenue assurance team trying to make money. When we remember these forgotten users, we find many unmet needs which are a breeding ground for disruption. In the payments world, the acquiring business had for years lived a mundane life with no one focusing on how they could turn things over their head till square came up with the mobile POS.
What the mobile POS offered was just two simple things
- Convert your mobile to a payment acceptance terminal
- Take your payment register along with you wherever your business goes
It's not that the POS industry did not think of mobility. They did create a POS terminal that works on mobile data and can be carried around. What linking of a smart device like the mobile with the dongle did was that it created a one stop shop for the merchant whereby (s)he could accept payment and access various value added services all in one smart phone application. Let's look at some of the examples of how mobile POS has made life easier for the user.
In multiple countries including Hong Kong and India, insurance service providers now allows instant issuance of insurance at the doorstep. The insurance agent is equipped with a tablet and a mobile POS dongle. Once the various options are presented and the customer selects the insurance (s)he would like to buy, the agent uses an application to fill up the customer details and takes pictures of all the documents required for processing the insurance. The customer's presents his card and on successful payment, the insurance policy is activated in real time. A process which earlier used to take up anywhere between 5-8 working days now takes 10-15 minutes to complete. Further, by integrating with sales tools like salesforce.com, the application can provide real time data to the agent on his target, actual sales, %age of target achieved all in real time too. It also allows the agent to view all his transactions on a rich interface with support for visual tools such as graphs.
In another case, for an eCommerce vendor, the delivery partner is able to chalk out an optimum route for delivery and can navigate to the destination all through his mobile POS app which is integrated with the order management backend. It allows real time payments to be made to the merchant account as well as update the delivery status instantaneously.
While each of these could exist in isolation as separate applications on the mobile phone, the integrated mobile POS app creates an unparallel value proposition for the merchant and that is the power of mobile.
Remote Deposit Capture
Remote deposit capture or RDC was first introduced in 2003. While many countries have enabled interbank settlement of checks through RDC, a few have embraced it as a way for consumers to deposit their checks through their mobile banking application. Over time the number of checks that are submitted have reduced. However by leveraging the mobile camera, banks have made it truly convenient for consumers to get funds instantaneously by depositing a check in real time.
Biometrics and financial services
Since Apple Pay, biometric based authentication and authorization is gaining wide acceptance. There are many initiatives we see today which look to ride on biometrics for authenticating the user and in some cases for authorizing transactions. Not only has Apple Pay triggered inclusion of biometric sensors and software in other mobile phones, but it has also triggered a change is strategy where more and more financial institutions are considering biometric as a reliable means to authenticate the user.
There are multiple ways in which financial service providers are looking to leverage biometrics. From facial recognition software for mobile phones, retina scanning, voice biometric to linking point of sale terminals to biometric readers, we will definitely see higher adoption in the coming years.
Contextual Interactions
Every customer is unique. Gone are the days where customers used to belong to segments. For any product offering today, the segment size is one. The parameters to segment have gone beyond demography by multitudes – location, basket of goods, RFM analysis, social profile, channel analytics, websites visited, yada yada yada. Data scientists are the flavor of the day as businesses are trying to translate the complex human decision making to an algorithm than can tell them what to sell to whom and when. Mobile has allowed businesses to create a customized experience for each customer.
PayPal has leveraged BLE to provide such an experience for their merchants as well as customers. When a PayPal customer walks into a partner merchant store, the beacon detects the location and automatically checks the customer into the store. Once checked in, PayPal allows the customer to make a hands free payment. They do this by pushing the customer profile which includes a picture on the POS for the merchant to map a bill to the customer. That's it. The customer just picks up what (s)he wants and walks away, the merchant doesn't need to swipe a card and spends the minutes saved on serving another customer.
In Conclusion
What I have covered above is just a few cases of how the mobile phone has changed the way people interact with financial service providers and how they consume financial services. There are many more such innovations which are in the works right now.
I started this article by looking at a personal experience from my past and I will end with predicting a possible (not probable) experience that I foresee in my future.
My daughter who goes to college in another country wants to go for an expedition with friends. I'm driving my car when she makes a call asking for money. I answer using my car control. My mobile OS which is monitoring the call detects a keyword – send money – and prompts 'Srinivas, would you like to send money to Sravya?' I say 'Yes' and it redirects me to my banking app where the payee details are already pre-populated to the caller's identity i.e. my daughter's account details and the amount as requested by her during the call. The application requests authorization, I speak my password which the bank validates along with a voice biometric authentication and transfers the money to my daughter in real time. And all this while along with the voice commands, I am busy cautioning my daughter on how she should carry warm clothes and ensure that she calls me every day to let me know where she is and that she should carry a first aid kit just in case.
We are building our future today.


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Some pictures are so powerful to melt someone's heart. They are the photos that actually say a thousand words. It can be the photography or designed image. Heart touching images are the depiction of the emotions and thoughts. It becomes easier to say the things through those images that you cannot say otherwise. We all share such kind of images when we feel sad on our social media accounts. Some of us also make them as their display or profile picture to convey it to their friends that they are going through hard days of life.
Such images can be related to love or friendship or may be about the hardships of life. It is like a catharsis and expression of your pain that you can say with the heart touching photos. Even, you can prove your sincerity and love with the help of the images.
Images with Quotes
The photos with a heart-warming quotation can melt someone and sometimes even break them into tears. What the casual words does not hold can be said with the sayings and quotations. Love quotations or motivational quotes have the power to touch the heart. You can download the images with Hindi quotes also. The heart touching pictures with quotes engage the mind and soul of the viewer and are so impactful with the words of wisdom that it can inspire people and make you say something that you were not able to.
Images with Poetry and Poems
Nothing can be more powerful in terms of touching the heart other than poetry. Poems and poetry says big things in less words and in creative way. The images are created and enhanced with the poetry or the poem written on an impactful photo. Those can also be Hindi verses or English poems.
Love Wallpapers
Love is the ultimate feeling that reaches direct to the heart. Forever together pictures, heart image, heartbroken images, love failure images, breakup images, and cheating in love image are all expressive about the pain and the deepness of the feelings. You can send them to the person directly to say the things indirectly and smoothly without make it rude.
Sad Images
Usually the sad images are more heart touching while sometimes a smiling face can also be. The sad image with flowers, sad teddy, and broken heart, photography of the sad girl or boy and other elements are perfect as profile picture on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram or social media profiles.
Alone Images
You can find the heart touching alone images for the depiction of loneliness and the ache it carries. These images are photography based, later designed by the designers and added with sad or motivating quotes. These images have a lonely girl or boy, an empty station or swing, a long empty road, rain ironically attached with the tears and leaving hands.
You can download heart touching images that is symbolic for your condition.
Professional Content Writer, SEO Expert and good experience in Digital Marketing.


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Take this important step to protect yourself.
December 13, 2018 -
As a teenager, I can remember overhearing my grandfather, who at that time was in his 70s, discussing personal finances with my father. Their conversations covered a range of topics, from the stock market, to his estate plan, to his health, medical care and beyond. I knew that my father was my grandfather's executor and remember thinking, 'I am glad dad is looking out for grandpa.' Fast forward 30+ years and now I find myself having those same conversations with my father. While times may have changed, the conversations stay the same.
