text:
Buckwheat with Mushrooms
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
I love buckwheat. Too bad it's not well appreciated here in the U.S., but I hope it will catch on. Buckwheat is crazy healthy; which makes me even happier that my son ate two bowls of this in one day! It's a wonderful alternative to rice.
The combination of buckwheat with mushrooms, onion and broth is scrumptious. You'll forget that it's a side dish; chomping it down then realizing you've missed the chicken and carrots on your plate. Read on to find out more about the triple giveaway!! Woohoo!
A note on buckwheat: I've never been disappointed with any brands from the local Russian store. Buckwheat that is already toasted is best, otherwise it can get a little mushy. If it's not toasted, you can toast it yourself on a skillet for a few minutes which should help.
Ingredients for Buckwheat with Mushrooms:
1 cup whole kernel brown buckwheat
1 Tbsp olive oil or canola oil
2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt (omit salt if using regular broth)
3-4 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp butter
How to Make Buckwheat with Mushrooms:
1. Chop mushrooms and finely dice onion. Rinse the buckwheat (get rid of that dust) and drain well.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once it's hot, add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add buckwheat and saute, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a medium pot.
3. In the same skillet (no need to wash the pan; you're welcome), Add 1 Tbsp oil. Add onions and Saute for 1-2 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to saute until mushrooms are soft. Add your mix to the buckwheat and stir.
4. Pour your broth over the buckwheat mix. Stir in 1/2 tsp salt (add salt only if using reduced-sodium broth) and top with 1 Tbsp butter. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce heat to low. Close the pot with a tight fitting lid. Simmer for 15 minutes or until kernels are soft and fluffy. Remove from heat and let it stand covered for an additional 10 minutes.
If you want to incorporate more buckwheat into your diet but don't want to fuss with mushrooms and such, here's the lazy-gal's version (don't judge me). In a bowl of a rice maker, add 1 cup rinsed buckwheat, 1.5 cups broth or water (instead of 2 cups water; rice makers are efficient like that), 1/2 tsp salt, 1-2 Tbsp butter on top. Close the lid and push the white rice button. About 15-20 minutes later you have perfect buckwheat.
Buckwheat with Mushrooms
- 1 cup whole kernel brown buckwheat
- 1 Tbsp olive oil or canola oil
- 2 cups reduced sodium broth I used reduced sodium "Better Than Bouillon" 2 tsp in 2 cups boiling water
- 1/2 tsp salt omit salt if using regular broth
- 3-4 mushrooms sliced
- 1/2 medium onion finely diced
- 1 Tbsp butter
Chop mushrooms and finely dice onion. Rinse the buckwheat and drain well.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once it's hot, add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add buckwheat and saute, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a medium pot.
In the same skillet, Add 1 tbsp oil. Add onions and Saute for 1-2 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to saute until mushrooms are soft.
Add your mix to the buckwheat and stir.
Pour your broth over the buckwheat mix. Stir in 1/2 tsp salt and top with 1 Tbsp butter. Bring everything to a boil then reduce heat to low and cover with a tight fitting lid. Simmer for 15 minutes or until kernels are soft and fluffy. 6.Remove from heat and let it stand covered for an additional 10 minutes.
Recipe Notes
If you want to incorporate more buckwheat into your diet but don't want to fuss with mushrooms and such, here's the lazy-gal's version (don't judge me). In a bowl of a rice maker, add 1 cup rinsed buckwheat, 1.5 cups broth or water (instead of 2 cups water; rice makers are efficient like that), 1/2 tsp salt, 1-2 tbsp butter on top. Close the lid and push the white rice button. About 15-20 minutes later you have perfect buckwheat.
Read comments/reviewsAdd comment/review
I cooked buckwheat for the time today, I cooked it as I cook rice. I added half a teaspoon of cumin and an oxo chicken cube. I washed the buckwheat and added to the boiling water, then cooked it covered on low heat. My son turned up his nose when I told him it was buckwheat, but he tasted it. He had second helpings
Awesome, I'm glad to hear the recipe was a success! Thanks for sharing Sheila!
Just curious. Why do you make plain buckwheat with 1 3/4 cups water to one cup buckwheat but in this recipe it's with 2 cups of broth to one cup buckwheat?
I though about adding other vegetables to the mix like maybe zucchini but now I'm confused what my portions should be.
II use Bouillon if I have run out of chicken or Beef stock when making soups and gravies. Not as good but works in a pinch.
Could not find out how to write you directly..I wanted to share my dinner's recipe of this evening..
100 gr grechka, washed a few times and them poured boiling water on top , left it aside to swell..
3 spoons of greek yogurt
2 pcs of garlic, chopped
A handfull of parsley and dill, chopped
1 small cucumber sliced
Dry mint leaves, crushed
Smoked chilly flakes
Mixed all of them in the same bowl, and ate one of my besy grechka meals 🙂
Thanks for your recipes 🙂
All the best
I love ukrainien borsch. I like varenuku. Good luck!
I live in the Middle East. They do not have 'Better Thank Bouillon" here, but, the last time I went home to the USA, I went to Costco and bought 12 giant cans of it, not knowing that I would get to use it in your delish recipe. I just made "Buckwheat with Mushrooms" and I love it. Thank you for this! Susan
This is delicious, thank you!
I use Vegeta for making broth works well. Never have seen 'Better the Bouiillion'
Yum, I love grechka! I also put mushrooms in mine but I also add shredded carrots and really enjoy it.
IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!! Thank you 🙂
Greetings Natasha!
I have a little dilemma…
My husband does NOT like mushrooms whatsoever. I love them, but I have also learned to bypass them when preparing a meal or whatnot. Can you please be so kind as to possibly giving me an idea on what I can replace the mushrooms with? Same goes for other meals I seen on your site. They are delicious looking but I can never seem to figure out what I could replace them with. For instance, I made the Podlivka, and that too, requires mushrooms. So i just grabbed what was next to them in the grocery store: eggplant 🙂 It didn't turn out bad at all… in fact, it was really yummy! I just want to see your input on this one. What would be the best mushroom replacement for the grechka??? Thank you!!!
<3 Aniya
Aniya, to please both you and your "not loving mushrooms" half make plain buckwheat (that you can top with a piece of meat if needed) and separately -white mushroom sauce for mushroom loving members of the family. I personally am guilty of serving my grechka with whole milk and sugar (breakfast or snack, instead of cookie or cereal) . Good luck experimenting !
I think I will give it a whirl tomorrow. I've had grechka in my cupboard FOREVER and I never know what to do with it.
Awesome! I will try this recipe
Ok so I grew up eating this kasha/buckwheat prepared like this add to cooked bow tie noodles in a casserole dish and bake it for 30 mins til kasha golden on top. It's kasha varnishkas !
I love BTB! I use it for Soups stews and gravies. I don't eat gluten, so tonight I'm using it to make some beef, buckwheat, and mushroom soup with fresh parsley. Mmm so good! I also love buckwheat with cinnamon, walnuts raisins and almond milk. Your site is great and I'm going to share this post on my FB page 🙂
I absolutely love your site!!! Made this yesterday and my family loved it!! So easy to make!! Thank you Natasha!! :))
Natasha, I love your version – and the photos! I make buckwheat with mushrooms as well, but add carrots in the dish, too: http://nami-nami.blogspot.com/2007/03/heartfriendly-warm-buckwheat-and.html
You can also make the buckwheat in the rice cooker, brown ground beef mix together. And stuff portobello mushrooms with it. The mushroom is huge, so it is filling and delicious. I brushed olive oil on the cookie sheet and baked them and put mozz. cheese on top!
Hi Natasha,
New to your site and new to cooking, just wanted to know how much water did you add to the buckwheat
I am thrilled to find your site.I am Russian but both my parents are Ukrainian. Currently I am on a strict diet but I am able to eat buckwheat with mushrooms and onion.I love it.I have been eating it sense childhood.I eat it now as a complete meal with no meat or fish.Sometimes I add a salad with it.But it pretty much is a filling meal.Thanks for creating your site.Have a great week.
I was wondering if you have the recipe to the alevia salad on your site? I am curios to find the English translation for it. Thanks for your help.have a great week.
Thanx for the reciepe, I just made it and it's soo good!! Love ur website, already made so many meals using your reciepes… Thanx again!
Definitely a favorite of the family. My dad always says to make more but no matter how much I make, always gone in less than two days. Thanks for such an easy and delish recipe:)
Looks great! And fascinating that it seems very much like the Ashkenazi Jewish dish kasha varnishkas, traditional in my husband's family. But now I've started exploring my Slovenian roots and have discovered buckwheat is a staple in that cuisine, too. Lovely site!
Simple and delish! Thank you
LOVE this product! I use it in soup and rice 🙂 I wish they had a bigger container 🙂 So happy for you and your blog, it's really taking off! Many more blessings! <3
Believe it or not I.never tried boulion in any of my soups that I make or any other food I make.After seeing all your recipes I want to try it …. I hope I get this gift:)))
Hi! I really love using this better than bullion in many dishes instead of broth or just water. It adds really great flavor without having to add meat. 🙂
I love to use this for tsupa Toscana it's delish
Love it in soups.
I shared your blog on facebook.
Pinned your Spartak recipe, my favorite cake!
I always put bouillon in my boiling water before i throw in pelmeni!
Shared on facebook 🙂
Here is a recipe my mom used to make and I still make it as a treat for my grown boys. After I've boiled and mashed some potatoes, I pour raw buckwheat into the hot potatoes. Cracked buckwheat gives a finer texture, whole buckwheat gives a nuttier taste. Mix in the buckwheat slowly until you have a nice ratio of potato to buckwheat. Spread this into a pie plate or rectangular baking dish and bake uncovered until the top is golden brown and crispy. Serve this with blobs of butter and even bigger blobs of sour cream. Not sure if this is anyway where near Ukrainian in nature but my mom was and she ate/made this all of her life.
