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This remains within the SARB's (South African Reserve Bank) 3-6% target range, but now being nearer to the higher end of this target range, the speculation regarding tomorrow's SARB interest rate decision ranges between "hike" and "unchanged" rates, Firstrand expecting a 25 basis point interest rate hike.
The key contributor to this mild acceleration in the CPI inflation rate was the recent sharp rise in domestic fuel prices, brought on by an oil price surge up to early-October. This caused a larger contribution to overall CPI from the Transport CPI
POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROPERTY MARKET costs
But what do CPI numbers in recent months say about property, or imply for property. Some would say that, given that it has much to do with higher petrol in recent months, homes nearer to major places of employment would become more sought after, in an attempt to lower commuter transport costs. We would doubt this, because these oil and petrol price surges are typically too short-lived to change people's living and home buying decisions (essentially longer term decisions) significantly. What changes people location decisions over the longer term is the gradually mounting traffic congestion challenge in SA's major cities, as opposed to short run fuel price spikes.
But a real potential short term implication emanates from a possible interest rate hike, should recent CPI readings lead to this. The weak economy of recent years has already caused real property values ("real" referring to property values adjusted for general inflation, either using the CPI or GDP measures of inflation) to go into decline for some time now, and here we refer to both Residential and Commercial Property. Should the October CPI reading lead to a rate hike, we would expect property demand to remain weak in this economic environment, and for real property values to remain in decline.
The Property Market itself is a key positive contributor in terms of keeping CPI inflation within the 3-6% target range. And here we refer specifically to the Residential Rental part of the Property Market. The Actual Rental and Owner Equivalent Housing Rental CPI Sub-Indices carry a large weighting of 16.84% of the total CPI together. This is almost as big as the Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages CPI's weighting of 17.24%, and a weak Residential Rental Market in recent times has contributed to the low CPI/low interest rate cause.
The CPI for Actual Rentals showed inflation of 4.03% (last surveyed in September CPI), having slowed in recent surveys, and the Owner Equivalent Rental CPI an even slower 3.66%.
However, the overall Housing CPI inflation rate remains mildly "troublesome" for the Overall CPI inflation rate, recording an October rate of 5.2% due to ongoing strong inflation in Municipal Rates and Utilities Tariffs, which are components of the Housing CPI, being costs directly related to owning or renting a house.
Municipal Rates and Non-Electricity Utilities Tariffs ("Water and Other Services" CPI) are most troublesome, recording year-on-year inflation of 11.1%. The CPI for Electricity and Other Fuels showed 7.73% year-on-year inflation, also well above overall CPI inflation.
By comparison, the CPI for Home Maintenance is better behaved at 3.1% year-on-year. It is possible that this latter CPI component reflects the Home Maintenance Industry being partly "crowded out" by ongoing sharp cost increases for homeowners emanating from Municipal Rates and Tariffs.
The long term trend of Municipal Rates and Tariffs inflation far outstripping general inflation raises the affordability challenges for tenants and owners, incentivizing a shift to alternative sources of power to Eskom, while also incentivizing better use of property/space.
So finally, perhaps not surprising is that the CPI figures also point to "smaller being better" in terms of home , the Flat Rental and Townhouse Rental CPIs continuing to outperform the "Houses" CPI, the latter being on average the largest category and the most costly to run. The Flats Rental CPI inflated by 4.7% year-on-year in October, The Townhouses CPI by a similar 4.8%, and the House CPI by a noticeably lesser 3.5%.rentals
Since January 2008, just over a decade, the Flats CPI has inflated cumulatively by 90%, Townhouses by 75.9% and Houses by 62.6%.


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Why people prefer WiFi over 3g / 4g LTE
With technological advancements today, internet is faster than ever and offering several connectivity options for people to go online. There's always been an ongoing debate on whether people will still use WiFi now that 3g or 4g LTE is widely available in telecoms network. Truth is WiFi isn't going anytime soon, as a matter of fact, it's going to be more widespread.
Here's some reasons why people prefer WiFi over 3g / 4g LTE
- Reliability of WiFi – compared to its counterparts, 3g / 4g LTE isn't always reliable in terms of connectivity. There will always be deadspots or congested areas which can really bring down the quality.
- Mobile Data Pricing – Mobile data isn't cheap, you are charged by the data you consume hence the mobile bill may go off the roof once you use data very often.
- Data Limits – With pricing being high, data is then limited to specific use only to avoid over paying on your bills. Some countries even place data caps to ensure their quality of service is sustained.
- Telecoms offloading – 3g / 4g LTE networks can get very congested, as a matter of fact, most of them are operating on an overloaded basis. WiFi is their means of decongesting, hence you would see city wide WiFi projects in more developed countries resulting to more balanced use.
- Signal Limitation – Do you notice that at certain areas (especially establishments) data connectivity is bad or non-existent? This is where WiFi takes the advantage by being able to be placed strategically to ensure connectivity in every spot.