Over the last 30 years, America has seen a tremendous demographic shift; one that seems likely to continue well into the future. As many sociologists note, America is an aging population. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), "in the United States, the 2010 Census recorded the greatest number and proportion of people age 65 and older in history: 40.3 million, or 13% of the total population. In 2050, the population aged 65 and over is projected to be more than double, 83.7 million. In addition, the number of those aged 85 and over is projected to grow from 5.9 million in 2012 to 8.9 million in 2030 and to 18 million by 2050. Another demographic trend is older women outnumbering older men. In 2010 there were 89 men per 100 women among those aged 65 to 69 and 38 men per 100 women among those aged 90 and over."
So what do these statistics mean? We are living longer, women in particular. As medical science advances, so too does life expectancy; however, as we age, we become more dependent on others, reliant on medical care and treatments for chronic conditions, susceptible to diseases like dementia and Alzheimer's, and sadly vulnerable to elder abuse and financial exploitation. Fortunately, recent regulatory changes have been put into effect which are designed to protect senior investors.
In February 2018, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) implemented rule changes that require member firms to make a reasonable effort to identify a trusted person for their clients. While this person would not necessarily have power of attorney or trading authority on the specified account, this person would be contacted if a financial advisor is concerned that a client is suffering from diminished mental capacity or elder abuse. The trusted contact can be anyone the client appoints; a family member, a friend, or a confidant. While the trusted contact is only part of FINRA's rule changes aimed at protecting seniors, it is an important first step for firms in protecting customers from exploitation. It also grants clients the power to establish who has their best interests in mind, and who they can trust to look out for them. As you sit down this holiday season with family and friends, I encourage you to think about who is looking out for you, or others in your family.
Establishing a trusted contact, while not a substitute for the establishment of a power of attorney and proper estate planning, is a good first step and one that should not be overlooked. If you have not done so, ask your financial advisor about establishing a trusted contact for your accounts. For those who have already done so, I recommend you review your trusted contact no less than annually. For more information on FINRA's senior protection rules visit to www.finra.org/investors.


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Customer Story
Beyond Likes: Social Media That Drives Results
When Microsoft wanted to bring OneNote to the classroom, they chose Bridge Partners to connect with educators.
Changing the way students learn
Do you feel sentimental when you see a chalkboard or Trapper Keeper? They might take you back to your childhood, but there's a good chance your kids have never seen either one in their classroom. More and more, educators are leveraging technology to connect with students. And according to recent research, parents, students, and teachers agree: innovation is a good thing.
Helping teachers work smarter, not harder
While teachers want and need better technology, it can be a challenge to find the right solution. Microsoft OneNote fills a void by bringing a new dimension of organization and collaboration to the classroom. Microsoft approached Bridge Partners with the challenge: introduce a transformational product to an underserved market segment. Bridge Partners led the social media campaign to connect with educators, an audience that may not proactively shop for software solutions, and drive traffic to onenoteforteachers.com.
Bridge Partners offered the experience and vision needed to craft the strategy as well as the tactical skills and subject matter expertise to drive the day-to-day operations of an integrated campaign. The team developed end-to-end campaign specifications and led content design, delivery, and analysis of the results.
"Bridge Partners provided valuable direction on how to deliver my OneNote content to the educator, while building out a robust editorial calendar to create a sustainable educator journey."– Ari Schorr, Product Marketing Manager, Microsoft OneNote


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The WhiteCap Standard Crawl Space Liner is what made the WhiteCap brand a household name. This high strength, cord reinforced, polyethylene liner is superior to what you find in big box stores and made to be a permanent fixture when installed properly. Our WhiteCap Standard Crawl Space Liner will not break down over time like common plastics and they are highly resistant to tears by design. WhiteCap Standard is available in 12 mil and 20 mil nominal thickness which makes it ideal for complete crawl space encapsulation of the walls and floor. The Standard liners are designed for encapsulating crawl spaces with average traffic which is the majority of crawlspaces out there. Proper installation from your local Certified WhiteCap Installer will help to prevent mold, mildew, structural rot, nasty odors and even reduces energy and HVAC costs in many cases. Once the vapor barrier is installed, the encapsulation process is complete with the addition of the WhiteCap PureDry70 dehumidifier to control humidity and clean the air. To learn more about the WhiteCap Standard Crawl Space Liner and see if it's the right fit for your crawlspace, contact your local Certified installer today.
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Grand Magister Blackwood The Leader of Theistic Satanism Blasts The Church of Satan Revisited Part 2! For Recent Commentary
www.templesofsatan.com April 17th 2009 Temples of Satan Follow Up May 4th 2009 Recent comments by Ygraine a Church of Satan spokesperson has infuriated Grand Magister Blackwood and his Temples of Satan Clergy. In her explicit commentary she rants: The Satanic Bible Presents the Only Legitimate Satanic Religion. The Satanic Bible to Novice Satanists is considered a viable source, however to the more knowledgeable and educated person its represents nothing more than another H. P. Lovecraft type novel. The Enochian Calls and mishmash prayer's to a deity he didn't even recognize makes his works in vain. While many groups and organizations today claim to be "Satanic", only the philosophy practiced by the members of the Church of Satan and those who adhere to The Satanic Bible can rightfully be called Satanists. Once again to think the accomplishments of Allee, Aquino, Vera, or Blackwood mean nothing is simply arrogant and shows us the example of how The Church of Satan pretends to be elite and offers up little other than the rants of a long dead "Carnival Showman" and his inheritors who can barely muster a Satanic Ideology. All others are merely variations of Christian Heretics and devil worshipers. Given the recent upsurge in alleged ritual abuse, now more than ever, it is essential that only one definition of Satanism be accepted. The variations make it a variable religion as a whole, and to claim it as your own shows plain ignorance and poor thought, the true inheritors to our religion are those who run the other organizations throughout the world, not only from a desktop but from a room, and from an office. It is the Temples of Satan position to declare the Church of Satan as Pseudo Satanist's and allows them to hold such an honor. Perhaps they can claim the title Modern Satanism, however not the title Satanism or Satanic it is a word owned by no one, and The