I would love to win this! This stuff is awesome! Use it in all my soups.
I love adding bouillon cubes to my soups they give the soup that extra "umpth". Love love love ALL YOUR RECIPES ( thank you so much for them). I also found the "trybochki" metal horns at bed bath and beyond 6 for 2.99.
I don't know if I'll win, but it's fun to try.
Pinned it http://pinterest.com/pin/190769734186239486/
Shared on facebook
I use Boullion for everything ! Especially love it in soups
I also posted the link on facebook! 🙂
Hey Natasha, first of all I just wanted to say that I LOVE all of your recipes, thank you so much for taking your time to post all the recipes! I never used better then bouillon before, i always use just the regular chicken bouillon cubes, i use them for everything soups, gravies, golybtsi, potatoes… I would love to try the BTB.
Pined it on Pinterest
Just like on Facebook your post.
I love this brand of bouillon! And use it in gravey, soups, chicken dishes….basically almost everything.
Also posted this on Facebook
You have great recipes, especially desert. Since my husband has a big sweet tooth, I visit your site daily. You have good taste. thanks for your commitment.
I pinned a few of your recipes on Pinterest as my favorite 🙂
I've liked this post on facebook 🙂
Hi Natasha, I'm hooked to your website, I just have to go in everyday to check for something new and yummy. I've tried lots of your recipes and my hubby who is spoiled and would only eat food that looks good (which is good because he's always right if I ask him if he thinks this or that is good) , enjoyed many of the recipes I tried….that tells me that you don't just post anything, you post the best recipes. If I win, I would try using better than bouillion in my soups, never tried them before.
I've got to admit… I've never really liked buckwheat. Disliked it ever since I was a little girl. My mom couldnt get me to eat the stuff! But one day…. I was baby sitting for a friend, and she asked me to make it for her little girl. Since I've never made it before, I went onto your website to check for directions.
I saw this recipe… Looked easy enough, so I made it.
But boy, I wasnt expecting such a wonderful aroma of satueed oinions and mushrooms to hit me! It smelled so amazing, I simply couldnt resist a sample. lol. It was really good 🙂 Cant say that I'm a die-hard fan of buckwheat now, but at least now I can eat it. Occasionally. lol.
Thanks for the recipe. The BTB really gives it a lot of flavor.
This product sounds great, would love to try it. I love cooking with mushrooms so I can't wait to go home and try this new recipe 🙂 I shared this on the Facebook, please add my name to this drawing. Thanks!
I love using bouillon for soups, and grechka.
I like to use boulion when making gravy.
I also shared and liked this post on FB 🙂
I love love love love better than boullion! I use it in alot of soups and gravys! Fave soup would have to be Zuppa Toscana! Its simple and the better than boullion paste makes it even yummier 🙂
Thanks for this awesome blog!! Its a life safer 🙂
Hi, Natasha!
Thank you for this wonderful giveaway that is going on ))
I agree. After trying many other brands of bullions, i stopped on BTB. It tasted like real bullion and even better. I add it in so many dishes. Those include: Macaroni, soups, borsh, liquid for golubtsy, pelmeni (as a finishing seasoning on the top), casseroles… To name a few )
Best wishes for your family. Thank you for your wonderful posts. I never hesitate whether to start making a dish from your post or not, I am sure it will taste awesome!!!
I use bouillon in my soups as well as rice dishes 🙂 love love it!!!
I use the bouillon in soups and meat recipes
I pinned it on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/pin/262123640782388807/
Liked this post on my FB!!! 😉
Great giveaway Natasha!!! I use the Better than Bullion a lot: in soups, rice, sauces… With ths busy life schedule, this product makes cooking much easier and faster.
I liked this post on fb.
I'd use it in curries or soups.
Posted this to my facebook
I use bouillon in making sauces, enhancing soups, enriching gravy.
It is good to omake bouillon from scratch if lots of time, but oft time need something quik an ease.
Love your website and am thrilled to see these delicious recipes.
Thank you for doing the drawing. 🙂
I love to use the bouillon in almost anything that requires liquid, soups, borsht, gravy, etc. Makes it taste so much richer. Thank you for the giveaway.. 🙂
I use it in soups, sauces, rice or side veggie dishes. Love it!
I liked on FB, too!
I use bouillon for soup, mainly. Sometimes when I make a soup which would ordinarily have meat (such as borscht) I only use buoillon and no one notices.
hi natasha…i have been following your website since it started. I am always excited when you post something new. Thank you for introducing me to better than bouillon. i always keep it in my refrigerated an use it in many things especially in soups. I would love to win the gift basket!
I have never tried Better than Bullion so far. That's because I'm so…scared about everything is powdered….. I never know what's in there. But, I'll give it a try. I rely on yours and your commentators' endorsement.
Oh and BTW, I loooove buckwheat, I think I already mentioned that on this blog :-). Thank you for this recipe.
Hi! I would love to win a gift basket! My husband is always on your website and telling me about all your great recipes!
I don't do much cooking, but my wife uses that stuff and I know it's good because her food always tastes great!
I use this better than bouillon from Costco too! I also like the beef one. It goes into everything; soups, rice, buckwheat and more 🙂
I also shared your link on facebook.
Hello Natasha!
I actually got introduced to it by you recommending it on your blog and I recommend to everyone and we even use it in church sometimes when we cook for large amount of people.
I use better than bouillon in soups, potatoes, rice and pasta. I love it and thats the only broth i use now.
I use the Better than Bullion in everything! Soups, when i cook rice in the rice cooker, buckwheat. Or i also add it to meat marinades. Like if I marinade things with mayo, or lemon juice ill add a little paste to add flavor.. This is great stuff that I started to use ever since i started following your blog.
Also posted this on instagram
Ever since you've introduced this stuff in your zuppa recipe I've been using it for many of my recipes where I would normally add bouillon and I'm loving it! I like adding it to soups most of all but have also added a bit when frying chicken meat for any recipe, it enhances the flavor of the meat 🙂 thanks for sharing your favorites and tips! Love your blog!!
Wow, thanks for the awesome giveaway! I use BTB in sauces, soups, gravies, and my famous alfreado recipe 🙂 Cant wait to try the other flavors… I've only used the Chicken one before.
Also posted on Instagram!
Also, I shared this page on FB!
Always using boulion cubes when I cook my Zuppa Toscana, Chicken Tortilla Soup, Cream of Mushroom Soup! I don't like to use store bought broth, so I use boulion instead! Always turns out very delicious!
liked this on FB 🙂
thanks so much for all your hard work that you put in the recipes…i LOVE checking out new stuff…
I have been buying BTB ever since Costco started selling it,, I haven't used another bouillon since. I use it in soups and gravies; I have only tried the chicken flavor but would love to try other flavors!
I love better than bouillon and would love to win this giveaway! I use it in pretty much everything I cook (especially soups and gravies) it adds that perfect touch. And love your website btw!
I use bouillon with my rice and in soups. Excited about the black crinkly stuff ;).
I love to make chicken soup with this stuff it's yummy!
Posted on my instagram!
Pined it on Pinterest
Buckwheat kasha is all time fave! Love it in soup, with padliva, with milk and thank you for your veriation with mushrooms. Will be making it.
I've also liked you on fb 🙂
Hey Natasha: Love your blog! I use broth (chicken mainly) in almost all recipes that call for adding "water" to the mix, not matter what it is. Broth provides so much more depth of flavor and richness.
Hey natasha! Just wanted to thank you for all your time and effort for all your yummy recipes! Have you ever had buckwheat soup? My mother in law made it one day when she came over to see our 1st new born (easter baby) ill have to ask for the recipe and share with you but it was very good. I would love to win this giveaway because id love to try BTB we dont have a costco here only sams club and i either have to make from scratch or use cubes. Thanks again Natasha!!!!
Pinned your recipie:
I use bullion in all the soups I make. It adds really yummy flavor!
I have also pinned this recipe 🙂 I gotta say I amde a similar recipe like this before ezcept I added chicken thigh meat. Really yummy as well.
Shared on fb 🙂
After seeing you use it so much in your recipe, I decided to buy some. i am now hooked on it and add it to pretty much all my soups and I cook rice with it. Makes the rice taste so good. I would love to win a prize 🙂
I also love this stuff saw it in one of your recipes and went to Costco and got the chicken one, love it in all my sauces and especially soup when I don't have meat to add I substitute better then bouillon.
Love the flavor of this amazing stuff! Thanks for having the giveaway.
I liked and shared this recipe and giveaway on Facebook.
I love using BTB for pretty much anything that has meat in it – soups, rice dishes, gravies, and all your recipes I've tried. Overall I think it tastes better and I love the fact that it has no MSG's. Thank you for taking the time to share your recipes. Can't wait to buy some Canadian flour and try your mom's recipe for the rogaliki from your previous post. YUM!
I liked this on FB, I haven't used the BTB stuff so I'm excited.
What a great giveaway!! I picked up a jar of chicken Better Than Buillon at Costco after reading about it in one of your recipes. I use it in everything that requires chicken broth, soups, and in two of my favorite dishes Chicken Riggies and oven baked Mushroom Rice. So I would love to win 🙂
http://pinterest.com/pin/82542605640950895/ I pin it.thank you for wonderful recipes. Posted to instagram. oh,,,how many things I did today.thank you Natasha making me busy,,lol..I enjoy it. thank you.
I love Buckwheat kasha…..my Mom made it the same like you do. At Christmas they would put it into cabbage rolls.
Thanks for posting these Ukrainian recipes……as I've never been there but am a full Ukie.
Shared on facebook.
I instagram-ed you;)
I pinned this recipe http://pinterest.com/pin/41728734017943542/
I would defiantly use BTB in soups/rice. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi Natasha:) MY mom and I use bouillon in our soups!!!
shared on facebook
Would love to win! I love soups and it just wouldn't taste the same without!
I don't have facebook; so I pinned Rogaliki recipe
Love your giveaway!!!