subset: commoncrawl


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Cooks feel 'risk not worth Rs 1,000 paid per month'
Neelbad was a poor village, till the moneyed residents of Bhopal began to buy land there to build farmhouses. There is nothing to indicate that this was once a village of farmers. Located just 10 km from Bhopal, it is all set to be assimilated into the Madhya Pradesh capital.
The poor of Neelbad send their children to the Government Middle School. It's housed in a solid single-storey building. Some classes have tables and benches; in others, the students sit on mats. The loos are filthy. Lunch is prepared every day for the 200 or so students who turn up. Earlier this week, one of the four cooks employed by the school ran away after the mid-day meal tragedy at a village in Chhapra in Bihar where insecticide in the food killed 23 children. Other cooks too feel the "risk is not worth the Rs 1,000 they are paid every month". If they too bolt, there will be no free lunch in the school; attendance, already at 50 per cent, may plummet to 10 per cent, teachers fear.
Schools, in cities, towns and villages, visited by Business Standard reporters in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu after the Chhapra incident show that the national mid-day meal programme, under which 120 million children across 1.2 million schools in India are served food every working day and for which the government earmarked Rs 13,215 crore in this year's Budget, suffers a serious crisis of credibility. Quality controls are few, hygiene is often poor. Nobody is ready to guarantee the quality -- cooks, teachers or principals.
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Image: School children eat their free mid-day meal, distributed by a government-run primary school, at Brahimpur village in Chapra district, Bihar
Photographs: Adnan Abidi/Reuters
Teachers test food for students on stray dogs
At the school in Neelbad, teachers are reluctant to taste the food before it is fed to the children, even though the rules mandate that at least three adults, including the principal or a teacher, have to taste it first. Elsewhere in Madhya Pradesh, and also in Uttar Pradesh, teachers are testing the food on stray dogs and only then feeding it to the children. In Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, the Rajya Adhyapak Sangh has informed its members: "Never subject yourself to the experiment [of tasting the food]. Feed it to stray dogs that visit the school daily."
In Meerut (Uttar Pradesh), principals of government-aided schools have gone to the Allahabad high court after the district inspector of schools ordered that mid-day meals should be prepared on the campus and distributed by school principals. They contend that their primary responsibility is to focus on academics and they should not be burdened with the additional task related to mid-day meals. In Bihar, nearly 3,00,000 teachers boycotted the mid-day meal duty this week, leaving more than 15 million schoolchildren hungry. The teachers argued that feeding the children constituted non-academic work and was, therefore, not part of their job.
Parents too are taking no chances. Those who can are now sending their children to school with food from home. Fatima Khan is one of them. Her children study at the government school in Sarai Kale Khan, a south-Delhi settlement. She, like several other parents, has told her children not to touch the food served in school. Khan works as a domestic help, while her husband pulls a rickshaw. "We can squeeze another meal into our budget. But my brother, who studies in Class VIII, cannot," she says. He still relies on the mid-day meal for the 700 calories a day it gives him (for primary students, the entitlement is 450 calories a day).
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Image: A cook prepares food for the free mid-day meal for children at a school in Bihar
Photographs: Adnan Abidi/Reuters
'First time we have seen them wearing apron, gloves while serving food'
Some non-government and charities that run centralised kitchens, mainly in urban areas, for dozens of schools are reaching out to the media with invitations to come and see their "state-of-the-art" operations. Supervision, at least here, has increased overnight. But whether this will be a lasting change is difficult to say -- the mid-day meal crisis, after all, does not impact the elite, so will it be a live issue three months later? At the 500-square yard kitchen run by Vishwakarma Education and Charitable Trust in Delhi's Wazirabad village, the employees put on gloves, aprons and tie handkerchiefs around their heads as they prepare the meal. Whether this is a daily practice or has been done for the benefit of the Business Standard team, which has landed after calling is difficult to tell. The kitchen today looks fairly clean.
V K Sharma, who runs the kitchen with his sister and her husband, says the government tests the food samples every month. He insists they have never received a complaint from any school about the quality of their food. The two teachers -- one of them a mid-day meal in-charge -- who his brother-in-law gets us to speak to on the phone say they are constantly in touch with the supplier and have no complaints. The food, halwa and chana, is not bad. But when it is delivered at the Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in Paharganj, barely 40 children come forward to have it. Many bring their own tiffin. "It is safer," says one. Some students stand in a corner, giggling. "This is the first time we have seen them wearing an apron and gloves while serving the food," says another.
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Image: Children stand in line to collect their free mid-day meal distributed by the government inside a primary school in Noida
Photographs: Parivartan Sharma/Reuters
Food comes with beedis, cockroaches, stones
Experts tell a different story. In Delhi, the national capital, where the scheme can be closely monitored, only 50 of the 280 samples taken from kitchens run by NGOs in 2012-13 met the basic standards of hygiene and nutrition. Eighty per cent of the food was below standard. Joint Operation for Social Help, or JOSH, which published a study this March that covered the mid-day meal scheme in six districts of Delhi, also found that food served to the children sometimes comes with beedis, cockroaches, stones and pieces of wood.
In remote areas, the scheme is being let down by poor infrastructure and lack of monitoring. Ideally, meals have to be prepared on the school premises and served to the students hot, healthy and fresh. For this, the school is supposed to have a kitchen and storage shed. But in a country of 6,00,000 villages where children continue to study under trees or in makeshift schools, a covered and clean kitchen remains a luxury. In Chhapra too, it emerged that the school was functioning out of a community hall and the principal was storing the ration in her house.
In 2004, on July 16 -- exactly nine years before the Bihar incident -- a fire in the thatched kitchen of the government-aided Sri Krishna Primary School in Kumbakonam, Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu), had killed 94 nursery and primary students. While the Centre has sanctioned close to a million kitchen-cum-sheds for schools, only 63 per cent of these were ready by April 2013. According to a report in Indian Express, despite the tragedy in nearby Chhapra, 70 students of Rajkiya Prathmik Vidyalaya in central Patna were found having the meal on a railway track 20 feet from their school, which did not have enough space to feed them.
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Image: School children eat their free mid-day meal, distributed by a government-run primary school, at Brahimpur village in Chapra district
Photographs: Adnan Abidi/Reuters
'Children tell me that they get sweat-soaked rotis'
At the Government Telugu Higher Primary School in Bangalore, which has 132 students from Std I to VIII, principal Venkata Ramanappa says lunch was previously cooked on the school premises but that had to be abandoned because storage of food and the low wages allocated for cooks under the scheme proved too problematic. The school then started getting food from the Akshaya Patra Foundation, which provides cooked lunch to 1.3 million children in 9,075 schools across nine states.
States like Punjab and Uttar Pradesh (which operates the largest mid-day meal network in India covering about 12.5 million children) have also roped in NGOs to run the kitchens. It is alleged that several NGOs belong to political leaders and their families. With less than Rs 10 per child per meal, the money in the scheme doesn't seem much. Even so, when the contracts open, there is a mad scramble for them. In 2007, Mumbai-based Biscuit Manufacturers' Welfare Association sent a proposal to the human resource and development ministry to introduce biscuits as mid-day meal. Such was the lobbying that about 30 Members of Parliament across parties wrote to the ministry making a case for biscuits as meal.
On November 30, 2012, a report by the Supreme Court-appointed food commissioners highlighted how the mid-day meal scheme was being hijacked by private contractors. The name of liquor baron (late) Ponty Chadha's company, Great Value Food, which had monopolised the programme in Uttar Pradesh, also featured in that report. It was found that in Karnataka, the entire contract was given to one company in violation of Supreme Court's orders. In Maharashtra, tender conditions, which stated that the company must have an annual turnover of Rs 1 crore, eliminated all mahila mandals (women self-help groups). The mandals that did get shortlisted were fronts for contractors.
"We have been trying to resist the entry of large contractors," says Harsh Mander, one of the Supreme Court-appointed food commissioners who formulated that report. "As for NGOs running centralised kitchens, there is no harm in that. But the time taken from getting the meal ready to dropping it to the last point should not be more than an hour," says Mander. In congested urban areas, with NGOs delivering food to more than 40 schools, this is not achievable. On days when puri is to be served, kitchens start making them the night before. "The food becomes stale and the rotis get soggy. Children tell me that they get pasine-wali (sweat-soaked) rotis," says Kavita Srivastava, national secretary of People's Union for Civil Liberties.
Click NEXT to read further…
Image: A gril eats her mid-day meal in a school in Chapra
Photographs: Adnan Abidi/Reuters
5 kg pilfered from every 100 kg sack of grain
"For the scheme to be a success, the community has to get involved," says Vinod Raina, member, Central Advisory Board of Education, and one of the key architects of the Right to Education Act. "The Right to Education Act states that in every school management committee, 75 per cent of the members should be parents. Of these, 50 per cent should be mothers. But this structure is obviously not being encouraged.
Aruna Sharma, additional chief secretary of the panchayat and rural development department in Madhya Pradesh, says she found that in the entire Rewa district, mid-day meals were being prepared only on paper. And nobody complained!
NGO Madhya Pradesh Sangharsh Sajha Manch surveyed 121 schools and found that the quality of food fell as community participation slipped from 72 per cent in 2011 to 57 per cent in 2012. A recent study commissioned by the human resource ministry in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh also found that up to 5 kg is pilfered from every 100 kg sack of grain.
The time to clear the mess is now.
Image: A woman ties a sack filled with subsidized food outside in Chhattisgarh
Photographs: Sruthi Gottipati/Reuters


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Sea, rail, and now air - compare offers and book directly with the Logwin Online Gateway Service
In March 2018, Logwin launched online service for the convenient booking of sea and rail transports for general cargo shipments. After a successful pilot phase, the logistics service provider is now expanding this digital offer and supplementing the platform with an air freight option starting on 13 August. Around the clock and within seconds, customers can directly compare the transport times and costs of all three modes of transport, and book the best solution with just one click. Existing users of the Logwin Online Gateway Service are showing much interest in this current expansion.
A comparison
Online freight platforms are establishing themselves in the logistics sector with sustainability. They make it possible to compare offers around the clock — but usually for only one mode of transport with well-known providers. Here is where Logwin goes a crucial step further. For the demanding market of general cargo shipments from Asia to Germany, users of the Logwin Online Gateway Online Service (quote.logwin-logistics.com) receive offers for sea, rail and air freight to match their request. This facilitates the data-based weighing of the advantages of costs and transit times regarding all modes of transport. Initial customer feedback shows that the clear online comparison of services alone has increased interest in rail transport from China significantly.
Convenient user guidance and transparency
The Logwin Online Gateway Service provides support through an especially intuitive and convenient user guidance. Step by step, users are guided through the selection of loading and destination locations from the vast Logwin network, as well as the input of shipping data. Additional services such as customs clearance and transport insurance can also be booked for shipments online. Just one mouse click later, users receive three directly comparable offers for sea, rail and air transport. With all relevant data available at a glance, they can quickly and reliably select the type of transport that corresponds to their needs with regard to cost and time.
All user and order data are stored clearly in the protected customer area to accelerate the inquiry and booking process.
The Logwin Online Gateway Service creates customer benefits through efficient handling and consistent transparency, from comparing offers to tracking shipments through its interactive tracking tool — whether you're shipping by sea, air, or rail.
About Logwin AG
Logwin AG (Grevenmacher, Luxembourg) provides efficient logistics and transport solutions for its customers from industry and trade. In 2017, the group generated sales of EUR 1.1bn and currently employs about 4,200 staff. Logwin operates in all main markets worldwide and has around 190 locations on six continents. With its two business segments Solutions and Air + Ocean, Logwin AG is one of the leaders in the market.
Logwin AG is listed in the Prime Standard of the Deutsche Börse. The majority shareholder is DELTON AG, Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe (Germany).
Veselin Djekic (email@example.com)
Alexander Eckel (email@example.com)
Alexander Bang (firstname.lastname@example.com)


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Changing economic realities have led to more families with Mom as the top earner. Maybe Dad has chosen to be the stay-at-home parent. Perhaps increasingly limited employment opportunities have made Mom the prize breadwinner. Regardless of whether the situation is deliberate or one of necessity, having Mom as the family's top earner can present challenges.
First, don't feel guilty about earning money or spending time away from your family. You're supporting your family with your work. Having said that, don't start feeling guilty about being away from work to spend time with your family. Do compartmentalize. When you're at work -- focus on work; when you're with your family -- focus on family. And don't be afraid to say "no" in either setting if that's what makes sense.
Make sure your husband has the support he needs, whether it's in his role as a stay-at-home dad or a man looking for the right job. There are Web sites and support groups that can help men in their role as a stay-at-home dad. If Dad is working out of the home, then perhaps additional childcare resources are needed, such as daycare or having a grandparent help out with the kids. Also, everyone can re-assess his or her expectations of the traditional gender roles to reduce tension or frustration in the relationship and the home. Indeed, a 2008 "Elle" magazine survey found that a third of all women breadwinners resented paying for shared expenses. The same survey also found that if the man earned $50,000 less than the woman, their sex life and general relationship turned sour. So if you do earn more money than your man, a lot of the work maintaining gender identity in the face of changing roles, may fall on you.