Temples of Satan is far from claimant to such the word Satanism, we however do promote Theistic Satanism. The New Leader of Theistic Satanism Grand Magister Blackwood continues to forward Satanism along with Diane Vera, and others and offers a look into Satanism that The Church of Satan could never comprehend. So this day The Temples of Satan and Church of Theistic Satanism, along with The Reformed Church of Satan and The Church of Satanism have declare they no longer recognize the Church of Satan as viable Church and deem them Pseudo Satanic, under correct verbiage of such a term. Thanks and Hail Satan! Grand Magister Blackwood Magister Alexander Magistra C. Woods The Satanic Bible can rightfully be called Satanists. All others are merely variations of Christian Heretics and devil worshipers. Given the recent upsurge in alleged ritual abuse, now more than ever, it is essential that only one definition of Satanism be accepted. Lets revisit Anton La Vey and his falsehoods once again to expose the falsehood of The Church of Satan courtesy of various authorship. This information can be found on http://www.templesofsatan.com Myth 1. His name was actually Anton Szandor LaVey. "Anton Szandor LaVey" was not his birth name, in fact it was actually "Howard Stanton Levey". [SOURCES: Birth certificate 4/11/1930, Cook County, Illinois. Confirmed by relatives.] Myth 2. Anton LaVey and the people who follow his "philosophy" are the "real" Satanists, while the Satanic killers like the Mansons and the Night Stalker Killer are just the "nuts". The truth is, LaVey prescribed rituals for Satanists that normal people would find crazy. For instance, a nude girl is used as an altar (Satanic Bible, Satanic Rituals). A human skull is used in Die Elektrischen Vorspiele ritual (Satanic Rituals, p. 109). A human leg bone or arm bone is used in Homage to Tchort ritual (p.137). A woman dressed as nun urinates before group into a bedpan in the Black Mass ritual (p.43). The urine is then sprinkled like holy water (p.44). A man climbs into coffin with nude woman (or nude man if he is gay) in Le Epais ritual (p.59). LaVey gives instructions for "turning into a werewolf" that include running around outside on all fours with a wolf mask (The Devil's Notebook) . LaVey claimed nuts were quickly given "the bum's rush" when they tried to join his Church of Satan. That still didn't stop two of the Masons (Susan Atkins and Bobby Beaseliel) and Richard "The Night Stalker " Rameriez from joining. Satanist Patricia Hall was arrested for murder of an elderly man in Florida, and participated in the flogging and gang rape of a teenage girl. She claimed to have been baptized by LaVey himself, which he of course later denied. There have also been other thrill killers that have claimed to have been members of the Church of Satan, even though LaVey later deined it. Even if they weren't officially CoS members (most Satanist aren't), it proves criminally minded, violent people are attracted to Satanism. Susan Atkins actually appeared with LaVey and a couple of other girls in a corny strip club act. She played a vampire, not surprising when you consider she licked the blood stained knife she killed Sharon Tate and her unborn child with. Bobby Beausoleil appeared in the movie by fellow Church of Satan member Kenneth Anger, Lucifer Rising. During the Tate/Labianca murders, Beausoleil told his terrified vicitms, "I'm the Devil, and I'm here to do the Devil's business!" A fourth killer/cannibal, Stanley Baker, who actually ate his victims, was caught en route to meet LaVey. Would LaVey have given this 3rd person the heave ho? Maybe, Maybe not. LaVey claimed that he too, and members of the Church of Satan, once dined on a human leg (Satan Wants You, also mentioned in The Church of Satan and The Secret Life of a Satanist). The leg was obtained (obviously illeagally) by a CO$ member who was a pathologist from a local hospital, at least according to LaVey. No LaVey family member has ever denied this event happened. The leg was prepared by Diane in Triple Sec with fried grub worms on the side, supposedly how they serve human flesh in New Guinea. The only participant who reportedly ate the worms was LaVey's 3 year old daughter Zeena, and most members were to sqeemish to actually eat the leg meat. See the Occult Crime webpage and you'll notice a disproportionate number of crimes commited by Satanists. There's a reason for that, and it can't be dismissed as "Satanic panic". Myth 3. LaVey claimed his parents were Joseph and Augusta LaVey. They were actually named Michael and Gertrude Levey. He probably lied about their real names to cloud his uneventful past. [SOURCES: Birth certificate 4/11/1930, Cook County, Illinois. Confirmed by ASL's daughter Zeena and daughter Karla according to her entry on ASL's death certificate. ] Myth 4. LaVey claimed he was introduced to the Dark Side by his Transylvanian Gypsy grandmother, who regaled him as a child with supernatural folklore and tales of vampires and werewolves. But his grandmother was not Transylvanian nor of Gypsy stock. She was a Ukrainian named Cecile Luba Primokov-Coulton ("Coulton" was Anglicized from "Koltonoff"). Despite his frequent claims, ASL had no Gypsy ancestry. Gypsies are very clannish people, and seldom marry non-Gypsies. [SOURCES: Relatives, including ASL's parents. King of The Gypsies by Richard Maas] Myth 5. In 1945 the 15-year-old ASL was brought to the ruins of postwar Germany by his uncle, a U.S. Coast Guard officer. There the teenaged ASL was shown top-secret films inspired by Satanic cult lodges and their rituals. ASL claimed that the "German" rituals in his 1972 book The Satanic Rituals were actual transcripts of the filmed rituals he saw as a youth. In fact, little Howie spent the entirety of 1945 in suburban northern California, and never visited Germany at any time in his life. The uncle who he claimed brought him to Germany was incarcerated at McNeill Island Penitentiary for involvement with Al Capone-related criminal activity during 1945, and was never even in the armed forces. Allied martial law forbade U.S. citizens from visiting postwar Germany. The "German" rituals in The Satanic Rituals are written in extremely poor, Anglicized German. They are clearly uncredited adaptations of the short story _The Hounds of Tindalos_ by Frank Belknap Long and H.G. Wells' famous novel The Island of Dr. Moreau. [SOURCES: ASL relatives, former wife Diane LaVey, _The Hounds of Tindalos_, _The Island of Dr. Moreau_, _The Satanic Rituals_, Church of Satan member Rosalind Herkommer (who translated ASL's rituals into German).] Myth 6. The 15-year-old ASL played second oboe with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, making him the youngest musician ever to play with that prestigious institution. There was in fact, no "San Francisco Ballet Orchestra" in 1945. The San Francisco Ballet was accompanied by a local orchestra, whose records show that none of its three oboists was named "Levey" or "LaVey". [SOURCES: San Francisco Performing Arts Library & Museum, San Francisco, California. ] Myth 7. In 1947 ASL ran away from home and joined the Clyde Beatty Circus. The Circus employed the 17-year-old as a lion tamer. He then replaced the Circus calliope player, accompanying such famous Beatty acts as the Concellos, Harold Alanza, and the Cristianis. But the reality is, the voluminous Beatty archives show no record of a "Levey" or "LaVey" as lion tamer or musician. The Concellos, Alanza, and Cristianis were never Beatty performers; they worked exclusively for the Ringling Brothers Circus. [SOURCES: Beatty 1947 Route Books, Circus World Museum, Baraboo, Wisconsin (Wright, "SD", page 67); ASL relatives. ] Myth 8. : In 1948 the 18-year-old ASL was engaged to play organ at the Mayan burlesque theater in Los Angeles. There he met a young stripper