Posted to Facebook
Posted to instagram
I mostly use it in soups and pilmeni. Love your blog, but I already told ya that 🙂
I hope I did right finaly.this is a link to tweet. thank you.https://twitter.com/art_nata/status/216217573979729921
and I also liked it on facebook. thank you.
I'd like to use this product in soup, roast, and all recipes that call for broth. I go through boxes of broth like crazy.
Hello,I like your recipies and always cheking your website for something new.Honestly,I didnt know this kind of "Better Than Bouillon " I never use it.sorry.I just first time hear it from you girls.Thank you for sharing such helpful and wonderful recipies and sekrets of your cooking.I have 3 kids and my oldest one was telling me mom youre so creative on the kitchen,but its all yours Natasha I took it from your website.thank you again.
I love to use Better Than Bouillon almost in everything, from soups to making different kinds of gravy, it adds great flavor. I also think it makes cooking faster and easier. Love your site.
Natasha, I use your recipies all the time, they always turn out great! Thank you.
Natasha, just would like to let you know that your website is a great treasure for our young american wifes with ukrianian heritage (like my daughters 🙂 God Bless you and your family!
I don't have FB, twitter, or instagram so I pinned another recipe. I'm also sharing your giveaway on my family blog. Hope this qualifies 🙂
actually, here is the link
I pinned this recipe http://pinterest.com/pin/85005511687095208/
Thanks for the giveaway✿✿✿
Pinned the mushroom gravy (my latest obsession from your blog) to pinterest.
Hi Natasha! I use the vegetable BTB for vegan dishes, and the chicken one for non-vegetarian food. My latest venture is making a vegan red borshch and it turned out very good. I used the vegetable one as a very easy substitute for the chicken broth and nobody could tell the difference, but it was all vegan nonetheless. Love the whisk in this set too!
Thanks for the gaveaway! I would love to win BTB and use in my cooking. Love your website!
And of course, Thank you, thank you, thank you……….. for thinking about us and sharing your wonderful recipes ! God bless you and your family!!!!
Also, I used it for one of the rice recipes and other soups as well as gravy….
Natasha, hi! I would definitely love to win this giveaway! You have introduced me to this product and I love it 🙂 I used it first in your Zuppa Tuscana Soup and loved it 🙂
Ohh…something new to try. Who knows what I would I would use it for if I won. Most likely some new recipe from your blog!!!
I've shared the this post and your site on facebook. Now my wife will know where I find all of "my" great recipe ideas! Thanks.
I pinned it!!! here is the link http://pinterest.com/pin/196610339953018318/
Hi Natasha-
I love BTB from Costco. I am also a huge Costco shopper. I use BTB in everything I make … LOVE it all natural it's a great substitute for vegeta I used all the time before that has MSG 🙁
I have shared it on my face book page.
I use this mostly when I do crock pot recepies. I love it.
I always use bullion when making soups.
Usually I use the russian cubes, but would love to try something else, especially organic.
Thanks for the giveaway!
I would love to win this. I use this in my soup making, especially boulion
I've never tried this before bc don't have a Costco
Membership but would love to try it.
I use just regular bouillon cubes in soups
sometimes but this sounds safer without
the MSG and things.
I've bought this one time in Costco and it went fast, must of been good. I am looking for something like Vegeta flavoring. So this should be a good replacement.
Shared the giveaway on facebook 🙂
I love BTB! We use it for soup and gravy 🙂 Thanks for the amazing recipes! You are tagged on my instagram.
hey natasha! thank you for your giveaways , i would love to try the better then boullion, i honestly have never heard of it until ur recepies. after making lots of ur recepies and i love them i know this should also be good.
Please enter me in the contest. I adore better than bouillon and use it when making my baked rice–my hairdresser turned me onto this product and I posted this contest to my facebook page, so that everyone will know!
and liked it on facebook.
I also posted this to instagram 🙂
I love this brand of bouillon! And use it in gravey, soups, chicken dishes….basically almost everything. Buckwheat is a favorite in family (especially my husband's) . I usually do it plain with a gravey on top, look forward to trying your version.
Hi Natasha, I would love to win this gift pack. I just bough chicken Better Than Bouillon at Costco few days ago. Tried it in a soup; Loved it!!! It gave such a nice flavor. I been cooking from scratch all this time. It made my cooking a lot easier and faster. I love buck wheat. This seems a very tasty recipe. Thanks Natasha for your wonder full recipes✿✿✿


text:
Texas Instruments : Cramer likes Texas Instruments, as well as the big dividend boost the company gave on Thursday. He thinks the stock is going to $30.
Cliffs Natural Resources : The "Mad Money" host would buy this name.
P.F. Chang's China Bistro : Cramer prefers Yum! Brands and Chipotle instead.
Alumina : Cramer said he likes Alcoa better.
Total SA : Buy this stock, Cramer said.
American Capital Agency : Don't buy this name right now, Cramer said.
Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC
When this story was published, Cramer's charitable trust owned Alcoa.
Questions for Cramer?
Questions, comments, suggestions for the Mad Money website? firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Ways To Decrease Deep Vein Thrombosis Dangers
The issue where a blood clot is formed deep in your veins is called deep capillary apoplexy. This blood clot could obstruct blood that recedes to the heart. This problem frequently occurs in the leg. When left without treatment, the blood clots might travel to the significant body organs like the lungs.
There differ ways you could possibly adjust to decrease your danger for deep capillary apoplexy:
Given up cigarette smoking
Smoking cigarettes will certainly not just incline you to numerous other clinical issues, it might also improve your hazard of developing deep capillary thrombosis. So stop cigarette smoking, stat!
Exercise regularly
Regular exercise will absolutely not just aid you manage your weight as well as make you truly feel in addition to look excellent, it can likewise maintain several professional issues including deep capillary apoplexy away. Constantly make time for exercise per day. Even a little running or strolling, done everyday can go a long methods.
Speak with your medical professional
If you are taking bodily hormones or contraceptive pill, see to it to enable your physician know. If you furthermore have a record of DVT, see to it to inform your medical professional regarding it so you will definitely be encouraged in order to the suitable precautionary procedures to tackle.
Monitor your hypertension consistently
Inspecting your hypertension daily could assist notify you to any kind of kind of issues so you can treat it early as well as suitably.
Do not rest still for long periods
To maintain the blood streaming, refrain from relaxing for long periods. When feasible, stand as well as stroll around. That need to assist properly keep the blood moving.
Constantly comply with medical professional's guidelines after operation
After surgical procedure, your threat of setting up deep vein apoplexy boosts. To preserve this from occurring, you will more than likely be asked to take anticoagulant drugs. You can additionally accelerate your recovery by doing ankle joint switchings, leg lifts, along with various other light exercises to maintain the blood flowing.
Do not sit still for long periods
To maintain the blood streaming, avoid resting for extended periods. When practical, stand up as well as stroll about. That need to help effectively keep the blood moving.
Always abide by physician's standards after surgery
After surgical treatment, your danger of developing deep capillary apoplexy boosts. To keep this from taking place, you will certainly more than likely be asked to take anticoagulant medications. You could in addition accelerate your healing by doing ankle joint turnings, leg lifts, as well as various other light exercises to preserve the blood streaming.
Display comments as Linear | Threaded
The author does not allow comments to this entry


text:
Chatbot Development Tutorial: How to build a fully functional weather bot on Facebook Messenger with API.AI
This is an example on how you can build a Weather Chatbot on Facebook platform, using Ruby on Rails and API.AI
The technology stack we used is
- Server backend: Ruby on Rails
- Natural Language Processing platfrom: API.AI
- Deployment on Facebook Messenger
- The Singapore National Environment Agency provides a nice API (for free) that gives current weather as well as forecasts
Sample feature:
(1) Able to return the "2 Hour Nowcast" when user asks for the current weather
User: "What's the weather in Singapore?" Bot: "The weather in Singapore is {weather}"
User: "How's the weather in Singapore?" Bot: "The weather in Singapore is {weather}"
User: "Is it raining in Singapore" Bot: "The weather in Singapore is {weather}"
You can try out the weather bot here: WBot By Robusttechhouse
Setting Up API.AI
Go to https://console.api.ai and register an account for you. Please note Api.ai cannot support collaboration yet so you may have to create a generic account to share among your team. Read https://docs.api.ai/docs/get-started and follow the steps there. Then, go to the settings in your wit app and get the token id.
Integrate Rails app with API.AI
Fortunately we have a nice Ruby SDK to the https://api.ai natural language processing service. You can find out more about this gem at here.
gem 'api-ai-ruby'
Basic Usage
Just pass correct credentials to ApiAiRuby::Client constructor
client = ApiAiRuby::Client.new(
:client_access_token => 'YOUR_CLIENT_ACCESS_TOKEN'
After that you can send text requests to the https://api.ai with command
response = client.text_request 'hello!'
Or try to invocate intent via defined 'event':
response_zero = client.event_request 'MY_CUSTOM_EVENT_NAME';
response_one = client.event_request 'MY_EVENT_WITH_DATA_TO_STORE', {:param1 => 'value'}
response_two = client.event_request 'MY_EVENT_WITH_DATA_TO_STORE', {:some_param => 'some_value'}, :resetContexts =>
Our Chat Service Class
For cleaner coding, I have wraped all the integration between our Rails App and API.AI within a single class. Create a new chat_service.rb file in /services. What we need to do is create a ChatService class and in it's initializer, where we will set up a API.AI client
class ChatService attr_reader :response_message def initialize(uid) @client = ApiAiRuby::Client.new( client_access_token: ENV['API_AI_CLIENT_ACCESS_TOKEN'], api_session_id: uid ) end def execute(message) // Some logic here to get @response_message @response_message end end
By doing this, when new message coming from an user, we can simply give user ID and the message to our ChatService class through the execute method which in turn will result in the @response_message
Note that you shouldn't actually have your API.AI access client access token or any other token like it just lying around in code waiting to be put in version control. You should use the secrets.yml or application.yml (using Figaro) for development and environment variables in production.