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Bracelet Pencil - Modigliani
Registration and Payments securely.
Always informed about shipping shipment.
Return of the gear if not satisfied.
The bracelets of the enamelled pencil collection are made of silver 925/00 and entirely handmade. Its shape can be both oval and round. The tip of the pencil is in Ebony and the central part of it, the one that depicts the graffiti, is made of metal or semi-precious stones that can be customized in any color. On the opposite end of the pencil is a rosy-orange coral which perfectly embodies the idea of rubber eraser. The bracelet pole can be enamelled.
Data sheet
- Shipping Cost
- Free shipping on purchases over € 299.00
- Warranty
- 1 years (see "Warranty" page)
- Customization
- The central part of the tip can be in metal or semi-precious stones and in different colors. The auction can be enamelled.
- Metal type
- Silver 925/000
- Return
- 14 days
- Shipping Times
- 7 working days from order


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A referendum in Ecuador is another defeat for South America's left-wing populists
LIMA, Peru — When Rafael Correa, Ecuador's combative socialist president, decided not to run in his country's 2017 presidential election, the move was widely interpreted as a tactical retreat.
The strategy, commentators agreed, was to let his protege, Lenín Moreno, keep his seat warm for a single term — and take the blame for the country's stalling economy — while Correa's approval ratings recovered ahead of a triumphant return in the 2021 election.
But if that was the plan, it has backfired spectacularly.
Ecuadorans voted overwhelmingly on Sunday to approve constitutional changes that bar Correa from ever becoming president again — and bury significant chunks of his legacy.
According to preliminary results, with 89 percent of ballots counted, 64.3 percent of voters backed a proposal to limit public officials to a single reelection, leaving Correa unable to run again.
The result marks the end of an era in Ecuador, where the 54-year-old Correa has been a towering — and polarizing — figure. It is also the latest in a wave of electoral setbacks for South America's left-wing populist leaders, including reverses over the past three years in Argentina, Bolivia and Venezuela.
But critics accuse Correa of authoritarianism, including repressive policies toward the media that Human Rights Watch once described as "Orwellian." Correa also famously allowed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to take refuge in the Ecuadoran Embassy in London.
Despite serving as Correa's vice president for six years, Moreno could hardly be more different. He is the author of nearly a dozen books advocating humor to promote well-being, and is known for his listening skills. He has a reputation as a conciliator who praises the role of a free press, in particular to root out corrupt bureaucrats.
In a televised speech as the referendum result became clear, Moreno talked up the need for national unity, noting: "The confrontation is behind us."
The referendum also included proposals to reverse two flagship Correa policies that had long infuriated Ecuador's powerful indigenous movement. One proposal, to roll back mining in urban and protected areas, was approved with 68.9 percent of the vote. Another, to curb oil drilling in the stunningly biodiverse Yasuni National Park, home to some of the last indigenous people living in isolation anywhere in the Amazon, received 67.6 percent.
Paulina Recalde, the head of Quito-based polling firm Perfiles de Opinion, says Correa's fiery brand of populism, rooted in class confrontation, grew obsolete.
While Correa is just the latest left-wing populist on the continent to lose at the polls, Dawisson Belém Lopes, a professor of international politics at Brazil's Federal University of Minas Gerais, said South Americans are not turning rightward. Instead, he argued, they are rebelling against leaders perceived to be autocratic, venal and incompetent.
"This kind of messianic politician has stopped succeeding in the region," he added. "Voters want more responsive public servants and better management."
Nevertheless, Belém Lopes warned, there remains the lurking danger of "contagion" from the United States. "It is not just historic Latin American strongmen or [Philippine President Rodrigo] Duterte now," he said. "Trump is also a role model."
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/02/05/a-referendum-in-ecuador-is-another-defeat-for-south-americas-left-wing-populists/?utm_term=.0644a7675769


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Detection Kit for drugs and toxic substances
Test kit for both qualitative and quantitative detection of different types of tertiary amines in situ. Detection of tertiary amines is very important as they are classified in several occasions as toxic analytes and/or contaminants. Among the tertiary amines capable of being detected by the developed method it is possible to include: pyrrolizidines, tropane alkaloids (scopolamine, atropine and cocaine), Opiates (Morphine, Codeine, Heroin).