named Marilyn Monroe, with whom he had a passionate love affair in the period before her rise to film stardom. According to ASL, Monroe had resorted to stripping to pay her rent. As proof of his relationship with Monroe, ASL later showed visitors a copy of Monroe's famous nude calendar inscribed "Dear Tony, How many times have you seen this! Love, Marilyn". Guess what? He lied! LaVey never knew Monroe. Monroe intimate Robert Slatzer and Harry Lipton, Monroe's agent in 1948, have exposed and discredited this tale. Lipton paid Monroe's expenses, including her rent. Paul Valentine, director of the Mayan Theater, has stated that the Mayan was never a burlesque theater, and that neither Monroe nor ASL ever worked for the Mayan in any capacity. Diane LaVey, ASL's former wife, has admitted that she forged the "Monroe" inscription on the calendar. ASL's former publicist Edward Webber claims ASL admitted he never knew Monroe. If you were hoping Satanism could help you get girls (or guys), it can't. [SOURCES: Diane LaVey, Paul Valentine (Wright, "SD", page #68), Harry Lipton (Aquino-Lipton conversation 12/1/82), Robert Slatzer (letter to Aquino 11/27/82), Edward Webber (interview by Aquino 6/2/91). ] Myth 9. ASL was exposed to the savagery of human nature during his stint as a San Francisco Police photographer in the early 1950s. The San Francisco Police Department past employment records include no "Howard Levey" nor "Anton LaVey". Frank Moser, who was a SFPD photographer in the early 1950s, said that ASL never worked for the Department. In the snuff film Death Scenes, the narator mentions LaVey was given a book of crime scene photos by a police photographer friend, which is probably how LaVey conned people into believeing he himself had been a police photographer. [SOURCES: SFPD records, Frank Moser (Wright, "SD", page 68), Death Scenes Video]. Myth 10. ASL studied criminology at San Francisco City College during the Korean War. SFCC has no record of ASL's enrollment at any time. LaVey was, in fact, a high school dropout who never attended college or even earned his G.E.D. (And sorry, reading a bunch of books doesn't count as a college education). [SOURCES: SFCC records (Wright, "SD", page 68). ] Myth 11. Anton LaVey is often refered to as "Dr. LaVey". LaVey never actually earned a doctorate, he simply awarded himself a "Doctorate of Satanic Theology". The Church of Satan was not authorized to grant degrees by the State of California, so it was about like anyone awarding themselves any type of degree they felt qualified for. Or it's like buying a $29.95 "Doctor of Divnity" degree from the Universal Life Church. The degree was not a genuine college degree, and actually worthless other than as a novelty item, or to impress non-critical youung readers. LaVey in fact never attended college, but was a high school dropout, as mentioned. You could download the faux "Doctor of Demonology" degree from the equally faux Miskatoic University on the homepage, and it would have the same academic value. Myth 12. LaVey did not actually claim to believe in magic. This is a myth atheistic Satanist believe in. The reality is, the Satanic Bible gave very specific details about how to casr spells to make them effective. LaVey detailed timing, imagery, clothing, the balance factor, which Enochian key to use for what purpose, etc., LaVey also warned Satanist to always acknowledge the things that they had gained by magic, or else they would lose them. In the Devil's Notebook, there's a chapter about how to make Satanic Magic work. LaVey seemed to eschew mysticism, but also endorse it. In his ghost written autobiography, The Secret Life of a Satanist, Lavey mentions a mysterous strecth of California highway where he "saw something large and black crawling sideways like a crab". He claimed after Jayne Mansfield's death, a lightbulb blew out and his wife saw a ghostly pink heart. Anothert time, he crawled under a theater that was about to be torn down, and saw "unearthly things" like demons, and got out when he saw something flying toward him. He also claimed that as a child electrical equipment malfunctioned whenever daughter Zeena was around. Clearly, his view was ambiguous at best. Myth 13. LaVey treated the members of the Church of Satan kindly and was unjustly stabbed in the back by many of them. The reality is LaVey routinely blackmailed members of the Church of Satan, according to defector P.E.I. Bonewitz, whom LaVey called a "not-so-sour-grapes authority" in the Devil's Notebook. It seems it was LaVey who was doing the backstabbing. [SOURCE: Real Magic by P.E.I. Bonewitz] Myth 14. The Church of Satan was a body of open minded and tolerant individuals. Defector P.E.I. Bonewitz noted most of the members of the Church of Satan were racists. LaVey seemed at first to welcome homosexuals, Jews, blacks, and anyone else into his church in the 1960's who had cash to join. But by the 80's, LaVey was writing to appeal to Neo-Nazis and KKK members, as The Church of Satan and The Secret Life of a Satanist indicate. LaVey supposedly accepted a membership in the National Resistance Party ( a Neo-Nazi Group) in 1970, according to defector Michael Aquino. In 1979 the NRP staged a rally marking the 10th aniversary of the "sacrifice" of Sharon Tate by Charles Manson, in which the daughter Zeena read from the Satanic Bible. Zeena herself seems to be anti-Semetic from some of her online writings (who do you think she learned it from) and is married to a Manson follower named Nicholas Shrek. Aquino's break away group, The Temple of Set, is disturbinbgly facinated with Nazism. The Satanic movement seems to attract a very high percentage of racists and Neo-Nazis. {SOURCES Real Magic by P.E.I. Bonewitz Raising Hell by Michael Newton, the "Unfather letter" written by Zeena, posted online] Myth 15. LaVey didn't really believe in the Devil. Church of Satan defector's have noted LaVey never really made his position on the Devil's existence clear. Michael Aquino for instance said at times LaVey seemed to say Satan was a dark force of nature, and at other times he seemed to talk as though he believed the Devil were a personification – – even referring to him as "the man downstairs". His position seems ambiguous at best. [SOURCE: Crystal Tablet of Set by Michael Aquino] Myth 16. ASL purchased the house at 6114 California Street (which would later become the headquarters of the Church of Satan – the infamous "Black House") because he discovered on first inspection that it was the former brothel of Barbary Coast madam Mammy Pleasant. The house was honeycombed with trapdoors and secret passageways, built by Pleasant to elude police raids. The fact is 6114 was actually ASL's parents' home. It was never a brothel, nor did Mammy Pleasant ever live or work there. ASL's parents first allowed ASL and his first wife Carole to live in the house, then transferred ownership of it to ASL and his second wife Diane in 1971. Such secret passages and hidden rooms that exist were constructed by ASL. [SOURCES: Relatives, San Francisco property records (Michael & Gertrude Levey, Joint Tenancy Grant Deed, July 9, 1971). ] Note: The house was demolished a few years after LaVey's death, depite efforts of Satanists to save it – – proving with Satanism, failure is ALWAYS an option! Myth 17. In the 1950s ASL traveled to Nice, France, where he recorded an album of organ music under the pseudonym of "Georges Montalba". The fact is LaVey's first and only trip to France was in the mid-1970s, when his Dutch disciple Maarten Lamers, Amsterdam sex club owner, financed his voyage. The "ASL=Montalba" story appeared in 1989, when a gullible Church of Satan member found a Montalba album and suggested that it was similar to ASL's own music. ASL, never pleased by competition, responded with the preposterous "pseudonym" claim – which