Here is how we implement the execute method, please note there are lots of thing we can implement here to customize and improve the chat experience:
def execute(message) api_ai_response = @client.text_request(message) api_ai_response_message = api_ai_response[:result][:fulfillment][:speech] if action_incomplete @response_message = api_ai_response_message return end case action when 'ask.current.weather' @response_message = search_forecast(api_ai_response[:result][:parameters][:location]) when ... # More implementation here end end def search_forecast(location) WeatherService.search_forecast(location) end
Note: WeatherService is a class within my services directory. This class acts as an adapter, connecting to 3rd party weather provider to fetch weather information given a specific location.
Integrate Rails app with Facebook Messenger
Set up Facebook App
Head on over to the developer console and press "Add a New App". After creating one, you can skip the quick start. You'll end up here.
From here, you're going to want to press "+Add Product" and add Messenger. After we configure a webhook, Facebook wants us to validate the URL to our application.
Set up Rails App
We'll be using the facebook-messenger gem. It's arguably the best Ruby client for Facebook Messenger.
Add below initialization code so that our Rails App can loaded the gem
# frozen_string_literal: true # config/initializers/facebook_messenger.rb unless Rails.env.production? bot_files = Dir[Rails.root.join('app', 'bot', '**', '*.rb')] bots_reloader = ActiveSupport::FileUpdateChecker.new(bot_files) do bot_files.each { |file| require_dependency file } end ActionDispatch::Callbacks.to_prepare do bots_reloader.execute_if_updated end bot_files.each { |file| require_dependency file } end
Add initial code for our bot
# frozen_string_literal: true # app/bot/listen.rb require 'facebook/messenger' include Facebook::Messenger Facebook::Messenger::Subscriptions.subscribe(access_token: ENV['ACCESS_TOKEN']) Bot.on :message do |message| request_message = message.text uid = message.sender['id'] User.find_or_create_by(uid: uid) unless request_message.nil? chat_service = ChatService.new(uid) chat_service.execute(request_message) FacebookMessengerService.deliver(uid, chat_service.response_message) end end
I also have a Facebook Messager Service class, which main function is to handle the replying to the sender, wrapped within the deliver method:
# frozen_string_literal: true # app/services/facebook_messenger_service.rb class FacebookMessengerService class << self def deliver(uid, message) puts "[debuz] sending '#{message}' to user '#{uid}'" message_content = { text: message, quick_replies: quick_replies ? quick_replies : nil } begin Bot.deliver( { recipient: { id: uid }, message: message_content }, access_token: ENV['ACCESS_TOKEN'] ) rescue => e puts '[debuz] ' + e.message end end end end
Add to config/application.rb so rails knows about our bot files
# Auto-load /bot and its subdirectories config.paths.add File.join("app", "bot"), glob: File.join("**","*.rb") config.autoload_paths += Dir[Rails.root.join("app", "bot", "*")]
One last thing is to update routes for /bot
# config/routes.rb Rails.application.routes.draw do mount Facebook::Messenger::Server, at: "bot" end
Also, do not forget to set the env variables for the following
Wrap up
Now that we have a functional bot, we can play around with the UI elements that Facebook provides. You can check them out here.
With this post, I hope you can build a API.AI chatbot for your own. This is an interesting space as it's fairly new, good luck!
You can find the example Rails app here: https://github.com/duc4nh/wbot-api-ai.git
Special thanks to:
Brought to you by SingaporeChabots.sg. Want to build a chatbot? Drop us a note !


text:
With 15% of the vote now counted, Greece looks set to vote 'NO' in its referendum by an 'overwhelming' majority of a huge turnout.
We should all congratulate and thank Greece. It has set itself up as a beacon of hope and democracy against the unelected suprastate that would crush it and further enslave it to the failed model of 'austerity'.
The economic competency of the Germans and the French, the European Central Bank, the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund has been shown, by far better economists than I, to have been about the level of a bunch of schoolchildren. Greece was forced into unnecessary recession and at the same time expected to make huge loan repayments in order to serve the political ends of Germany and France. The consequence has been an even greater Depression than that which afflicted the USA in the 1930s, with over 25% unemployment and hardship that no-one else in Europe would put up with.
And that is why it has been so important for the lenders to break tiny Greece. Because when they come for you, they don't want you to think that there's any way out. They don't want you to realise that states are sovereign and can just tear up debts. At the moment their targets are Italy and Spain; they dread the consequences if these two states were to tear up their loans and tell their lenders to raffle themselves — which they are perfectly entitled to do. But make no mistake, these people, Merkel, Hollande, Juncker and Lagarde are out to destroy democracy and the sovereignty of the people, and concentrate power in the hands of oligarchs, bureaucrats, and completely unaccountable quangos and corporations.
Iceland proved them wrong and they have been very quiet about that. But they won't be able to keep quiet about Greece.
The Greek economy is actually in surplus, by about 2%, if we discount the loan repayments. It is not Greece's economy or its economic management that is at fault, but the slavish insistence of the European anti-democratic hegemony on 'austerity'.
Well, it looks like Greece has given these economic bullies a kick in the testicles that they will remember.
It should now declare that all the debt is suspended. It should declare a repayment holiday with no interest increment. It should invite China to invest hugely in its infrastructure and tourism economy. It should print drachmas and float them. And it should continue to tell the anti-democratic hegemony that governs Europe that its day is done.
And then we should all do the same.


text:
Now we are reading tonight from the 4th chapter of Matthew's gospel, beginning at verse 1:
"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward a hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
"Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
"Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him." [Verses 1-11.]
Another passage I want to read is Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Now tonight I want you to see that the Bible teaches the Christian life is a warfare. The Christian life is a battle, a fight, a struggle, a warfare from beginning to end. We are told that we as Christians must be strong in order to wrestle against the forces of darkness. Notice in the passage we just read that the apostle Paul summons his fellow pastors as fellow soldiers. He summons them to arms. Much of the New Testament concerning Christian living has to do with warfare. The Bible teaches that not one single Christian is ever exempt from fighting this battle. He calls every Christian, not to a religious playground, not to a sports field; He calls us for a grim, terrible, bloody conflict. And God says that the Christian life is a combat and a fight and a wrestling match from start to finish. It is not against flesh and blood. You cannot organize, you cannot scheme to defeat this enemy who is against your soul.
The moment you give your life to Jesus Christ you have started a fight. You have started a battle that will last the rest of your days. It is the battle with Satan. Already some of you who have given your life to Christ have found that the struggle is greater now than it was before you gave your life to Christ. You were on Satan's side then, and he did not bother you. Now you are on God's side, and Satan does not like it; and so he battles and he fights.
The Bible says there is something about this person, and it tells us we are fighting against principalities, powers, and spiritual rulers. We're told in 2 Corinthians 2:11 that we are not to be ignorant of the devil. The apostle says that Satan should not take advantage of us, because we are not ignorant of his devices. Now one necessity in victorious warfare is to know your enemy.
We are reading in Life magazine these days the story of World War II from the viewpoint of General Montgomery. He said that on one occasion when he was going into Holland with some paratroopers, he underestimated the strength of the enemy and lost the battle.
Many times we underestimate the strength of the devil, and because of it we lose the battle. The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, is a roaring lion, who walkest about, seeking whom he may devour."
Some of the names given in the Bible of the devil describe his personality. He is called Satan [see Matthew 4:10]. He is called deceiver [see Job 12:16]. He is called liar [see John 8:44]. He is called murderer [see John 8:44]. He is called prince [see Matthew 9:34], destroyer [see 1 Corinthians 10:10], the evil one [see Matthew 13:38], Beelzebub [see Luke 11:15]. We are told in the Bible that he has wiles [see Ephesians 6:11], devices, and snares [see 1 Timothy 3:7].
The Bible also warns that he beguiles [see 2 Corinthians 11:3], he seduces [see Mark 13:22], he opposes [see 2 Thessalonians 2:4], he resists [see Zechariah 3:1], he deceives [see Revelation 20:10], he avenges [see Psalm 44:16], he buffets [see 2 Corinthians 12:7], he persecutes [see Psalm 143:3], and he blasphemes [see Revelation 13:4,5]. The Bible indicates that Satan has authority over vast hosts of demons and evil spirits; in Matthew 25:41 Jesus speaks of "the devil and his angels."
Now the devil is in control of a vast spiritual world that is at war against the kingdom of God. And when you enter the kingdom of God, when you come to Jesus Christ and give yourself to Him, you are immediately involved in that conflict. Satan is out to betray, to foil, discourage, seduce, to bewitch every single child of God. Every one of us has a battle every day, and the Bible teaches that Satan is the tempter [see 1 Thessalonians 3:5].
Now there are some people who say that Satan doesn't exist. But I don't see how anybody can read the Bible and doubt that the Bible teaches there is a personality called Satan. And if you look in the world today and see all the trouble going on, certainly it looks as if somebody has a great big bowl and a great big stick stirring the whole thing up. We put out one fire in the Middle East and another breaks out in the Far East. Mr. Dulles is on his way home tonight across the Pacific. He has got that one quieted down a little bit, and another one is going to break out somewhere.
That is true in your life. It seems like you solve one problem, and then it seems you jump from the frying pan into the fire. Always, you are faced with this problem and this difficulty, and that difficulty. One time you win a battle over the devil, you have the victory over a certain type of temptation in your life; and all of a sudden, the devil comes from another direction. You put up a guard in front, and he kicks you from behind. You turn around and put up some armor behind, and he kicks you in the side. Everywhere you turn, Satan is battling and fighting. He is probing. He is finding your weakest spot. When he finds it, he latches on, he attacks; and he puts his sword right into the sore spot and the weak spot.