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New England
A Karen Brown Recommended Itinerary
New Hampshire Beckons
Click Here for a List of Hotels, Bed and Breakfasts
and other Places to Stay along this Itinerary
ITINERARY AS EXCERPTED FROM KAREN BROWN'S GUIDE: New England is special at any time of the year, but there is simply nowhere on earth where you can experience nature's changing colors as you can here. When the days become shorter, the nights turn cool, the first frost coats the lawn, and the roof shingles sparkle with their early-morning ice, New England prepares for the magic season of fall foliage. Trees, shrubs, flowers and weeds all begin the transformation that changes their color from green to multiple hues of red, orange, and gold-and a million shades in between. It's simply a time of magic! It's also the time when nature performs a brilliant display reminiscent of fireworks on the fourth of July. It's a time to be in New England. This itinerary weaves a journey through the backroads of New Hampshire to experience the splendor and glory of New England's fall foliage.
Recommended Pacing: Two nights will enable you to cover the entire itinerary at a leisurely pace unless you decide to make this itinerary the center of your trip into this part of New England. The focus of this itinerary is the road trip north into Conway and North Conway-the heart of the Green Mountains. It provides the opportunity to explore several different spurs, then return back to the main route of the itinerary. Deciding which of the spurs to pursue is analogous to having to choose one of your children, so let our descriptions guide you to the different alternatives. No matter which one(s) you choose, you will have a wonderful time. Let your day be open to new experiences and vistas and you'll be many times rewarded. Plan to use Boston or the Boston area as your point of departure going north on Route 95 through the northern part of Massachusetts into New Hampshire, where you will pick up Route 4 in Portsmouth, and then Route 16 north on the Spaulding Turnpike toward Rochester, and finally, north into the heart of New Hampshire.
To the west of Route 16 lies the grand Lake Winnipesaukee, at the southern portion of which is the town of Wolfeboro, the center of much boating activity on the lake, and the summer home for many who live in the cities of New England. This is a very popular area for vacationers, as there is nothing more idyllic than a week or two at the edge of a lake, swimming off the dock, fishing with your kids, or going out in a boat to explore the lakes' many coves and tributaries.
If you have resisted the temptation to go to Lake Winnepasaukee, just continue along Route 16 on the very scenic route leading into Conway and North Conway. Whether you are traveling to enjoy the wintertime activities of the ski country of New Hampshire; the beauty of the unfolding spring with the flowering daffodils; the bounty of summer with the town fairs, the markets, summer theater, antiquing, or the fabulous colors of Fall-you are the beneficiary of the many attributes that typify New England. In these mountain towns, you will find a ski area or two that will be running chair lifts during the fall season. This is a glorious way to rise above the trees and to gaze down, at first to the areas below you, and then from the top of the mountain to the vistas of the surrounding countryside. In many instances, these vistas include a blue lake lying below a swath of color, as if an artist were painting a brightly lit canvas.
The Conways, Conway and North Conway, and just to the north of them, the town of Jackson, are ideal locations for you to find a place to stay a night or two, and from which to take day trips into the surrounding countryside. From the Conways, there are three routes, resembling fingers, heading into the western portion of northern New Hampshire. An excellent daytrip takes the northern finger out of North Conway, returning back in the evening via the middle finger. This northernmost finger follows Route 16 to Jackson and Gorham. Turn west at Gorham to connect with Route 2 to Lancaster, at which point pick up Route 116 south to Littleton and then east through Bethlehem. Follow Route 302 through Twin Mountain, Bretton Woods, Crawford Notch, Hart's Location, and Bartlett to Glen. Here you pick up Route 16 south, which returns you to North Conway.
An alternative to this more northern spur is to leave Conway via the "lower finger," turning west just south of town on Route 112, known as the Kancamagus Highway. This road rises through the White Mountains and is simply beautiful. It twists and winds, rises and falls, making every beautiful, scenic mile one to remember. The road ends in North Woodstock and from this point you head north via the I-93 to Franconia, Bethlehem, Lower Waterford, and St. Johnsbury, where you can leave the itinerary to travel south into Massachusetts on I-91, or continue on Route 2 to Montpelier, the capital of Vermont. The recently remodeled state capital building is wonderful to tour.
This is the end of this itinerary, but certainly not the end of things to do in this area. If your plans call for a return to the Boston area, you can use one of the previous routes to reach Route 93, which will speedily bring you back south to either Route 2 or further south to Route 90, the Massachusetts Turnpike, and into Boston itself.
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A Few Nearby Hotels and Bed & Breakfasts: List Them All
|Jackson House Inn
Woodstock, Vermont, United States
|$ 189-259
|Quarterdeck Inn On The Sea
Rockport, Massachusetts, United States
|$ 124-299
|Maine Stay Inn and Cottages
Kennebunkport, Maine, United States
|$ 149-329
|Rabbit Hill Inn
Lower Waterford, Vermont, United States
|$ 170-405
|Buttonwood Inn
North Conway, New Hampshire, United States
|$ 99-249
A Few Nearby Attractions: List Them All
You will only see the Attractions that you have turned on in the Attraction's Key Box located under the Map.
A Few Nearby Cities & Towns: List Them All
Massachusetts, Maine, United States
Maine, United States
Maine, United States
Maine, United States
Massachusetts, United States
A Few Nearby Restaurants: List Them All
|Lemon Grass Restaurant
Moultonboro, New Hampshire, United States
|Asian Cuisine
|6 Burner Bistro
Plymouth, New Hampshire, United States
|American Cuisine
|Six Burner Bistro
Plymouth, New Hampshire, United States
|American Cuisine
|The Woodshed Restaurant
Moultonboro, New Hampshire, United States
|American Cuisine
|Dockside Restaurant
York, Maine, United States
|American Cuisine
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text: Bold StrokesGrowing up as one of five kids in a country home built by his father, Kevin Radell '77 took art classes from his mother, painter Renée Radell, and talked with her about mythology in her studio. "Everybody in rural Michigan sensed that she was different," he says. Kevin recently released a monograph about her career, Renée Radell: Web of Circumstance, through his publishing company, Predmore Press, named for the scenic road about 30 miles outside Detroit where the family lived. The 220-page book—framed as a celebration of underrecognized women artists—catalogues Renée's far-ranging oeuvre, which encompasses political commentaries, mural-scale works, allegorically themed paintings, portraits, and landscapes. In her introduction, art critic Eleanor Heartney writes that family is a recurring theme in Renée's works, although she avoided sentimental conventions. "Instead," Heartney writes, "she imbued her paintings with a sense of the tensions and obligations of motherhood and used the theme to examine more universal truths. For instance I and Thou, painted two weeks after the birth of Radell's fifth child [Raissa '85], presents a resolute mother clasping her child in her sturdy arms. Her face is tipped upward, asking guidance, perhaps, or expressing the anxiety that comes with motherhood." An art history major at Swarthmore who now runs a successful portrait business, Raissa has I and Thou hanging in her home. She counts a summer spent studying painting with Renée at the Lacoste School of Art in France and the years teaching alongside her at Parsons School of Design in New York City among her fondest memories. "My mother's art infiltrated every part of her being," says Raissa, who after Swarthmore earned a BFA from the University of Michigan and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art. Kevin holds master's degrees from the London School of Economics and Political Science and Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. He works as a corporate finance and strategic planning consultant with particular expertise in private market transactions, alternative assets, and Chinese alliances. He has, along with his father, been cataloging Renée's art for the past 25 years. In addition to handling the business of the book's production, he worked with his parents and Heartney to select images from a body of work that includes about 1,000 paintings. "After this, I have tremendous respect for editors and art book publishers," says Kevin. "The detail, even for a son and research enthusiast, is seemingly endless, but ultimately it was a very rewarding project. Her artistic legacy needed to be recorded." The book focuses on Renée's accomplishments as a pioneering social- commentary painter as well as the constraints she faced as an artist with familial responsibilities who, early in her career, used her refrigerator as an easel. Renée, with more than 40 solo exhibitions among her credentials, moved from Michigan to New York City in 1984, after her children were grown. "Radell has achieved a great deal, but it is hard not to imagine how much smoother the ride might have been if her circumstances were different, i.e. if she had been a man, if she had been free to move to New York when she was just starting out," Heartney writes. "She never quits," Kevin says of his mother, now 87. "She has been able to live in multiple dimensions: the dimensions of a woman, of a mother, an artist, and a philosopher. I learned from her that we can multiprocess, and I found that Swarthmore was the perfect place to develop that broad perspective."


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The defending champion United States has reached the quarterfinal round of the Women's World Cup soccer tournament.
Many of the top U.S. stars sat on the bench Sunday in Columbus, Ohio for the their third and final game of the opening round, after winning the first two games. But the depth of the U.S. talent showed from the women who started. Amy Wambach fired a penalty shot into the net in the 17th minute after a North Korean player bumped her and nullified a hard shot that would have scored.
Defender Cat Reddick scored her first career World Cup goal by deflecting a corner kick in the net in the 48th minute. Reddick headed in another shot in the 66th minute. Defense played well too, highlighted by a leaping save from U.S. goalkeeper Brianna Scurry.
U.S. coach April Heinrichs is pleased with her team. "Nine points is great. Finishing first feels wonderful for our players. It is an achievement to be pleased about," she said.
North Korea is eliminated with one win and two losses.
Earlier Sunday, Sweden scored its second win of the opening round with three second-half goals, two from forward Hanna Ljungberg. The second half belonged to the Swedes, as Ljungberg found the net in the 56th and 79th minutes. Malin Mostroem capped the game with an 81st minute strike directly in front of the goal. Ljunberg said her team was confident after a scoreless first half. "We created so many chances. And we knew that we are stronger than Nigeria in 90 mintues. So we felt we were going to score in the second half," she said.
Nigeria goes home from the Women's World Cup without winning a game in its three opening round Group-A contests.