is still ardently supported by his posthumous followers.Georges Montalba (or George Montalba) was the psuedonym used by pipe organist Robert Hunter, a resident of Glendale, CA. In 1958 Hunter/Montalba recorded Pipe Organ Favorites & Fantasy in Pipe Organ and Percussion at Lorin Whitney Studios. He later went on to work with George Burns and Carol Channing on broadway, in addition to working with Leopold Stokowski, Shirely Temple, Eleanor Roosevelt, Nelson Eddy, Judy Garland, Two Popes, and John & Jacquelyn Kennedy to name a few! His career spanned 60 years! He was a Christian, too, by the way! Even though Hit Thing records has re-issued Montalba's album complete with liner notes and an explanation of the LaVey/Montalba hoax, the CoS (at this writing) is still apparently promoting the lie LaVey was Montalba (along with many other lies)! [SOURCES: Hit Thing Records, Diane LaVey, Zeena LaVey,] Myth 18. ASL was the official city organist for San Francisco until 1966, playing for gala events such as government banquets and political meetings. The fact is San Francisco has never had an "official city organist"! According to ASL's first wife Carole, his only income of $29.91/week was generated by his regular engagement at the "Lost Weekend" nightclub, where he was the house Wurlitzer organist. [SOURCE: Julie Burford, Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California (Wright, "SD", page 68). Carole LaVey's divorce proceeding records (Wright, "SD", page 68).] Myth 19. On the night of April 30, 1966 (the German Satanic festival of Walpurgisnacht), ASL in a "blinding flash" declared himself the High Priest of Satan, proclaimed that the Age of Satan had begun, and founded the Church of Satan as a religious institution. The fact is In 1966 ASL supplemented his income by presenting weekend lectures on exotic and occult topics, and by conducting "Witches' Workshops". He charged $2 a head, filling his living room with the curious and establishing a local reputation as an eccentric. Professional publicist Edward Webber suggested to ASL that he "would never make any money by lecturing on Friday nights for donations … it would be better to form some sort of church and get a charter from the State of California … I told Anton at the time that the press was going to flip out over all this and that we would get a lot of notoriety". In the summer of 1966, long after the fictional founding-date invented later, a newspaper article about ASL's lectures offhandedly referred to him as "priest of the Devil's church". This mixture of Webber's idea and the newspaper's characterization resulted in the creation of the Church of Satan as a business and publicity vehicle. Jack Webb, a San Francisco Police investigator who knew ASL from the "Lost Weekend" nightclub, also suggested that he should form a church of some kind to exploit his "recondite knowledge". [SOURCES: Edward Webber (interview by Aquino 6/2/91), Jack Webb, Diane LaVey.] Myth 20. ASL's trademark shaved head was the result of a ceremonial head-shaving on April 30, 1966, to formalize his role as High Priest of Satan. This ritual was performed in the tradition of the Yezidi devil-worshipping tribes of Iraq, who had a similar ceremony. LaVey shaved his head in the summer of 1966 due to a light-hearted dare from his wife. The "LaVey look" had nothing to do with the Church of Satan founding nor any mystical meaning attached to it later. Nor do Yezidi "qawwals" (religious teachers) shave their heads. [SOURCES: Diane LaVey; Ethel S. Drower, Peacock Angel, 1941; C.J. Edmonds, A Pilgrimage to Lalish, Royal Asiatic Society, 1967.] Myth 21 In 1966 ASL personally designed the Baphomet emblem of the Church of Satan. He owns the right to this design, claiming it cannot be reproduced without obtaining licensing rights from the Church of Satan. The Baphomet emblem used by the Church of Satan was neither original to it nor created by ASL, hence cannot be trademarked. The original Baphomet dates at least as far back as the medieval Knights Templar. The artwork for the current emblem's goat/pentagram first appears in a 1931 book by Oswald Wirth. The complete emblem with the added circles and "LVYThN" Hebrew letters appears on the cover of a book by Maurice Bessy two years before the creation of the Church of Satan. Early photos of Church activities often show ASL or his disciples using the Bessy book as a photo-prop because of its prominent cover with Baphomet, and he included that book in his Compleat Witch bibliography. The Baphomet, including this rendition of it, is clearly in the public domain. [SOURCES: Oswald Wirth, La fran-maconnerie rendue intelligible a ces adeptes – II, "Le compagnon", Paris: Derry-Livres, 1931, page #60; Maurice Bessy, A Pictorial History of Magic and the Supernatural, London: Spring Books, 1964 [the original edition of this work – Histoire en 1000 images de la magie – was published in 1961 by Editions du Pont Royal]; Thomas H. Hilton, Sex and the Occult, Vol. I, Los Angeles: Centurion Press, 1974;Church of Satan members, The Black Flame (a 1980s Church of Satan magazine).] Myth 22 LaVey served as technical advisor for the 1968 Roman Polanski film Rosemary's Baby, and also played the curiously-uncredited part of the Devil in that film. LaVey actually had no involvement with Rosemary's Baby! Polanski's close friend Gene Gutowski (original producer of the film) stated that there was no technical advisor, nor did ASL ever even meet Polanski. Producer William Castle, who details all aspects of the film's production in his autobiography, never mentions ASL. He does describe Polanski's diligence in basing the film exactly on the Ira Levin novel from which it was adapted, eliminating any need for technical advice. The father of the actress who played Mia Farrow's body-double in the Devil scene recalled that a young, very slender professional dancer played the part, dressed in a small rubber suit. In 1971 this suit was acquired by Studio One Productions in Louisville, Kentucky, for use in a low-budget horror film Asylum of Satan. Michael Aquino, technical advisor for that film, examined the suit and concluded that the 200-pound, 6-foot ASL could not possibly have worn it. [The suit was worn by a girl in the Asylum film.] Not a single member of the cast or crew of Rosemary's Baby has ever mentioned ASL's involvement. In 1968 a San Francisco theater did ask ASL to make an appearance at the film's local opening as a promotional event. This appears to have been ASL's only connection with the film that engendered the 1960s' popular interest in Satanism. Aside from a couple of documentaries (Witchcraft '70 and Satanis) the only horror movies LaVey seems to have actually had a hand in was a 1990's snuff film called Death Scenes, and The Devil's Rain (1975), which was a movie LaVey never seemed to mention or reccomend in his writings. The film was a box office flop, and the distributor actually went bankrupt because of it! Prior to that, they had big success with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Deep Throat. Anton and Diane LaVey both had bit parts in the film. The Devil's Rain had rituals taken word for word out of The Satanic Bible and The Satanic Rituals and no doubt further convinced some Church of Satan members LaVey had indeed "sold out". The Church of Satan broke up the same year as the movie's release. The plot was about a 300 year old Satanic cult leader (played by Ernest Borgnine) that turned his followers into souless zombies, who followed him blindly. The zombie followers got destroyed in the end, while he escaped unharmed, laughing. Perhaps the reason LaVey wanted to forget the film was it showed how he really thought of people who followed him! [SOURCES: Gene Gutowski; William Castle, Step Right Up! I'm Gonna Scare the Pants off America, New York: Pharos Books, 1992; Diane