How can you overcome him? How can you resist him? How can you win the battle? He has got a lot of you Christians tonight with long faces. He has got a lot of you so confused and mixed up that you do not know whether you are coming or going. He discourages you. He has beaten you right down to the ground. And some of you are ready to give up and say, "I just can't live the Christian life. It's impossible! I just can't do it." You've been up one day and down the next. Your life is up and down, and there is a constant war going on down inside. It seems like the flesh is winning over the Spirit all the time. You want to do good, but you cannot. Satan is too strong. He is too powerful.
Some of you Christians are wrestling with habits like alcohol. You are trying to give it up, but you cannot. You know you ought to. You know that it is wrong to do certain things. You are trying to quit lying. You are trying to get rid of jealousy. You are trying to get rid of that pride. You are trying to get rid of that temper which you have got, which irritates people and hurts so much. You don't really want to get mad at people, but you do it. You are trying to be forgiving, but you can't forgive. There are some things that people have done against you that you just can't forgive. God says that you can't get forgiveness from God unless you are willing to forgive others [see Mark 11:26], but you can't forgive. It is too deep. The scar is way down inside. There is bitterness and malice in your heart, and Satan has a grip on your life.
What can you do? Well, I want to tell you, first of all, that Christ has already been subject to every temptation and trial that you have ever faced. In Hebrews 4:15, "For we have not [a] high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." In all points! Do you mean to tell me that Jesus was ever tempted to lust? Yes! Was Jesus ever tempted to get angry? Yes! Was Jesus ever tempted? Yes! The Bible says "in all points . . . like as we are." And the Bible teaches that temptation is not a sin. It is not a sin to be tempted. There is no sin in it. Satan is going to tempt you. He is going to lure you. He is going to try to trap you. He is going to try to get you on his side. But sin comes when you yield to the devil.
Now Jesus never yielded once, never yielded an inch to the devil. So that means that I do have resources within me, by the Holy Spirit, to resist the devil. Yes, thanks be unto God, you can live victoriously. "Sin shall not have dominion over you" [Romans 6:14], the Scripture says. There is no excuse for any of us ever committing sin. There may be sins of omission. None of us is perfect, and any man who says that he does not sin deceives himself [see 1 John 1:8]. The Scripture makes clear that there is no excuse for any of us ever deliberately telling a lie. There is no excuse for any of us ever deliberately allowing our imagination to wander on that which it should not. There is no excuse for any of us having lust and hatred and prejudice and bigotry in our hearts. No excuse! Because the means is available to the weakest creature here tonight to live above it. Every child of God here tonight can live a victorious life twenty-four hours a day.
The Scripture says in Hebrews 2:18, "In that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." Jesus has already been through every experience that you go through. He is able to help you. He has already experienced it. He knows the prince's power. And because He knows it and because He has experienced it, He can help you.
Let us see how He faced the devil when the devil came in the great temptation. Notice Jesus--it happened right after His baptism, when He had this tremendous experience. Now whether you Presbyterians believe that He was sprinkled on, or whether He was poured on, or whether He went all the way under--I'll let the theologians battle over that question. He was baptized by John in the river Jordan [see Matthew 3:16]. When He came up out of the water, He immediately was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. And there for forty days He did not have anything to eat; and after the forty days' fasting, the devil came to tempt Him.
Now if the devil could tempt Jesus and make Jesus sin, then, of course, Jesus would no longer be Christ. God would tumble Him from His throne, and the devil would take over control of the universe. And that is exactly what the devil wanted to do, and that is why he tempted Jesus.
But I want you to notice that the temptation of Jesus came immediately after His great experience of baptism, when the Holy Spirit descended on Him like a dove and the voice from heaven said, "This is my . . . Son, in whom I am well pleased" [Matthew 3:17].
Many times, the darkest hour of temptation comes after a spiritual victory. I find it in crusades like this. One night we can have a mighty victory. The next night it seems that the devil himself has a grip on the service. It seems to be almost a spiritual law.
Suppose you come and give your life to Christ in consecration. You dedicate your life to Christ. At that moment, immediately after may be your most difficult hour. Some of you who have accepted Christ in this crusade are now going through what may be the most difficult hours of your Christian experience. This time of adjustment is just like getting married. The first few months of marriage is fun and it's a wonderful experience, but there are adjustments to be made. There are difficulties, too.
So it is when you first come to Christ. You give yourself to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and what a wonderful experience. You are walking on air, and the next thing you know the devil has a knife in your back. The next thing you know, temptation is pulling you in a direction you had never dreamed you would be pulled--almost like a magnet you are being pulled. The devil is on the job, working to throw you off the track, to keep you from being an effective witness for Jesus Christ. Satan is bothering us all, all day long.
But I want you to see Jesus. Forty days and forty nights He had not eaten anything. Now Jesus did four things that I want you to see are available to everyone tonight. First, He was obedient to the will of God. Second, He was filled with the Holy Spirit. Third, He spent much time in prayer. And, fourth, He was filled with the knowledge of the Scripture. Every time the devil came with a temptation, Jesus quoted a verse of Scripture to him.
Now if you are obedient to the will of God, if you are willing to obey God with all your heart, if you love God with all your heart and you are willing to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and you know some of the Scripture verses He has given you to memorize during this crusade, then when the devil comes with a temptation, you can quote him a passage of Scripture. And the Bible says that the devil will flee. "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" [James 4:7].
The first temptation is the temptation of hunger. "[Since] thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread" [Matthew 4:3]. "Come on now, Jesus, you claim to be the Son of God, and you are hungry. You have not eaten in forty days and forty nights. Why don't you turn those stones into bread? You've got the power. You are God."
Ah, what a temptation that was. The famished body of Jesus must have leaped with desire, for He had not eaten in forty days. And to think those stones could be eaten by His own magic touch, by being turned into bread. But to do so at the behest of the devil would be sin. And you know what Jesus did? Jesus said, "It is written." Every single time that the devil said to Jesus--every time--He flashed the sword of the Word of God. "It is written, [Thou shalt] not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" [Matthew 4:4]. Jesus said, "Yes, a man has to live, but not by bread alone."
Jesus said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things [will] be added unto you" [Matthew 6:33]. The devil wanted Jesus to get His eyes off the kingdom of God, and get His eyes on material things. He wanted Him to seek material things before the kingdom of God.
And there are thousands here tonight that the devil has tempted just like that. You don't have time for the kingdom of God. You don't have time for church. You don't give up your money to the church. You give a little bit, but not much. You very rarely read your Bible. You are far more interested in television, and the radio, and the newspaper than you are in the Scriptures. You are far more interested in material things of life than you are in the spiritual things. And the devil has got your gaze away from Christ and away from God, and got it on material values.
The material things of the world, and the lust thereof shall pass away--this material world shall pass away--but he that doeth the will of God alone shall abide forever [see 1 John 2:17]. Look how one-sided you are. The material side of the world is going to pass away and burn up [see 2 Peter 3:10]. You are spending all of your time boozing and looking on and playing with material things; whereas the spiritual part of the world, that is going to last forever--you are giving very little time to it at all. So the devil has many of you.
Yes, Jesus said, a man has to live, but not by bread alone. Jesus said bread and worldly goods are unimportant compared to the development and the cultivation of your soul, and keeping your eyes on the kingdom of God, and keeping His righteousness first.
What are you seeking first in life? Pleasure? Or are you seeking God first? Will you enjoy a big steak in the restaurant more than you do a time of prayer, than to closet at home in fellowship with God? Do you enjoy going to the theater, and sitting there two and three and four hours, more than sitting one hour in church on Sunday morning? Do you have your television fixed if it is broken rather than to give that twenty dollars to the church? Is your pleasure and entertainment more important than church? What about it? We have yielded to the devil's temptation. Jesus did not yield.
Secondly, the devil came again to Jesus--after the devil had lost the first round, he came for the second round. He came to Jesus and took Him high up, six hundred feet on top of the temple. And he said, "If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone" [Matthew 4:6].
Notice the subtlety of the devil. The devil decided now he is going to quote Scripture, and I have found that the devil is a pretty good Scripture-quoter. He misquotes it sometimes, and he misinterprets it. He takes it out of its context, but he can quote it. He can twist you and turn you. And a lot of young Christians have to be careful of the cults and the sects that will try to get you off. They can cleverly quote and twist the Scripture.
You can find anything in the Scripture. The Scripture says Judas went out and hung himself [see Matthew 27:5]. And it says in another place, "Go thou, and do likewise" [see Luke 10:37]. You put it together and you think you are supposed to go hang yourself. You can prove anything! Be careful. Don't let Satan beguile you. The Bible says the devil is "an angel of light" [2 Corinthians 11:14]. He puts his best foot forward, and you would think the devil must be right. He gently leads you along the broad road that leads to destruction. All the time you may think you are going right. The Bible says, "There is a way [that] seemeth right [to] a man, but the end . . . [is] the [way] of death" [Proverbs 14:12]. Be careful! Satan will try to get you off the track.
The devil says, "All right, Christ, you want to be Christ. You want to be accepted by the people of Judah and the people of Israel. All right, jump off the temple; and while you are on the way down, the angels will reach out and catch you. And everybody down below will look up and say, 'That must be the Christ.' Then you will not have to go to the cross and die."
What a temptation! Because on the night of Gethsemane, Jesus in the garden shrank from the cup He had to drink. He shrank from the cross. And He said, "If it be possible, let this cup of suffering pass from me; not my will, but thine, be done" [see Matthew 26:39]. Jesus knew that He had to go to the cross. He didn't want to go to the cross, but He had to save us from our sins. But the devil had got a new way to get out. The devil said, "You can make a short cut. You can save people, and they will believe on you. You won't have to go to the cross. Jump down and let the angels catch you." What a trick and what a temptation it was to Jesus.