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|The Blind Side
Theatrical release poster
|Directed by
|John Lee Hancock
|Produced by
|Screenplay by
|John Lee Hancock
|Based on
|The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
by Michael Lewis
|Music by
|Carter Burwell
|Alar Kivilo
|Edited by
|Mark Livolsi
|Distributed by
|Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date
Running time
|126 minutes[1]
|United States
|$29 million[1]
|Box office
|$309.2 million[1]
The Blind Side is a 2009 American biographical sports drama film written and directed by John Lee Hancock, based on the 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis.[2][3] The storyline features Michael Oher, an offensive lineman who was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). The film follows Oher from his impoverished upbringing, through his years at Wingate Christian School (a fictional representation of Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, Tennessee),[4] his adoption by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, to his position as one of the most highly coveted prospects in college football, then finally becoming a first-round pick of the Ravens.
Quinton Aaron stars as Michael Oher, alongside Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy, Tim McGraw as Sean Tuohy, and Kathy Bates as Miss Sue, Oher's tutor.[2] The film also features appearances by several current and former NCAA coaches, including Houston Nutt, Ed Orgeron, Nick Saban, Lou Holtz, Tommy Tuberville, and Phillip Fulmer.[5]
The Blind Side grossed over $300 million. Bullock went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress, as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role. The film also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, in the first year that the rules required a mandatory number of ten (previously five) Best Picture nominees, with the nomination considered a surprise by the producers.
The film opens with seventeen-year-old Michael ("Big Mike") Oher talking to an NCAA investigator. Then a flashback ensues.
Michael has been in foster care with different families in Oslo, Tennessee, due to his mother's drug addiction. Every time he is placed in a new home, he runs away. His friend's father, on whose couch Mike had been sleeping, asks Burt Cotton, the coach of Wingate Christian School, to help enroll his son and Mike. Impressed by Mike's size and athleticism, Cotton gets him admitted despite his poor academic record. Later, Michael is befriended by a younger student named Sean Jr. ("SJ"). SJ's mother, Leigh Anne Tuohy, is a strong-minded interior designer and the wife of wealthy businessman Sean Tuohy.
The school staff tell Michael that his father has died, apparently due to an accident. Later, Leigh Anne and Sean watch their daughter Collins playing volleyball. After the game, Sean notices Michael picking up leftover food on the bleachers.
One night, Leigh Anne notices Michael walking alone on the road, shivering in the cold without adequate clothing. When she learns that he plans to spend the night huddled outside the closed school gym, Leigh Anne offers to let him sleep on the couch in the Tuohy home.
The next morning, Leigh Anne notices that Michael has left. Seeing him walking away, she asks him to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with her family. Slowly, Michael becomes a member of the family. Later, Leigh Anne drives Michael to his mother's house. He sees an eviction notice posted on the door, and his mother is gone.
Leigh Anne's friends wonder what she is doing; they suggest that Collins might not be safe around Michael, but Leigh Anne rebukes them. She later asks Collins how she feels about it. Collins replies that they cannot just throw Michael out. When Leigh Anne seeks to become Michael's legal guardian, she learns he was taken from his drug-addict mother when he was seven and that no one knows her whereabouts. She is also told that, although he scored poorly in a career aptitude test, he was ranked in the 98th percentile in "protective instincts". When Michael appears to be hesitant to use his strength and size while learning to play football, Leigh Anne tells him, as an offensive lineman, he must protect his quarterback. From that moment, Michael improves drastically, well enough to play at the college level. However, to do that, he must meet the minimum grade point average to get in so the Tuohys hire a private tutor for him, the outspoken and kind Miss Sue.
Leigh Anne has a face-to-face conversation with Michael's mother about adopting him. Although she seems unresponsive in the beginning, the mother finally wishes Michael the best.
Michael is heavily recruited by many prestigious schools. SJ talks to coaches and negotiates on Michael's behalf - and his own. When Michael gets his grades high enough, he decides to attend the University of Mississippi (known colloquially as "Ole Miss"), where Sean had played basketball and Leigh Anne had been a cheerleader. That causes NCAA investigator Granger to look into the matter to determine if the Tuohys took him in and unduly influenced him just so he would play for their alma mater.
Michael runs away before the interview is over and confronts Leigh Anne about her motives for taking him in. He then proceeds to find his biological mother in Hurt Village. A gang leader welcomes him back, offers him a beer, and makes sexually offensive insinuations about Leigh Anne and Collins. When the gang leader threatens to go after them, Michael battles with him and other thugs. After thinking things over and questioning Leigh Anne, Michael tells Granger he chose Ole Miss because "it's where my family goes to school". Michael is accepted into college and says his farewells to the Tuohy family.
The film ends with information about and photos of the real Tuohy family and Michael Oher, who went on to play in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
A number of NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision coaches and recruiters make brief appearances as themselves: Phillip Fulmer, Lou Holtz, Tom Lemming, Houston Nutt, Ed Orgeron, Franklin "Pepper" Rodgers, Nick Saban, and Tommy Tuberville.
While Oher's coach from high school, Hugh Freeze, has an uncredited cameo as a coach watching some game film, the role of the high school coach is named Coach Cotton in the film.[6]
The Blind Side was produced by Alcon Entertainment and released by Warner Bros. The film's production budget was $29 million.[1] Filming for the school scenes took place at Atlanta International School and The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Georgia, and it features many of their students as extras. The film premiered on November 17 in New York City and New Orleans, and opened in theaters in the rest of the United States and in Canada on November 20.[7]
Academy Award winner Julia Roberts was originally offered Bullock's role, but turned it down.[8] Bullock initially turned down the starring role three times due to discomfort with portraying a devout Christian. By her own account, Bullock felt she couldn't objectively represent such a person's beliefs on screen.[9] But after a visit with the real Leigh Anne Tuohy, Bullock not only won the role, but also took a pay cut and agreed to receive a percentage of the profits instead.[10]
The Blind Side opened in 3,110 theaters on its opening weekend, the weekend of November 20, 2009. It grossed a strong $34.5 million in its opening weekend, the second highest gross of that weekend, behind The Twilight Saga: New Moon. It was the highest-grossing opening weekend of Sandra Bullock's career. The per-theater average for The Blind Sides opening weekend was $11,096.[11] In its opening weekend, the movie already earned more than its $29 million production budget. It proved to have remarkable staying power, taking in an additional $9.5 million, bringing its gross to $60.1 million by the weekend of November 27, 2009.[12] The movie enjoyed a rare greater success for the second weekend than it did in its opening weekend, taking in an estimated $40 million, an increase of 18 percent, from November 27 to November 29, 2009, coming in second to New Moon once again, bringing its gross to $100.3 million.[1]
In its third weekend, the movie continued its trend of rare feats by moving up to the number one position with $20.4 million in sales after spending the previous two weekends in second place for a total gross of $128.8 million, due to strong word-of-mouth.[13] In its fourth weekend, it moved down to second place, dropping a slim 23% with an estimated $15.5 million for a total of $150.2 million in the United States and Canada as of December 13, 2009.[14] The film hit $200 million domestically on January 1, 2010, marking the first time a movie marketed with a sole actress' name above the title (Bullock's) has crossed the $200 million mark.[15]The Blind Side has also become the highest grossing football movie and sports drama of all time domestically[16][17] unadjusted for ticket inflation.[18]The Blind Side ended its domestic theatrical run on June 4, 2010 (nearly 7 months after it opened), earning a total of nearly $256 million.[19] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, The Blind Side was released on March 26, 2010.[20] It was the third biggest release of that weekend behind Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.[21]
The film received mixed reviews, with critics praising Sandra Bullock's performance. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a rating of 66%, based on 204 reviews, with an average rating of 6.15/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "It might strike some viewers as a little too pat, but The Blind Side has the benefit of strong source material and a strong performance from Sandra Bullock."[22]Metacritic, which assigned a score of 53 out of 100, based on reviews from 29 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[23] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare "A+" grade.[24]
A. O. Scott of The New York Times commented on the performances: "Ms. Bullock is convincing enough as an energetic, multitasking woman of the New South, who knows her own mind and usually gets her own way. And Tim McGraw, as Leigh Anne's affable husband, Sean, inhabits his character comfortably and knows how to get out of Ms. Bullock's way when necessary." He found the movie to be "made up almost entirely of turning points and yet curiously devoid of drama or suspense" and called it a "live-action, reality-based version of a Disney cartoon: it's the heartwarming tale of a foundling taken in by strangers, who accept him even though he's different and treat him as one of their own."[25]
According to Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter, Bullock's character is an "irrepressible hoot in writer-director John Lee Hancock's otherwise thoroughly conventional take on Michael Lewis' fact-based book." In spite of her "feisty" and "energetic" performance, he felt that there was a lack of development concerning Michael's character: "Not until the end of the film do we ever get a chance to really see what's going on in Oher's head -- how he feels about being the chosen one plucked from the poverty-stricken projects of Memphis and thrown into this protected, nonliberal-leaning environment of privilege."[26] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described Bullock's appearance as "strangely humourless" and felt that "[t]here is something weirdly absent about this performance." Overall, he opined that the film provided "a Photoshopped [sic] image of reality that is bland, parochial, and stereotypically acted," and concluded: "There is a rich, complex story to be told about Michael Oher, and his mentor, Leigh Anne Tuohy. But this waxwork parade isn't it."[27]
Although based on a true story, The Blind Side has been criticized as presenting a white savior narrative in which Oher, an African-American male, is unable to overcome poverty and personal failure without the guidance of adoptive, white mother Tuohy. For example, Jeffrey Montez de Oca of the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs writes that in The Blind Side's portrayal of adoption, "charity operates as a signifying act of whiteness that obscures the social relations of domination that not only make charity possible but also creates an urban underclass in need of charity."[28] Melissa Anderson of the Dallas Observer argues that the "mute, docile" portrayal of Oher effectively endorses the Uncle Tom stereotype of African-American submission to white authority.[29]
In her book, White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo criticized The Blind Side's perpetuation of "negative racial stereotypes", calling it "fundamentally and insidiously anti-black". She refers to a scene in which Oher returns to his stereotypically violent former neighborhood, only leaving when Tuohy rescues him from it. She also argues the film portrays Oher as simpleton who uses instinct over intellect, as an IQ test shows the movie version of Oher has little "ability to learn" but much "protective instinct" (a scientifically nonsensical statement, according to DiAngelo).[30]
Michael Oher has also voiced his displeasure with the movie and takes particular exception to its portrayal of his intelligence. In his book, I Beat The Odds: From Homelessness, to The Blind Side, and Beyond, Oher wrote "I felt like it [the movie] portrayed me as dumb instead of as a kid who had never had consistent academic instruction and ended up thriving once he got it."[31][32][33]. The film's claim that he didn't understand football was another point of irritation for Oher. When talking about watching his adoptive family teach him he said "No, that's not me at all! I've been studying -- really studying -- the game since I was a kid!"[31][33] Despite his displeasure with his portrayal in the movie Oher has stated that he likes the film's message of perseverance and the general treatment of the Tuohy family and has been quoted as saying "It's a great story. It seems like they helped me to get to this point. They're my family and without them I wouldn't be here," and "They taught me a lot of things, showed me a lot of different things. It shows that if you help somebody and give somebody a chance and don't judge people, look where they can get to."[34]
The Blind Side has earned numerous awards and nominations for the lead performance of Sandra Bullock.
|Academy Awards
|Best Picture
|Broderick Johnson, Andrew Kosove and Gil Netter
|Best Actress in a Leading Role
|Sandra Bullock
|Critics' Choice Awards
|Best Actress
|Golden Globe Awards
|Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
|Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
|Favorite Movie Actress
|Screen Actors Guild Awards
|Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
|People's Choice Awards
|Favorite Movie Actress
|Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association
|Best Actress
|Teen Choice Awards
|Choice Movie Actress: Drama
|Choice Movie: Male Breakout Star
|Quinton Aaron
|Choice Movie: Drama
|The Blind Side
|ESPY Awards
|Best Sports Movie
|Movieguide Awards
|Best Movie for Mature Audiences
Epiphany Prize for Inspiring Movies
The nomination of The Blind Side for Best Picture was considered a surprise, even to its producers.[36] In an attempt to revitalize interest surrounding the awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had upped the number of Best Picture nominees from a mandatory number of five to ten in time for the 82nd Academy Awards, the year The Blind Side was nominated.[37] However, in 2011, the Academy changed the policy, stating that the Best Picture category would feature from five to ten nominees depending on voting results, as opposed to a set number of nominees.[38][failed verification] The change was interpreted as a response to films like The Blind Side being nominated for Best Picture to fill up the set number of spots.[39][40]
The movie features 23 songs by artists including Les Paul, Young MC, Lucy Woodward, The Books, Canned Heat, Five for Fighting, and the film's co-star Tim McGraw.[41] However, while the score soundtrack by Carter Burwell was released on CD, none of the featured songs were included.
The Blind Side was released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 23, 2010. It was available exclusively for rental from Blockbuster for 28 days.[42]
Redbox and Netflix customers had to wait 28 days before they were able to rent the movie.[43][44] This stems from the settlement of a lawsuit brought by Redbox against Warner Home Video, who, in an attempt to boost DVD sales, refused to sell wholesale titles to Redbox. On August 19, 2009 Redbox sued Warner Home Video[45] to continue purchasing DVD titles at wholesale prices. On February 16, 2010, Redbox settled the lawsuit[44] and agreed to a 28-day window past the street date.
As of July 9, 2013, units sold for the DVD stand at more than 8.4 million copies and has grossed a further $107,962,159 adding to its total gross.[46]