LaVey, Michael A. Aquino (COS, page #17, TNT Monstervision episode featuring The Devil's Rain in 1997 with Joe Bob Briggs).] Myth 23. Jayne Mansfield, Hollywood sex symbol and actress, was a card-carrying Satanist and had an affair with ASL. Publicity agent Tony Kent, an associate of Ed Webber, arranged the meeting between Mansfield and ASL as a publicity stunt. She was never serious about Satanism. ASL was smitten with the actress. Mansfield, who made no secret of her many affairs, denied knowing ASL intimately, and no associate of hers has ever confirmed any supposed romance with ASL. In a 1967 interview she said, "He had fallen in love with me and wanted to join my life with his. It was a laugh." According to ASL's publicist Edward Webber, Mansfield would ridicule her Satanic suitor by calling from her Los Angeles home and seductively teasing him while her friends listened in on the conversation. ASL's public claims that he had an affair with Mansfield began only after Mansfield's death in an automobile accident, which he also claimed was the result of a curse he had placed on her lover Sam Brody. A common trick used by sorcerers is to later claim some misfortune that befell an enemy was a result of a curse, even though no curse was thrown. [SOURCES: Edward Webber (interview by Aquino 6/2/91); interview with Mansfield quoted in Jayne Mansfield by May Mann, Pocket Books, 1974.] Myth 24. ASL wrote the Satanic Bible, his principal work, to fulfill his congregation's need for a scriptural guide. The Satanic Bible was actually conceived as a commercial vehicle by paperback publisher Avon Books. Avon approached ASL for some kind of Satanic work to cash in on the Satanism & witchcraft fad of the late 1960s. Pressed for material to meet Avon's deadline, ASL resorted to plagiarism, assembling extracts from an obscure 1896 tract – Might is Right by Ragnar Redbeard into a "Book of Satan" for the SB, and claiming its authorship by himself. [Ironically these MiR passages are the ones most frequently quoted by ASL disciples.] Another third of the SB consists of John Dee's "Enochian Keys", taken directly but again without attribution from Aleister Crowley's Equinox. The SB's "Nine Satanic Statements", one of the Church of Satan's central doctrines, is a paraphrase, again unacknowledged, of passages from Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. The last words in the SB – "Yankee Rose" – have been puzzled over for years by readers. "YR" is actually the name of an old popular tune in ASL's nightclub repertoire. SOURCES: ASL, The Satanic Bible; Ragnar Redbeard, Might is Right, Port Townsend: Loompanics (reprint), 1896; Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged (Galt's speech, ca. pages #936-993); "Yankee Rose" by Sidney Holden & Abe Frankl (Irving Berlin Music, 1926). Myth 25. ASL claimed that at the height of the Church of Satan's popularity there were hundreds of thousands of formal members. But Diane LaVey (who administered the Church as High Priestess 1966-1984), Michael A. Aquino (senior Magister of the Church and Editor of its Cloven Hoof newsletter 1971-1975), and Zeena LaVey (High Priestess of the Church 1985-1990) have all affirmed that the figures claimed by ASL were grossly exaggerated. The membership of the Church of Satan never exceeded 300 individuals, several of whom were nonmember subscribers to the newsletter or ASL friends receiving complimentary mailings. LaVey would make reporters wanting to write stories about the Church of Satan join and pay the $20 membership fee, furthering the membership numbers. [SOURCES: Diane LaVey, Michael A. Aquino, Zeena LaVey. Satan Wants You, Arthur Lyons] Myth 26. ASL claimed to be a multimillionaire, owning three homes in northern California, a convent in Italy, a chateau in France, a fleet of luxury automobiles, a 185-foot yacht, three salvage ships, and other property. LaVey initally claimed he made $50,000 a year during the Church of Satan's heydey, and even that figure is probably exaggerated. During Diane [LaVey] Hegarty's 1988-91 lawsuit against ASL, and ASL's subsequent 1991 filing for bankruptcy, ASL stipulated under oath that he owned nothing more than 50% of the house his parents had given jointly to him and Diane, along with the personal items he kept therein. Even though apologists claim LaVey lived "comfortably" in his final years, the facts speak otherwise! The CoS website claims (at this writing) LaVey made "five figures" the last year of his life, in typical doublespeak. "Five figures" could be as little as $10,000. ASL's final years were subsidized by California state aid (next time you see someone pay at the grocery store with WIC or food stamps, think of Anton LaVey). Assessors declared the house to be in such poor repair as to be nearly worthless on the real estate market. Family members have attested to the fact that by the mid-1970s the LaVeys lived in near-poverty, frequently having to rely upon ASL's father's generosity. According to other LaVey relatives, ASL continued to rely on handouts from friends and relatives until the end of his life. In the 1990's, it was revealed LaVey's teeth had rotted out, a common aliment of people who live in poverty. [SOURCES: Hegarty v. LaVey (San Francisco Superior Court Case #891863), Anton LaVey Bankruptcy, Chapter 7 (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern California, Case #91-34251), Zeena LaVey, other relatives. See The Fates of Famous Occultists to see dying in poverty is a common trait of occultists! Myth 27 ASL was a close friend of Sammy Davis, Jr. and inducted him into the Church of Satan. Sammy Davis, Jr. was invited to accept an honorary membership in the Church of Satan by Michael Aquino. After Davis sent Aquino his acceptance on March 17, 1973, he was presented with the honorary membership on April 13, 1973 by Aquino and Karla LaVey alone. ASL did not meet Davis until August 1973. Davis would later renounce Satanism, claiming later he was "only into it for the chicks" and re-embraced Judaism. At a nationaly televised event honoring him a few weeks before he died, Davis said "First of all, I want to thank Jesus for letting me be here tonight", completely shattering any doubt he had any lingering affinty to Satanism. Davis had been an activist for civil rights, and battled racism, in contrast to the racists and Neo-nzais that often embrace Satanism. [SOURCES: Davis letter to Aquino 3/17/73; Church of Satan Priesthood Bulletin 4/30/73; Aquino, COS, Chapter 23; Sammy Davis, Hollywood in a Suitcase (pre-publication text, printed in Daily News, New York, 9/11/80), Karla LaVey.] Myth 28 Anton Szandor Lavey presented himself as a loving family man. Reality was quite differnt. ASL violently beat his wife Diane throughout their marriage. In 1984 a police report was made describing Diane being strangled into unconsciousness by ASL, who was in such a murderous rage that his daughter Karla had to pull him off Diane and drag her outside the house to save her life. ASL routinely physically beat and abused those of his female disciples with whom he had sex, forcing them into prostitution as part of his "Satanic counseling" and collecting their earnings. In 1986 ASL was a passive witness to the sexual molestation of his own grandson by a longtime friend who was later convicted of sex crimes with minors. In 1990 ASL informed a mentally-ill stalker of his daughter Zeena of her whereabouts and the time & location of a public appearance she was scheduled to make, deliberately endangering her life. [ SOURCES: San Francisco Police records of ASL attack on Diane LaVey, Zeena LaVey, Diane LaVey, Stanton LaVey.] Myth 29. ASL had a deeply affectionate relationship with Togare, his pet lion.While ASL was always careful to portray himself to the public as an animal lover, in private he was cruel to and neglectful