That's what the devil says to you. He says, "Why, there's more than one way to heaven. Come on. Why, you know you don't have to go to the cross. You don't have to be converted. You don't have to repent of your sins. Why, if you'll just do good and try to please everybody, you'll be all right." The devil doesn't mind you going to church once in awhile. In fact, he wants you to. The devil's not interested in a man lying in a ditch drunk. Why, a man lying in the ditch drunk is no help to the devil. The devil loves to see a man put on respectability, go to church once in awhile. It's good for business. But not to be born again of the Spirit, having had no personal experience with Christ.
Jesus said once again, "It is written." And notice He uses the Scripture, "It is written . . . , Thou [shall] not tempt the Lord thy God" [Matthew 4:7]. Once again the devil went down to defeat. He just couldn't stand a man obedient to the will of God, full of the Holy Spirit, spending time in prayer, and taking the Scriptures, and letting him have it.
I want to tell you, you try quoting verses of Scripture to the devil when he comes with temptation, and see what happens. He'll run. He can't stand it. He can't stand the Word of God. You can argue with him. But he has argued with the greatest brains in the history of the world, and he has won every battle. He has won over every single person who has ever lived, except Jesus. He knows all the tricks of the trade. You've only got a few years to learn just a few of the tricks. He knows them all. He can lick every one of you, but he cannot lick God's holy Word. He cannot lick the Scriptures. That's the reason it's so important to start reading your Bibles. That's the reason we believe it's important to memorize certain Scriptures, appropriate Scriptures, so that when Satan comes to you, you can flash a package of Scripture at him.
How do we tempt God? We tempt God in many ways. You young Christians, watch out--you may be tempting God. We tempt God by playing with fire. We tempt God by playing with sin.
I know a man who was an alcoholic. He was converted to Christ. He has been on this platform. He has still got five thousand dollars' worth of liquor in his basement. I told him to get rid of it. He hasn't taken a drop of liquor in three years, but he's still got it. He can't sell it. He isn't allowed to sell it. I don't guess he wants to break it. I don't know what he wants to do with it. I told him, "You are tempting God. Watch out, you'll get burned. You can't go back to those places, and with that old gang, and stand up. They'll pull you down. You'll be testing God."
That's the reason the Bible says, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [things]" [2 Corinthians 6:17]. Don't tempt God by putting yourself in the way of sin. Avoid those people who used to pull you down. Witness to them, but no longer partake of the things they are doing because they'll pull you back.
Yet there are a lot of you here tonight who have really never experienced Christ, and you are also tempting God by neglecting or resisting this Holy Spirit. You haven't come to Jesus Christ. You are like the old eagle that was on the block of ice floating down Niagara River. Somebody yelled and said, "Watch out, old eagle, you'll go over the falls and be killed." And the old eagle looked proudly around as though to say, "My powerful wings have taken me over mountains before. I don't have to worry." And he kept eating and eating the sheep carcass as he went down. Just as he came to the falls he lifted his great wings, but his feet had frozen in the ice and he went screaming over the falls to his death. He tempted too long.
There are some of you that have resisted the Holy Spirit. You have put off giving yourself to Christ, and you are tempting God. Reach up and play with forked lightning, but don't tempt God. Play with a rattlesnake, but don't tempt God. Don't play with sin. It'll soon strike, and the poison will kill you. And you are headed for destruction. I beg of you tonight to give your life to Christ. "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?" says Proverbs 6:27. "Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?" [verse 28].
Then, lastly, there was the temptation of ambition. The devil took Jesus high up on the mountain and said, "Jesus, you see all of this." He showed Him in one dazzling, glorious moment the splendor and the sovereignty and power and the pomp of men of Babylon, Persia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, France, Germany, America, and Russia. All passed before Christ. And the devil said, "Christ, I will give it all to you if you will just bow down and worship me." [See Matthew 4:8,9.]
The Bible says the devil is "the prince [and] the power of the air" [Ephesians 2:2], that he is "the god of this world" [2 Co-rinthians 4:4]. He is the prince of this world. He has the power to give you anything he wants, to keep you from Jesus. And the devil is saying to some of you tonight, "All right. Just bow to me. Just give me a little wink once in awhile. Play footsie with me under the table. Hold hands with me under the table, and I'll give you anything you want." He's got some of you for a little bit of pleasure. He's got some of you for a little bit of sex. He's got some of you for a little bit of extra money. He's got some of you for a little better grade in school. The devil said, "If you'll just cheat a little, just lie a little--not much, you don't have to go all the way, just a little bit--lower the flag, stifle your conscience just a little bit, I'll give it to you."
Now, in order to get you, he'd give you almost the whole world; but he's got some of you cheap--very cheap. Why, there are some of you here he'd pay you a million dollars if he could get you, to keep you from the kingdom, but he's got you cheap.
Jesus once again took out the words and said, "It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve" [Matthew 4:10]. How did Christ gain the victory? By obedience to the will of God, by being filled with the Holy Spirit, by spending much time in prayer, and by knowing the Scriptures. Not one time in Scripture are we told to run from the devil. If you see the devil going, don't you start running the other way. The Bible doesn't tell you that. It tells you to "flee lust" [see 2 Timothy 2:22]; the lust of the flesh we're to run from. The Bible says we're to "make [no] provision for the flesh" [Romans 13:14]. But if the devil is coming to tempt you, don't run. The Bible says in Ephesians 4:27, "Neither give place to the devil." The Bible says in James 4:7, "Submit [yourself] to God [and] resist the devil, and [he'll] flee from you."
We are to resist the devil. In the power of the Holy Spirit, with the Word of God, we can resist the devil. And he is the one that will do the running. You can't do it in your own strength. You can only do it if Christ lives within you. If Christ, the Holy Spirit, is living within you and you have submitted yourself completely to God--your hands, your eyes, your ears, your nose, your tongue, your heart, your whole body submitted to Him--then you have the authority to rebuke the devil, and he will flee from you.
So many times I have quoted that passage when the devil is tempting me. I have said, "O God, with all my heart I submit to thee. In all the capacities that thou hast shown me, I submit to thee. Now, by faith, I claim I can resist the devil and he will flee from me." And he does flee. The Scripture says, "Be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, is a roaring lion, who walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" [1 Peter 5:8]. Then resist. When trial and adversity and trouble come, when the devil tempts you to be discouraged, resist him and he will flee.
But I want to tell you that you need to spend time every day in prayer. You need to be obedient. What does this obedience mean? It means that you love your neighbor as yourself. It means that you're faithful and loyal in the church. It means that you're reading your Bible daily. It means that you're spending time every day in prayer. You are obedient to the will of God. It means that you're memorizing Scripture so that you have got it written in your heart. "Thy word have I hid in [my] heart, that I might not sin against thee" [Psalm 119:11], says the Scripture. And when the devil comes, he will flee.
I have seen it happen thousands of times in my own life, and I know it works. It will work in your case. When it comes to the world, we're not to be conformed to the world [see Romans 12:2]. When it comes to the flesh, we're to run from the flesh. And that's another story and another message at another time. But when it comes to the temptations of the devil, and the trials and afflictions of the devil, Jesus Christ has already suffered every temptation we'll ever face. He knows how to help us. If we are "in the way," He will help us.
But there are many of you here tonight, you don't really know Christ. You haven't really given your life to Christ. You are not certain you have really experienced Christ. Christ died on the cross for your sins. He rose again for your justification. He's a living Christ, ready to come into your heart tonight, to cleanse you from sin, to change your life and make you a new person. You need Him tonight.
He's spoken to many hundreds of you during this crusade. You've read it in the paper. You've heard it on television or the radio. God spoke to you. You haven't come. We've only got two more nights. This may be the last moment you'll ever have like this to give your life to Christ.
I am going to ask you tonight to come and give your life to Christ, and say tonight, "I want to be an obedient Christian. I want to follow Christ. I want to serve Christ. I give myself to Him as Savior, Lord, and Master."


text:
Contact us with your news. Email email@example.com, or email@example.com or call the GTN News team on 01733 775700
The European Commission has dropped its proposal for a 10 year license extension for glyphosate after the European Parliament called today for the weedkiller to be phased out in the next five years.
Europe has been debating the use of the herbicide for more than two years and reported by news agency Reuters; "Tuesday's non-binding vote comes a day before representatives from the 28 EU member nations were due to meet in Brussels to discuss and give their view on a Commission proposal to extend the license for glyphosate by 10 years.
The European Parliament News Service reports that the non-binding resolution was adopted by 355 votes to 204, with 111 abstentions. EU member states will vote on a Commission proposal to renew the marketing authorisation of glyphosate on Wednesday 25th October 2017.
A European Citizen's initiative calling for a ban on the herbicide reached more than a million signatures in less than a year and will trigger a public hearing in Parliament in November.
Other reports say that MEP's also demanded that the Commission and European Union member states immediately ban the use of glyphosate in households or public parks and on farms if other biological pest control systems were available.
In June 2016 the EU passed an 18-month extension to extend the license for 15 years. That expires at the end of the year. The initial resolution put today called for glyphosate to be phased out by the end of 2020. However, an amendment pushed that back to December 2022.
See the full Reuters story here: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-health-glyphosate/eu-lawmakers-demand-five-year-phase-out-of-weedkiller-glyphosate-idUSKBN1CT21Hand the EU Parliament News service at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20171020IPR86572/meps-demand-glyphosate-phase-out-with-full-ban-by-end-2022Other reports about the vote can be found at: http://www.france24.com/en/20171024-eu-parliament-votes-ban-controversial-weedkiller-glyphosate-monsanto-roundup
GTN October 2017 Issue OUT NOW!To view a digital version click here


text:
The new Ford Focus RS has got smart drive
The new Ford Focus RS is equipped with an intelligent all-wheel drive, which will help the car to take turns correctly.
The product division called Ford Performance All-Wheel-Drive with Dynamic Torque Vectoring (literally – "four-wheel drive with torque vectoring dynamic." To realize the potential of traction sensibly powerful new car (it is the third generation Focus RS and the thirtieth series model RS as a whole) he was given a four-wheel drive. And special mental capabilities drive gave primarily to enhance the enjoyment of the machine control in corners.