text:
Journal Articles/Edited Volumes
Tankha, Mrinalini. 2018. "Chiastic Currency Spheres: Postsocialist "Conversions" in Cuba's Dual Economy" In Money at the Margins: Global Perspectives on Technology, Inclusion & Design. Bill Maurer, Smoki Musaraj and Ivan Small Eds. New York and Oxford: Berghahn.
Book Reviews
(2017) After Love: Queer Intimacy and Erotic Economies in Post-Soviet Cuba by Noelle M. Stout, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2014. American Anthropologist. 119: 171-172.
(2014) Cuba: A Struggle for Consumption by Anna Cristina Petriera, Coconut Creek, FL: Caribbean Studies Press, 2011. New West Indian Guide. 88 (1-2): 123-125.
Commentaries/Publicly Engaged Writing
(2016) "The Heads and Tails of Monetary Duality" Cuba Counterpoints: Public Scholarship about a Changing Cuba.
(2016) "The Mobile Money Experience in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons from the IMTFI" The African Technopolitan Magazine (Issue on "The Poverty of Development Strategy in Africa), Vol. 5, January 2016. Pp. 96-105.
(2011-2012) Cuba Correspondent Pulsamérica: The Impartial Latin American News Magazine.
Co-Editor (2014-2017), Institute for Money, Technology & Financial Inclusion Working Paper Series.


text:
Love Like Crazy Lace Striped Garter Bodystocking
$ 17.99
Product details
Meant for those passionate nights with your special someone, share a romantic surprise with your partner in our sexy body stockings. Make it a night to remember and set the scene with a wide array of styles in our store. (Panties Not Included)
- Sheer lace detailing
- Front and back caged strap panel
- Attached garter tights
- *Panties Not Included
- 92% Nylon, 8% Spandex
One size fits most; up to US size 8 / 5'-5'10"/ 90-175lbs
One size plus fits most; up to US plus size 16 / 5'7"-6'2"/ 150-250 lbs
Care: Hand Wash Warm, Use Non-Chlorine Bleach if Needed, Drip Dry, Do Not Iron


text:
Within the framework of its collaboration with the Algerian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Algerian Space Agency (ASAL) - host to one of UN-SPIDER's Regional Support Offices - has mapped potential locust reproduction zones in the South of Algeria and the North-East of Mauritania. The experts analyzed the ecological conditions of the migratory locust for the period between 18 January and 3 February 2014. This activity was carried out at the request of the National Institute of Protection of Vegetation (INPV), which is in charge of fighting the locust infestation at the national level.
Regional Support Offices mentioned:


text:
After a memorable episode of Six and the City against Cardiff, Glen Johnson took the nation's pulse and crowned Liverpool the people's champions.
While the oil barons of Chelsea Gazprom and Abu Dhabi City roll out the barrels and count the petrodollars, Liverpool have emerged as the discerning judges' preferred choice now the title race is down to three contenders.
And England full-back Johnson , who made an impressive contribution to this nine-goal feast, surveyed the glorious carnage and surmised: "I guess neutrals will be packing a punch for us."
As we now know, football did not exist before Richard Keys and Andy Gray invented the Premier League in 1992.
But 82 goals in 30 games is a club record in the satellite dish era, while Luis Suarez has equalled Robbie Fowler's high of 28 goals in a season.
Suarez, who ransacked his third hat-trick of the season, now has a collection of match balls plentiful enough to make his own ball pool for a toddlers' indoor playground.
His double act with Daniel Sturridge is the most thrilling aspect of the Liver Bird's rebirth as a force after twitchers had spent 24 years fearing it was as extinct as the Dodo.
Yet there is so much more for purists to admire, from Philippe Coutinho's forensic probing to Steven Gerrard's reincarnation as a quarterback, and Johnson's incisive thrusts down the right flank.
One by one, as the Liverpool players retreated to the team coach, they were greeted by squealing and shrieking reminiscent of Beatlemania.
Brendan, Steve, Studge and Suarez are the new John, Paul, George and Ringo on Merseyside – and everybody loves them.
Johnson said: "Just to spice it up, I think neutrals would want to see us win the title. Nobody wants the same teams winning it over and over again.
"People watch football to enjoy themselves, see goals and exciting play, and we tick all those boxes. People will be rooting for us because it will be something different.
"At this level, there is always pressure on you, but we are trying not to get caught in the pressure of being title contenders.
"It's another hurdle cleared. You could look back over the years and see this type of game has often been the most difficult – where we've come unstuck after a big win.
"Everyone at the club was so high after winning at Manchester United last week, and it could have been difficult to raise ourselves to the same heights in a game we were expected to win.
"History shows it doesn't always work out that way, but we didn't panic when we fell behind and that is one of our main attributes. We know we've got goals in the team, we managed to get to half-time level, and over 45 minutes we can beat anyone.
"We weren't happy to concede three but, equally, we know we aren't going to score six every week. You get these freak results sometimes – Cardiff will be disappointed they scored three and never got a point."
See WalesOnline journalist Steve Tucker's verdict on the match below
There were far too many goals at the Cardiff City stadium to list here – there are constituencies with fewer names on the electoral register – but it was belting entertainment.
The Bluebirds did not do a lot wrong until Suarez and Sturridge picked them off, and Johnson said: "With those two up front, you can be under pressure all day, but one direct ball and they are one-on-one or two-against-two, and they will cause havoc.
"But we aren't getting carried away – the most I think about the title is when you guys in the media mention it.
"By looking at the table and everyone else's results, you can pile more pressure on yourself than you need to.
"We are a confident group, and if we can keep our feet on the ground we can let everyone else get excited... and then we can all celebrate together."