of his pets. When he was given Togare as a cub in 1964, he was ill-equipped to deal with such an exotic, wild animal despite his pretensions as a circus lion-tamer. As Togare became larger and more unruly, ASL frequently used an electric cattle prod to hurt and frighten him into submission. Many animal-rights proponents, including Togare's final owner Tippi Hedren, agree that it is detrimental to a wild animal's development to be raised in a domestic environment. ASL was arrested due to Togare's unruly behavior, and ASL was ordered to donate him to the San Francisco Zoo. After complying, ASL made only two visits to Togare. Due to the trauma of his early life, Togare needed special care at the Zoo and at every animal-care facility in which he subsequently lived. [SOURCES: Jack Castor (Lion Keeper, San Francisco Zoo), Diane LaVey, Zeena LaVey, Tippi Hedren (The Cats of Shamballa, McGraw-Hill, 1985).] Myth 30. ASL had a deeply affectionate relationship with his other pets. In the late 1960s ASL acquired a Doberman Pinscher (Loki) as an accent to his "sinister" image. ASL never took the time to housebreak or train Loki, and relegated him to the overgrown and unkempt backyard of the house, regardless of weather. If Loki ever tried to slip into the house for shelter, ASL routinely used Togare's cattle-prod on him to terrify him back outside. In his old age Loki developed such severe arthritis that he could not climb the stairs to the back door to eat, and began wasting away from malnutrition. ASL then gave him to one of his prostitute "students", who at least saw that Loki had a warm, inside home until he died a few months later. During her young childhood ASL's daughter Zeena once awoke late at night to hear slamming sounds and the shrieking of her German Shepherd puppy. Running downstairs, she saw ASL savagely beating the cowering, cornered dog with a wooden plank. When Zeena begged ASL to stop and asked him what the dog had done to deserve such treatment, ASL screamed, "She won't listen to me! I'm going to force her to obey me!" ASL continued beating the dog until her face was covered with her blood, then dropped the plank and left the dog quivering in the hallway, so injured and frightened that she wouldn't let even Zeena come near her. This incident left the dog traumatized for a long time afterwards.[SOURCES: Diane LaVey, Zeena LaVey.] Myth 31. Anton LaVey was a bastion against religious hypocrisy. While LaVey's rants about Christian hypocrites throughout his books, he fails to realize that there are more than just hypocrites – – people who fail to practice what they preach – – that make up Christianity! Just because there are hypocrites doesn't mean there are no real Christians who try to live their lives as their supposed to. You can find examples of hypocrites in just about anything, not only Christianity. For instance, everyone knows obesity and smoking are bad, but how many times have you seen an RN that's overweight or a smoker, or both? Does that mean you should ditch medical treatment forever more because some hypocrites exist in it? LaVey simply created a strawman of a Christianity no one would like, created from his onw one dimensional view of it, in which every Christian was a hypocrite. LaVey made it appear to non-critical readers that Satanism was an alternative to hypocrisy. LaVey himself, was an enormous hypocrite, exaserbated by the fact that he claimed to hate hypocrisy! A look at the myths already presented here show that he was indeed a hypocrite. Perhaps the biggest hypocrisy was his disdain for asceticsm in The Sanatic Bible, but when he had to live in poverty, tried to conceal the fact by saying he was eschewing commercial materialism for asceticism (hipocrisy on top of a lie)! He was also a hypocrite for claiming to abhor charity, but lived on state assiatance and handouts from friends nad family members (i.e., charity!). LaVey was too proud and and to lazy to get a regular job (i.e., he thought he was better than you). Even LaVey couldn't live his own Satanic philosophy. Myth 32 On ASL's original death certificate the date of his demise was recorded as October 31, 1997 (Halloween). An official investigation by the City of San Francisco determined that ASL's actual date of death was October 29, 1997 and that the "Halloween" date had been illegally written on the document, apparently in a last pathetic attempt to make him look sinister. It's been alleged daughter Karla was the culprit. [SOURCES: Death Certificate #380278667, San Francisco Department of Public Health; Dr. Giles Miller (attending physician at ASL's death), Physician's Amendment to Death Certificate, 11/26/97.] Myth 33. Satanism is really just "atheism" or "humanism", because it's the worship of the self; it's for people who can stand on their own two feet! Satanism isn't "humanism" or "atheism", it's just a juvenile way to shock and alienate people, nothing else. That's why this or that rock star claims to be a Satanist when they're really not…just to shock people and make their CD's the forbidden fruit that a rebellious pubescent wants. Think about it, how many millionaire rosck stars gave money to save the LaVey house when it was slated for demolition? None. That's because they don't really care about Satanism. A self proclaimed 20 y.o. Satanist in Queens, NY was beat up by some neighborhood teens in 2005. The Satanist in question dressed like it was Hallowe'en every day, had blue dyed hair, black painted fingernails and wore make up (plus he made sure everyone knew he was a Satanist). Now Satanists want the altercation he got into labeled a "hate crime". Satanists supposedly deal in brutal reality and cold logic. Wouldn't the cold hard truth be this kid wanted to shock people, wanted people to hate him, and has himself at least to partly blame for what he got? Wouldn't have been logical for this kid, seeing how he had run ins with the same teens before, to have toned down his image? Satanism is embraced by people like that angry kid that hated everybody and sat alone in the lunchroom that no one talked to. It's embraced by the racist stoner that's in and out of jail. It's embraced by the psychotic off his medication who listens to the voices in head. It's not for the succesful self made man who "stands on their own two feet". LaVey never wanted people who could "stand on their own two feet", as he claimed, nor could he get any. Talk about unamed Senators or Congressmen or heads of corporations offered as "proof" Satanism attracts successful people is just that…talk. If they could name names, they would. LaVey lied about his achievments, making himself sound like Indiana Jones, a lion tamer, a criminologist, a world traveler, a lover of two movie stars, and a millionaire. Satanists who feel inadequate in their one lives make up for it by living through LaVey vicariously, rather than trying to improve themselves. Satanism is in fact a personality cult centered around Anton LaVey. A look at the documentary Satanis The Devil's Mass shows LaVey assembled a collection of misnatrhopes, perverts, and lonely middle aged losers going through mid-life crisis who needed someone to follow. In the movie, daughter Karla says her father told her on numerous occasions not to go downstairs to the meetings because the Satanists were "crazy". Even LaVey thought Satanists were weird. The only people who follow him are angry at the world, and at Christians in particular. If they could stand on their own two feet, they wouldn't need Satanism. RESEARCH REFERENCES: Wright, Lawrence, "Sympathy for the Devil", Rolling Stone #612, September 5, 1991, Saints and Sinners. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1993. Aquino, Michael A., The Church of Satan. San Francisco: Temple of Set, 1983. Thanks to ASL's relatives and associates who contributed their memories.