text:
The further I get into design the less I believe it is about having a "gift" or about being special.
When I was growing up my mom use to over protect me and would always be terribly concerned of me hurting my hands in some crazy way. I blame her for not having the perfect jumpshot and having to rely on this drawing skill. Just kidding. But to this day she will tell my son not to rough house with me because "my hands" are so important. He is three.
And while I appreciate her concern and her love for me and protecting what she knows as my career. I couldn't be further from her view as to what makes great design.
Yes you need to be able to capture your ideas and thoughts and most times that is with your hands. But what really makes a great designer has nothing to actually do with your hands.
Its courage.
It is courage to try.
It is courage to create your own path.
It is courage to tell the world that it is wrong.
It is courage to show everyone what you believe is missing.
Over the years I have found that when I am most respected in my design projects it is because I am the one that is willing to stand up and prove why the idea is right. I am willing to sacrifice my time, my energy and my effort to take on whatever is needed to make an idea happen.
Courage has become a subject that I love to talk about and learn about. I love to hear how others over came or how they blindly found their way.
Over the next few posts you will be seeing the conversations that Mr. Bailey and I opened up to some of our colleagues that we respect the most. We challenged them to answer the subject in the most original way possible to them.
I believe you learn that courage comes in many forms.
To start the series we decided to share our conversation together. Daniel (MrB) and I tend to have quite a few in depth conversations via WhatsApp about this subject, amongst many others. This is a good representation as to what that stream of consciousness looks like.
In the post below Daniel's comments are aligned to the right and mine to the left, in bold.
I hope you enjoy what this series is and please feel free to comment and contact us about how you find courage, or if you need some.
BG: This is actually a subject and conversation I have been wanting to have with you for a long time. Because to a large extent you inspired it for me.
As I get older in design, I am beginning, think that working for a corporation or an established "house" of design is the easier path. For surely the safer.
Not to say challenges don't exist within that path but there is a safety net there.
So my first question for you is how did you end up going down the independent route?
MB: Going independent wasn't initially the plan to be honest. I actually got into footwear with the goal of designing Basketball sneakers for Nike. Back in the day, that was the pinnacle for me, so I wanted to shoot for the top. At least that was the plan until I met the big homie, Omar Bailey at an IDSA conference in Philly.
I didn't even realise that being an Indy footwear designer, or having your own footwear design/development agency was a thing till I met him.
BG: Why?
MB: After getting to hang around Omar, go with him on trips to China and everywhere in between, working on projects for all kinds of brands, from start-ups to established companies, I realised how much larger the industry is. It's so much more than just design if you want it to be, so that whole experience kind of opened my eyes to the development side of things.
Also to be completely honest, I don't think I really had the skill set straight out of college to have attracted any type of serious interested from a brand like Nike or adidas, I needed the time to develop, and during that time I was lucky to see a different side of the industry and also got the time to work on my skills.
BG: What are some of the challenges that you didn't expect that has happened?
MB: Dealing with clients can be tricky at times, particularly when they're not necessarily "shoe people" and don't know much about the footwear design industry. It becomes more of a teaching process than a design one, which can be a little frustrating. So it goes without saying that we're quite picky with who we choose to work with.
The plus side to that is that it also gives me and the team freedom to create our own projects, which is super fulfilling, but also comes with its own set of challenges. Mainly giving every project the time it truly deserves in order to create the best product possible.
Other then that when you own your own company/s, there are a lot of "other", non-designer things you need to take care of. I write emails more than is probably healthy for my fingertips, and my sanity.
Also, make sure you have a good accountant.
BG: Where do you find the courage to continue doing what you are doing?
MB: I'm coming from a place where I felt no one was really into what I was doing, so I just thought fk it, I'll outwork them and get better and better. Coming from a sporting background I feel confident in my work ethic and my ability to do whatever it takes to excel. I've also surrounded myself with people that are essentially doing the same as me (but way better) in different areas and industries, so it's only natural that I would do the same. I guess you could say I draw my courage from them.
BG: Is it courage that you have? or is it a personality trait? Essentially do you see yourself as courageous?
MB: Not particularly courageous, I just really love what I do. I've always been the type of person to just "go for it" and figure things out on the way. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesnt. But, at the core of it all I love to create and either being a part of, or understand the process, in as many aspects as I can. I don't really see that as being courageous, I just couldn't really imagine living any differently.
Same question to you –
BG: I have always had this capability to say what I don't want, I am not great at telling you what I want but I can always tell you what I don't want. I don't know if its a gift but I use it a lot. I also had parents that I would consider to be very passive. So from a young age, I learned to make decisions and figure things out.
I think that ability to make decisions, have the capability to know what not to do to figure out what I want to do; can be perceived as having courage. I find more and more as I grow into being a professional designer, customers or team members or leadership you are working for; are not just looking for your ideas but what they really want is the ideas that you believe in.
So I have learned that I have to have courage. I have to be willing to stand up and push for what is needed. And I have to do that by any means necessary.
Does it come naturally, I don't know? I say yes because I have a hard time sitting back and letting things happen without me but I also say no because I don't think of myself as being courageous. If I was I would have my own brand right now.
BG: In life, it is easy to fall into the cliche that life is always easier on the other side; is there ever a time where you wish you were a part of a design house?
If so, what keeps it from happening?
MB: I wouldn't say I've ever wished I was part of a design house, but I've definitely entertained the thought of joining one. To be honest though, right now I'm kind of in a zone to where I want to create my own design house, filled with super talented peers, which I'm in the process of building slowly right now.
For me, freedom is the most valuable currency.
I've had the honour of being approached by some of the top brands in the industry. And though I'm always flattered, I generally say thanks, but I'm not interested right now. There have, however been a couple times where I've entertained the idea.
Marc Dolce actually hit me up a few times about the BK Farm. After expressing a couple times that, though I was flattered I wasn't really interested, I started to question whether choosing to not give the opportunity a chance was actually the easy option, so we set up a meeting in Nuremberg.
I don't know if I'd have ever actually taken a position with them, it would have for sure have taken a lot for me to do that, regardless I clearly had a little too many other things going on for their liking because we didn't continue talks after the meeting. I kind of stressed my need to carry on designing my own products and also continue with ConceptKicks, which they totally understood and respected. I think that would be the only way I could ever work with a larger design house, I would need to maintain a high level of freedom, which isn't something anyone's really been able to offer me to the level I have by myself right now.
At the end of the day though, I want to learn and get better, so if I think a situation can offer something that I can learn from and grow, I'll try and at least give it some thought. But the bottom line for me is that if you're going to put me in shackles, I'm not about it.
How about you, do you ever wish you were fully independent?
BG: Oh boy, that is a tough question, yes I do and no I don't. It is the ultimate dream. But it brings great risk and fear too.
It is easy to say that independent would be easier because you don't have as many voices inputting on thoughts and ideas but I also think some of those voices are necessary and help balance many evils. I know that my best ideas are when I work with others. It isn't just me developing a design for myself. I enjoy doing that immensely but I need others to be able to validate and make sure that I am not only designing for myself.
At the end of my career, I want to look back at having the freedom to work on what inspires me. To go back to the courage question, I think it takes a lot of that to be willing to be free. Because it means that you have to be willing to be independent and blaze a path that is great for you and bring others with you.
MB: What would have to happen for you to take the dive and go fully indy?
BG: If I am being honest it is me fully believing in myself. The only thing that stops anyone from doing anything is themselves.
What is slowing me is happiness.
I love what I am doing right now on every level so I don't want to give it up.
Realistic thoughts that make me apprehensive is that I have a good set up. As I mentioned I am happy. There are challenges at times but I am happy. And I know that I can provide for my family in a great way with what I have going now. So it is very hard to give that up without having a full plan in place.
MB: You've always been outspoken about the industry, where has the confidence come from to continually put your honest opinions out to the world?
BG: My confidence comes in having a voice and constantly admiring others who use their voice properly. I believe honesty is a virtue and I believe if you aren't honest and are in a position to influence then you are doing nothing but polluting the world and ultimately your sole.
What also made me confident is I don't view myself as media/blogger/influencer or whatever term you want to throw at for speaking about footwear. I saw myself as sharing a voice for my passion that didn't exist. Outside of Kicksology and yourself, what I started speaking about all the way back in 2009 didn't exist on the internet and I could argue still doesn't. What gave me the confidence to boldly speak out about product and the industry though as that it wasn't my source of income.
So views, ad dollars and any sort of revenue generating never entered my mind. I didn't have to rely on it and never planned to, so in a way it was freeing.
MB: Have you ever received any backlash from people within the industry for your comments?
BG: It is no secret that I was being seeded product by brands at one point. That has all ended. Like dead. And very likely never coming back.
I never viewed myself as an influencer but I got pulled into that life because brands liked my views and knowledge and how I approached sharing it.
I don't think it ended because I was too honest but it did end because I wouldn't just post up every press release or on product, that I didn't have anything to say about. When I started receiving really bad product like say a Jordan Son of Mars, I would just flat out give it away to someone and never once speak about it. I had the confidence to do because of what I mentioned already. I can't fake anything. I literally couldn't craft up a single story to remotely stand by on that shoe.
I can't speak for other brands but I do think I still have a very strong relationship with most of them. And I think it is because the people that are genuine with their product, which is Jordan, Nike and adidas; except what is said. They don't align themselves with people they don't value. So I never burned bridges but I also don't help them reach mass numbers because I am unwilling to talk about the subjects that most are interested in. I spoke to a very, very, very small demographic within a very, very small demographic.
MB: What does courage look like doing what you're currently doing?
BG: This is something that is shifting for me right now. 2-5 years ago I would have told you it was fighting for design and getting everyone to create products that havn't been done before and are revolutionary and are going to change the world and all that fun shit.