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Although the picture above looks a lot like perfectly formed piece of sushi you may be surprised to discover that they're actually perfectly formed sets of sushi socks.
If you have a friend who loves sushi then these really are the perfect gift to surprise them.
They're available from Tokyo Otaku Mode and come in a range of styles – salmon, tuna, egg and prawn.
The best thing is that the patterns look completely different when they're rolled out and only reveal the sushi when they're packed up.
They cost just over $5 a pair and can be ordered online.
Read more here:


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Ground Remediation Works
Ground remediation works to mitigate the risk of soil liquefaction triggering – residential property Trafalgar Street, Christchurch
A geotechnical investigation was recently undertaken by Fraser Thomas Ltd for a property at Trafalgar Street, St Albans. The subject site comprised several buildings with connected units. The eastern part of the site was adversely affected by a shallow seated landslide that occurred adjacent to a stream that abuts the eastern site boundary, that was inferred to have been caused by liquefaction of the soils in this area, in response to seismic loading associated with the February 2011 earthquake event.
The geotechnical investigation addressed the following issues for the site:
- The nature and consistency of the subsoils underlying the site
- The suitability of the existing foundation system, particularly in relation to mitigating the risk of damage resulting from earthquake related ground deformations
- The risk of further liquefaction of the underlying subsoils
- The risk of the site being adversely affected by lateral ground spread
- The performance of the land during earthquake events.
The results of our site specific geotechnical and appraisal works indicated that the foundations supporting the buildings located in the eastern part of the site, were unlikely to comply with the Ultimate Limit State (ULS) performance criteria of the relevant New Zealand Standard Code of Practice, and that these foundations were therefore not suitable for the site conditions.
It was recommended that ground remediation be undertaken in the eastern part of the site, prior to the reconstruction of any new foundation systems in this area, in order to mitigate the risk of liquefaction occurring in the underlying soil layers in response to a future large earthquake event, and to subsequently mitigate the risk of future lateral ground movement occurring.
It was decided to install shallow stone columns in order to achieve the required ground improvement. Detailed design of these works was then undertaken, following demolition of existing structures. These works involved:
- Further CPT probe testing at the site, in order to more reliably determine the "pre-ground remediation" subsoil conditions and to provide information for design purposes. CPT testing comprised 4 x CPT probes, approximately 7 m deep, with their locations being surveyed
- Collation of subsoil information and provision of design details/sketches
- Review of detailed design drawings
- Provision of a design report and necessary Producer Statement- Design (PS1) documentation for the design of the ground remediation works.
Construction observations were undertaken by Fraser Thomas Ltd during installation of the stone column elements in order to confirm that the ground improvement works were undertaken in accordance with the design. Subsoil testing was also undertaken following the completion of the ground remediation works, in order to confirm that the ground remediation achieved the required ground improvement. These works involved:
- Inspection/observation of stone column construction
- CPT testing comprising 3 x CPT probes, approximately 7 m deep, and survey of their locations
- Collation and appraisal of construction observation results and subsoil testing
- Reporting on the results of our construction observations and ground improvement confirmation testing, and provision of a Producer Statement-Construction Review (PS4) Certificate.
We found that the ground remediation works sufficiently improved the subsoils beneath the eastern part of the site, and were suitable in mitigating the risk of liquefaction triggering in the treated soils, in response to a future large earthquake event. The ground remediation works provided a suitable building platform in the treated area for the construction of a shallow concrete waffle slab foundation system. The new foundation system is expected to meet the performance requirements of the NZ Building Code, under static and seismic load conditions.
Services provided:
- Geotechnical Engineering
Project cycle:
- Geotechnical investigations
- Detailed concept design
- Construction observation
- Construction review.


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LoveHair London – Hairdresser In Uxbridge
Lauren Jones, Director and founder of Love Hair London is a fully insured, well established hairdresser based in Uxbridge, West London. After being trained and qualified to the highest level at the prestigious London Vidal Sassoon salon, she went on to gain over 12 years professional experience in high end salons working with a varied range of clientele.
LoveHair prides itself in offering a tailor-made service to suit every individual requirement. We make sure having the hair you've always dreamed of becomes a reality, all in the comfort of our Ickenham Salon.
We make sure we use the highest quality brands such as, Wella, Great Lengths Nanokeratin and GHD.