Filed under: anton long, brotherhood of satan, california satanic cults, church of satan, church of satan protestants, COS, Grand Magister Blackwood, lyndon larouche, occult news, ONA, order of nine angles, progressive satanism, pseudo, pseudo satanism, religion, satanic cults, Satanic Priest, Satanism, sinister way, Temples of Satan, the occult, theistic satanism, Uncategorized, WSA352, blackwood, church of satan, churchofsatan, churchofsatanprotestants, dangeroussataniccults, demons, GMBlackwood, Grand Magister Blackwood, grandmagister blackwood, grandmagisterblackwood, magick, orderofnineangles, pseudo, pseudo satanic groups, satan, Satanic, satanicchurch, sataniccults, satanicgroups, templesofsatan leader grand magister blackwood, theistic satanism, tom raspotnik, tomraspotnik, TOS, WSA


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Note: this article has been updated after speaking with Jagi Katial.
Days of speculation about a possible new music venue on Houston's northside and the ultimate fate of Fitzgerald's ended this morning when Jagi Katial, founder of Pegstar concerts and an owner of Fitzgerald's since 2010, told the Houston Chronicle that Pegstar hopes to open its own larger venue near I-45 and N. Main by next fall.
The site, seen above, is currently a vacant lot at 2915 N. Main at Glen Park/North street, about three blocks from a stop on Metro's recently opened Northline rail extension.
"We're still a boutique company that does a venue, a festival and maybe one day we'll have a second venue," said Katial, who also co-founded Free Press Summer Fest with Free Press Houston's Omar Afra in 2009. "This venue is just another home base for Pegstar."
Katial said the new venue will the Pegstar's base of operations but it will continue booking shows at Fitzgerald's, which he and FPSF partner Omar Afra have leased from owner Sara Fitzgerald since September 2010. The promotion company, which Katial founded in 2001, also books concerts into other Houston venues like Warehouse Live and House of Blues.
The proposed, still-unnamed new venue would have three stages total, one outdoor and two indoor, Katial said. Most of the details are still being ironed out, but capacity of the outdoor venue is expected to be similar to Austin's Stubb's and Scoot Inn, which can both hold in the 1,500-1,800 range. An ice house that would be open regardless of whether there is any music booked is also part of the development.
Tuesday, Katial told Rocks Off that issues like capacity were still being worked out, but he wanted the new place to be similar to Fitzgerald's, "with the opportunity for more shoulder room, and more room for people we have to turn away when we sell out now."
In other words, "maybe an extra belt loop or two," he added.
Katial said he chose the wooded property backing up on Little White Oak Bayou because it "spoke to us." He wants to put a deck out by the bayou, and plans on bringing his Pegstar staff over to the new venue.
"It'll be the same team you're used to seeing," he said.
Before the grand opening, which Katial envisions as 21 straight days of music with "some pretty big acts," he says he hopes to bring in smaller events such as a farmer's market "just to get people used to the area."
Although Katial reckons construction could begin as soon as late this year, he says he is spending very little time on the property right now.
"There's nothing there right now," he says. "We've cleaned it up a little, but we haven't broken ground yet."
Story continues on the next page.
On July 8, a member of the Houston Architecture Forum posted a photo of an "applicaton pending" notice by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for mixed-beverage, late-hours (12 a.m. to 2 a.m.) and beverage cartage permits on top of a "sale pending" sign regarding the property at 2915 N. Main, part of the Northside Village neighborhood. The applicant for the permits was listed as "White Oak Events, LLC."
According to the source of the thread, "Triton," the corporation has also purchased a lot across Glen Park/North street that would accommodate some 500 parking spots for the new venue. The parties behind White Oak LLC were revealed as Katial and a "tight-knit" group of investors, the Chronicle article said.
Triton's thread continued to draw comments until last week. After claiming to attend a meeting with the property developer last Thursday, he or she came back with an updated the thread on Friday with information that finally drew Reddit's attention:
This is not a second location but the location for Fitzgerald's. It's a 1,500 capacity concert venue with both indoor and outdoor stages. The developer is wanting to build a new street from North St. to Ideal St. for traffic purposes. Whether the bridge they build will be for pedestrian purposes or cars, that is unclear.
They will also be installing new lighting on the North Main bridge over Little White Oak Creek and they will transform Little White Oak Creek to make it more pleasing to the eye... there is trash everywhere right now. The outdoor parts will have incredible views of downtown which you can see in the renderings. The city is working very closely with them. All new sidewalks, all new trees, parks, etc. This will be a major development for this area.
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Foster child's death gets attention of lawmakers
Michelle Cole and Susan Goldsmith
The Oregonian
SALEM -- State leaders promised Monday to write legislation that would better protect Oregon foster children sent to live with relatives in other countries.
"We simply cannot risk the life of a single child who is in the care and custody of Oregon. We will act this session to protect foster children adopted internationally," said House Speaker Dave Hunt, D-Gladstone.
Read Adrianna's story and add your comment or ask a question of the reporters.
Hunt and Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, issued a joint statement in response to a series by The Oregonian that described how child welfare authorities failed to protect 4-year-old Adrianna Romero Cram.
The legislative leaders said they have asked the Judiciary and Human Services committees to write the new laws.
More than 200 readers also contacted the newspaper in response to the report.
Adrianna, taken into foster care when she was 1 year old, was sent by the state to live with relatives in Omealca, Mexico, in July 2004. She was still under the state's jurisdiction when she was murdered in June 2005. Her aunt and uncle, selected by Oregon authorities to adopt the little girl, were convicted of aggravated murder.
Adrianna's teachers in Mexico told The Oregonian that they'd tried to find help for the bruised and battered girl but couldn't get local child welfare workers to act. Their efforts are detailed in Mexican court records.
"We can no longer count on authorities in other countries to take care of Oregon's children. Lives are at stake," said Courtney.
In an interview Monday, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski said "much more can be done" to ensure that the children the state sends out of the country to live with relatives are safe.
"This whole idea of international adoption is something we probably never thought about 30 years ago. It's a reflection of the global world in which we live in," the Democratic governor said. "We have to recognize that this is going to occur more often."
The Oregon Department of Human Services has placed 27 children for adoption outside the country since October 1999.
Last week, as The Oregonian prepared to publish Adrianna's story, the agency announced a moratorium on international adoptions from state foster care while it confers with the U.S. State Department about what Oregon needs to do to meet the requirements of The Hague Adoption Convention.
The Hague treaty, which took effect last year, is intended to protect children from abuse or exploitation.
Kulongoski said a temporary halt to out-of-country adoptions is the right thing for the state to do. The governor said his office called the White House last week to notify federal authorities of the state's moratorium, which could last 60 days or more.
State lawmakers said Monday that they will draft legislation to bring Oregon into compliance with The Hague treaty.
A second bill would ensure that child welfare workers thoroughly review a home and family before placing a child outside the United States and require regular reports once he or she is there.
Rep. Carolyn Tomei, D-Milwaukie, chairwoman of the House Human Services Committee, said state law should require that a child welfare agency in another country see a child every 30 days, just as state workers are required to do.
And, Tomei said, "when there's a problem that they let us know immediately."
-- Michelle Cole; firstname.lastname@example.com
-- Susan Goldsmith; email@example.com
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