But now it is actually instilling confidence and belief in others to keep them going on their journey. The fundamentals of design have always come very easy to me, that is not to say it doesn't challenge me or that I am a perfect designer. It is to say that the skills that are needed to create a design I was lucky to have. What I found very quickly in my career is that a lot of people in our industry have that but what I lot don't have is the willingness to share information and build connections through it.
So courage to me right now is building bridges with those that don't know how.
Ilyas Darakchiev - 3 years ago
…"So courage to me right now is building bridges with those that don't know how." …
Totally agree with Brett. It's harder than just draw some cool pictures.
Thank you for this interwiev! And for all "Battle within" articles!
ConceptKicks © 2013-20


text:
A seemingly unifying theme for artists in Oak Cliff is the inability to focus their energies on just one venture. Multi-talented and multi-facetted artists are all around us. There must be something in the water, or perhaps it's the inspiration that comes from heading south across the Trinity on a regular basis.
CJ Davis is a CliffDweller that fits that mold. CJ is well known at Good Records (located in Lower Greenville, and one of the best independent music stores in Dallas) as the man to help novices and music snobs alike broaden their CD collections. He also owns an indie record label, and has been contributing to some of the albums the label is releasing. We've also heard he does a mean karaoke at the Pav on occasion.
CJ is a musical marvel. One part musical archivist, one part artist, and an amazingly friendly guy to boot, this is one CliffDweller you should spend some time getting to know. Your music collection will thank you.
CD: How long have you lived in Oak Cliff?
CJD: Four years. I moved to Dallas six years ago. The first two years were at South Side on Lamar's artist residency program. I was working for a gallery and meeting people in the music community at shows/concerts/Good Records. Four fellow artist/buddies of mine were among the first few admitted in the program. The rent was painless. When I finished the residency I moved to the Cliff. It's the only place in town that had resemblance to home.
CD: What attracted you to Oak Cliff?
CJD: Being a minority for the first time in my life was a big pull. Mulcahy Modern, amazing tacos, affordable shelter, playing in the sprinklers on the golf course at night, you know…feeling like I'm not in a big city.
CD: How are you involved in music in Dallas?
CJD: I work for Good Records. I don't own it…as some people think. Pancakes for Mattie Records (my label) was started two years ago. I had all these youngsters bringing me the music that they were making. A few stunned me. Nobody else cared, so I decided to let people know that it was happening.
My second release is a CD by a band (two college students from Denton) called Mom. We've really struck a chord and I'm now playing and singing with them a bit. They're doing something that isn't like anyone else around this area. Good things are coming quickly for these two. The work is just f—ing lovely. I was taken aback when I heard it. Again, nobody cared. So… I had to put it out. Tree Wave is awesome too and I'm going to be releasing his next release if he ever finishes it. Paul Slocum is a humble genius.
My first release is a limited edition 7" by these 16-year-olds from Plano called Voot Cha Index. Nobody writes pop songs like that around here. It was like the second coming of The Three O'clock. I had to do something.
CD: Do you think Oak Cliff acts as a good incubator for artists in Dallas? Do you think the redevelopment efforts for Oak Cliff threaten that at all?
CJD: It's the only and best place left (inside the loop) that isn't riddled with hipsters/posers/
yuppies and the like that's still relatively affordable for working artists that don't make decorative work.
Of course, if you tear down affordable historic housing and replace it with brownstones that look just like the ones on Knox, you are going to displace talented people. There's still plenty of room over here though. We'll be just fine for many years to come. It does hurt to have Mulcahy Modern leave the area. She had one of the best galleries anywhere in my opinion.
CD: What are you listening to these days?
CJD: Mom, Beach House, Noah Georgeson, Panda Bear, the soundtrack for "The Hired Hand" by Bruce Langhorne, Ariel Pink, No Age, Eluvium, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Growing, the soundtrack for "Farval Falkenberg" by Erik Enocksson, Cloudland Canyon, Skeletons & the Kings of All Cities, Bexar Bexar, Le Volume Courbe, Shuta Hasunuma, Record Hop, Leafcutter John, Deerhoof, Tunng, Shuttle 358, Adam Pacione, and Sleeping States.
CD: Do you think Oak Cliff could support a live music venue, especially with the decline of Deep Ellum?
CJD: I'd love to see one where the Mercantile was in the Bishop Arts District. It's a perfect space for gigs. Could be amazing. Somebody want to partner up on this one?


text:
18 Apr The week ahead: April 18th through April 24th:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K38__6an6OY&w=560&h=315]
Checkout the video above if you'd like my interpretation of your cards this week! 🙂
We have a full moon in Scorpio this week on the 22nd! The intensity continues as Mars rules the roost again and asks you if the new projects, ideas and relationships you started at the new moon are worth the effort or have a solid foundation from which to grow now. If not, let them go. If so, tally-ho! Full moons traditionally are the time where things come to a culmination and they have us focus on the relationships in our life. This week is going to have a theme of intensity and the propensity for our fears to emerge. It's the perfect time to do some deep introspection and the only way to work with this energy is to be balanced in your approach, thoughts, and perception to the world around you, as well as yourself. I want you to ask yourself this week, "What's the whole picture here?" when dealing with any fears or fear mongers that rear their ugly head. NO ONE, I repeat, NO ONE is all bad or all good. We're all somewhere in between, so do your very best to see the whole picture before you make any assumptions or make a decision based on seeing things in only one light. Since this full moon is ruled by Scorpio and Scorpio's are the ones that rule death, birth and rebirth, expect some heavy things to come to the forefront so you can reinvent or rebirth the new you/project/relationship/career that you've been working on. Scorpios also rule the genitals, so I expect a new wave of babies coming by the new year 🙂 On the same token, make sure that area is in good working order too and get to a doctor if needed. It's gonna be a hot and heavy week (on multiple levels), so have fun, be safe, and don't let those fears turn into your reality.
Think about drawing down the moon on the 22nd. If you like to do incantations, prayer or mediation at the full moon, this will add some pep to your step. I like this Pagan/Wiccan incantation I found that says, "Mother Goddess, lend me your light. Give me your power on this faithful night. I invoke you into my being and soul. Fill up my vessel, make me feel whole. I stand before you in awe and in love. I cherish your gifts you send from above. I ask you tonight to show unto me. My mother, my Goddess, So Mote It Be." Feel free to change this in any way you like or to make it your own, any way you see fit. Make sure to face the full moon and out stretch your arms so you can take everything in. Enjoy this intense energy!
Go ahead and pick a card from above (pick one, two or all three cards–pick what you're drawn to). The stone you see in the picture above is dravite. Dravite Tourmaline is the deep brown, very dark, almost black variety of Tourmaline. It has a strong grounding action and like other Tourmalines is also quite soothing, and has a calming, relaxing and reassuring effect on the body. It helps you to come down from the higher planes and to make a stronger earth connection. This crystal is deeply cleansing energetically and helps to grant you added stamina when you are going through onerous situations. It helps you to have a deeper acceptance of yourself, especially those parts of yourself that you may not like and would rather did not exist. With acceptance comes the ability to move on with life. If you'd like to learn more about dravite, please go here.
If you chose card #1: Your message this week is about the Eight of Cups. Your card goes on to say that this is a time to release those things that have been holding you back from being happy and truthful with yourself. If you're searching for a greater purpose or deeper meaning in your life, know that letting go is sometimes the first step; this could also mean facing or healing painful memories, past relationships, or personal issues. This fosters a sense of emotional strength that allows you to navigate how you wish to expel your energy, or when you have to deal with the stress of others. After purging the unnecessary things in your life, you may find that you will seek a more spiritual path. A time of great transition and spiritual awakening. Additional Meanings: Moving on • Abandonment • Sacrifice • Growth • Equanimity.
If you chose card #2: Your message this week is about the Ace of Cups. Your card goes on to say that the Ace of Cups is a celebratory card indeed! It indicates a time of new beginnings and relationships that leave you feeling energized and giddy. This could mean new romance or deeply rooted connections with others. It is a powerful force that regards the emergence of Universal Love and cosmic ties with soul families and friends. Your psychic senses may also be heightened at this time, so it is important that you trust in your inner voice and intuition. A wonderful period to explore new avenues of self expression and creativity, which will raise your vibration to a whole new level! Additional Meanings: Motherhood • Marriage • Productiveness • Good health • Friendship • Romantic love • Psychic growth.
If you chose card #3: Your message this week is about The Lovers. Your card goes on to say that an important relationship may be present in your life or near future–this could indicate a deep platonic friendship or romantic love. It is the establishment of mutual respect and adoration that exist between two individuals, as they honor and share personal beliefs and life values. It may also be the self-realization of what truly is meaningful and spiritual, through experiencing one another, mind, body, and spirit. This strong and loving support gives you the safety and freedom to share your thoughts, feelings, and ideas with this person. The choices you make, however, may greatly affect your future, so it is important to also think them through on an individual level. Remember to honor and celebrate each life path and personal aspirations–this will, in turn, bring strength back into your relationships, time and time again. Additional Meanings: Love • Balance • Marriage proposals • Celebration • Life decisions • Important choices • Sexuality • Unity • Relationships • Communication • Friendship. Questions to ask yourself right now: What is my perception of true love? Am I ready and open to receive love in abundance?
My hope for you this week is that you can see the whole picture being shown to you. When we take a balanced approach to decision making, and we don't allow our fears to lead the way, incredible and powerful changes occur within and around us. When we can see all that a person or situation has to offer–or we can see all that we have to offer–new doors begin to open and new opportunities can finally present themselves. Where once you may have felt blind or blocked the light can now finally shine in! Dust off those old perceptions and challenge your fears this week and allow that warrior energy to shine through your heart. There's nothing you can't do when you believe in yourself <3
This is your week! Make it an amazing one 🙂
**Thank you to Brit McInnis for all the photos you see in the blog this week! Please head to her web page www.bmc-studios.com for all your photography needs!**