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Posts Tagged 'walk'
Following Christ as Citizens of Heaven
Following Christ as Citizens of Heaven
© C. O. Bishop 3/17/2018 Cornell Estates 3/18/18
Philippians 3:17-4:1; 2nd Peter 2; Acts 20:17, 28-31
We ended, last time, on Philippians 3:17, where Paul had instructed the Philippian believers to be followers together of himself, and to take note of their other human leaders who lived in the same way as the apostles, so as to use their example and see the same fruits in their own lives.
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
Paul says that there are others (especially church leaders, we hope) whom we can imitate, but warns that we are to "be picky"—take note of those who walk as Paul and the other apostles did, and imitate that kind of individual, not those who live as counter-examples to that faith. He said, back in verse 15 that, if we are trying to imitate this pattern, and if there is a "glitch" of some sort, so that our walk is being misdirected in some way, the Holy Spirit will be faithful to reveal that fact to us, and re-direct our path. That is comforting to know.
But then he notes, parenthetically, that there are some bad examples, too: People whose lives we should absolutely avoid imitating.
The Parenthesis: Who Not to Follow
It is entirely possible for a true believer to be misinformed and misdirected. That is not what is being warned against, here. Our defense against such a thing is to be in the Word and in Prayer, specifically seeking to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, all the while recognizing that He, the Holy Spirit, will never lead contrary to the written Word of God, but that it is possible for us to misunderstand the scriptures. However, in this passage, he is talking about licentious behavior along with bad teaching…definite sin. He goes on to describe the false teachers who are a deadly danger to believers:
18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
I don't know who Paul is referring to, specifically, as he describes them only in general terms: no information specific enough to identify a group. Remember, however, that, while we are all described (Romans 5:10), as having once been the "enemies of God", we were not described as being the enemies of the Gospel, or the enemies of the Cross. I believe the people he is referring to must be those who are deliberately false teachers, though they may be hard to define, except by observation. Not all who teach false doctrine are doing so deliberately, and not all who act as our enemies are also an enemy of the Cross. Paul gives some examples, elsewhere:
Romans 11:28 definitely refers to unbelieving Jews as being "enemies" as regarding the gospel, but the enmity is a "one-way" enmity: The unbelieving Jews despised all the believers for the sake of the Gospel, and even were enemies physically, in that regard. Paul cautioned the Gentile believers that those unbelieving Jews were still precious souls for whom Christ died: that they were beloved for the sake of Israel, even when they were acting as enemies. They were still not enemies of the Cross, or enemies of the Gospel, as the false teachers were. They were simply responding as enemies because of the Gospel.
Unbelieving Gentiles were sometimes equally dangerous, but usually were less volatile, as, while the Gospel does indict the Gentiles as sinners, it does not tell them that they have crucified their own Messiah. That one is a pretty tough thing for the Jews to hear.
False Teachers
It is possible for a genuine believer to be sadly mistaken about something, but to teach it with a clean heart, because he simply does not understand a particular concept in the Bible. We don't hold that against a brother, because there are bound to be things about which we are mistaken, too. We just keep honing our understanding of the Word of God, and bear in mind that it all has to agree with itself or else we are reading it wrong. These are not what the Bible calls a false teacher. It requires an unregenerate heart, and a corrupt motive for teaching the false doctrine.
All of the descriptors here in verse 19 seem to closely match those listed in 2nd Peter 2, (read it!) where Paul is definitely describing deliberately false teachers, and their habitual sin, along with their false doctrine. These are very heavily condemned for their lifestyle ("…whose God is their belly, and whose glory is their shame, who mind earthly things" (here in Philippians,) and "bringing in damnable heresies; …denying the Lord that bought them; …they that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness;" etc. (in 2nd Peter chapter 2)) Eternal judgment is predicted for them ("Whose end is destruction; who bring upon themselves swift destruction; whose judgment of a long time lingereth not; they shall utterly perish in their own corruption;" etc.).
They are said to be knowingly deceiving the believers: "…sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you…" It makes them feel smart to be fooling the believers around them. And, according to Acts 20:30, they will draw away followers after themselves. Some of you may recall a false teacher, Jim Jones, who led away 900 followers, and moved them all to Guyana…and there, in the jungle, he induced them all to commit suicide, and shot all those who refused. He was a classic false teacher, who began by using the scriptures, but finally threw his Bible down, and said "You don't need the Bible; you need me!" Those who continued to follow him eventually died, as a result. It is a very sad story, but it was entirely avoidable.
Not all false teachers have such a dramatic end, but all result in souls being drawn away from Christ, either believing false doctrine that prevents them from being born again to begin with, or, in the case of those who are already saved, following teachings that can prevent them from living for God, and experiencing the liberty and peace of God.
It is these false teachers, in 2nd Peter 2, regarding whom the apostle says, "But it has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog has turned unto his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." (2nd Peter 2:22)
Notice that it does not say, "…The sheep has turned back into a dog, or a pig." What it says is that a dog, who had, for a time, abandoned his ordinary canine ways, has returned to behaving in accord with his true nature. And, a pig, who had been outwardly washed, but who, at heart, was always a pig, has returned to her old ways. Why? Because given the opportunity, a dog acts like a dog. And a pig is always happiest when he or she is acting like a pig. Sinners are most comfortable in Sin. People who are pretending faith, but have never truly placed their faith in the Savior, will eventually go back to their real comfort zone, and follow their true nature.
So, Paul is warning us that it is possible for an unbeliever to deceive the believers, and finagle his way into a position of leadership. But a combination of bad doctrine that clearly sets aside the authority and holiness of God's Word, and bad behavior, specifically moral corruption, is a "red flag" for us, warning that they are really a false teacher. Could there be a false teacher who lives a moral life? Yes, I think there can be, but it is uncommon. I think I may actually have known one: He claimed to be a believer, and he had good Bible and ministerial training. As far as I could tell, he lived a blameless life. BUT: he did not believe the Bible was the Word of God, and he taught such things from the pulpit. We confronted him, and he laughed it off, as though we were simple-minded, primitive believers, and that his unbelief was a mark of sophistication. I don't know what to make of that. I don't know if he was a genuine believer who was badly deceived by the enemy, or a false teacher who thought he was getting away with something.
Wolves Among the Sheep
Paul warned the elders of the church at Ephesus to be on guard against this very thing: He said that, after his departure, "grievous wolves" would enter in among them, "not sparing the flock;" and that, furthermore, some would spring up from among the leadership, teaching "perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." (Acts 20:17, 28-31) The motive could be money, pride, lusts of various types, or just the desire for power and control.
We need to be careful, though, who we label as an "enemy of the Cross," as that is a pretty heavy accusation. If it is really true, then so be it; but if it is not, then we may fall into the snare of Satan, becoming, with him, an "accuser of the brethren". I really do not want to go there. Genuine believers can fall into the condemnation and the snare of the devil, according to the warnings in 1st Timothy 3:6, 7. We want to avoid that.
Please note, too, that Paul said he was weeping for those who were enemies of the Cross, not despising them. Were you ever truly grieved for the eternal destiny of an enemy: someone who constantly torments you, or is deliberately dangerous to you? Personally, I find it difficult to care for their destiny: it is far easier to secretly be glad that judgment is coming, and ignore Jesus's clear command (Matthew 5:44) to love our enemies, to bless those who curse us, and to pray for those who treat us badly. That is what Jonah did! He ignored the command of God! It takes deliberate repentance, confession, and day-by-day obedience, for me to change that pattern.
Our New Citizenship
20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
This is an interesting passage, partly because of the word "conversation," here in the KJV. The Greek word usually translated "conversation" is "tropos" meaning "way of life." But this Greek word "politeuma", means "commonwealth", or "citizenship". In the case of either Greek root, the King James Bible word, "conversation," has nothing to do with "two people talking together." In the one case, it means our lifestyle. In this particular case, though, the statement is that because our citizenship is in heaven, we are to be imitators of Christ, who ultimately, Paul concludes, will completely change us into his likeness, both physically and spiritually. We will lose our tendency to sin, as we will no longer have a sin nature. We will see things from God's perspective, and understand things that were mysteries before.
That is the living hope of the believer. Every one of us knows that we are a sinner: Every one of us grieves over our sin, and longs to be set free. And the day of release is coming. Paul rejoiced over that in Romans 7:24, 25, saying "…who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!", and again in Romans 8:21-23, saying that the whole creation is looking forward to that day, because they will be (mostly) freed from the curse, when the Kingdom age begins, during which time we will have our new bodies…and no sin nature.
In 1st Corinthians 15:51, 52, Paul says that, for those believers who are still alive, the first step of that time will happen in a flash: we will get our new bodies at the moment of the rapture. But the kingdom age will not begin until seven years later, after the rapture of the church. Here, in Philippians, he gives us a little insight about what those new bodies will be like:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
I am really looking forward to that "change". Although our physical body does not "cause sin", it is still true that, so long as we are living in these bodies, we will still be subject to sin. Paul experienced this, too, and grieved over it, just as we do. There is coming a day when our old nature will be gone, and we will be free at last.
In the meantime, our freedom has already been provided for, and we are to stand fast in Christ. In Romans 6, we see that we are no longer enslaved to sin: we do not have to sin. We face temptation and we fall prey to it, but we have a choice: we can submit to Christ and obey His Word, instead of our old habitual submission to Sin.
Chapter 4
1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
Paul considered this church to be the best of those whom he had led to Christ. They were a total joy to him, and a "victor's crown." The Greek word for "crown" here is "stephanos." It is not the crown of a king, but the victor's laurel wreath that was awarded to the winner in the Olympic Games. It is translated "crown", but it always means a victor's crown. Paul considered these believers to be his trophy…his "blue ribbon." And, he says, on the basis of all that went before, for them to "stand fast": To remain steadfast in the face of hard times, in the face of temptation, in the face of tribulations and persecutions. To remain steadfast against false teaching, and to steadfastly follow the leaders God had given, as those leaders steadfastly followed Christ.
That is what we are to do, as well! This letter is to us, as well as to those who first received it. All the epistles are to the churches, not to some high-ranking church leaders: the letters are to YOU.
We need to absorb these truths, and allow them to change our lives. Allow God to use His Word to remake you in His own image. Believe his promises. Obey His commands. Allow His love to flow through you to those around you. That is what it means to stand fast and to walk with God, Following Christ.
Lord Jesus, remake us in your own image: make us the men and women of God that you have called us to be. Allow us to follow you, and to serve faithfully as ambassadors of Christ, offering your love to the World around us, and living in the practical holiness you have assigned to us.
Learning to Live in Liberty
Learning to Live Free
© C. O. Bishop 5/11/15; THCF 5/17/15
Galatians 5:14-26
Paul has spent four chapters warning against Legalism, and stating the free position of the believer; a half-chapter introducing Liberty as a life-concept, and now is having to give the "directions and warning label" for Liberty.
Unlike the legalizers, he makes no apology for the Christian having the liberty. Quite the opposite: he warns us against letting anyone rob us of it. But he does warn against the danger of misuse—the danger of allowing "liberty" to cloak licentiousness. (Verse 13). So, one might ask, how do we strike a balance? How do we live in liberty, and still not fall into licentiousness? It would be easy to smugly say something like "self-control!" or "moderation!", but that is not what Paul preaches; He preaches the living, breathing, walking, talking love of Christ. We are free in Christ! That is a positional truth, and a "location" truth. "In Christ!"
There was once a short time in US history during which there were some states where slavery was permitted, and some where it was prohibited. It was critically important to an escaped slave that he or she should stay in a place where it was illegal to enslave another person…because in that place he or she was free! Were they safe? No, not completely, because the laws had not become federal, yet, and it was quite common for an evil person to kidnap such an endangered soul and take him or her back into a slave state. They lived in fear that they might be taken back into slavery. We would do well to think of that, ourselves: We are only safe and free in Christ.
Satan still desires to enslave us, though we have been permanently set free. He can do it either through legalism or licentiousness. Those are the twin traps into which he tries to lure all believers. Those are the two "ditches" on every road the believer walks. Both are deadly snares; traps that are really difficult to escape. So what does it look like to be on the road between the ditches…walking with Jesus, and not wavering into license or legalism? Paul says it is to be summed up in one word:
Love—Agape Love.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
If you know that your sin could result in someone else spending eternity in Hell, because they used your sin as an excuse to reject the Lord, shouldn't that make you more conscious of your actions and words? Therefore, loving our neighbor with agapé love should be among our primary concerns as committed Christians. (Compare Leviticus 19:18)
Agapé love implies "Being committed to the good of the recipient of that love, without regard to the effect in one's own life." This is the kind of love—the only kind— that Jesus commanded; and it's the kind He demonstrated at the Cross. It has absolutely nothing to do with feelings, but is entirely about doing. It is "commitment with shoe-leather". It is doing what is best for the other person. Ironically, it is also what is needed for you! This is how you stay on the road where you belong.
This is how you walk with Jesus. He said in John 13:34, 35 "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." So, Paul is reiterating that the entire Christian walk is one of allowing the Holy Spirit to pour through us the Agapé love that is only available from God. That is our outreach to the lost around us, and our fellowship with the believers around us. That Agapé love is what it is all about.
15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
OK, so here is a big one: you may think, "Well, this person is already a believer, but they are frustrating me, or mistreating me, so I am free to 'give them a taste of their own medicine!'". No! This is precisely what He warns against! There is more damage done to unbelievers and to the credibility of the Gospel by "bickering believers" than perhaps anything else.
I have repeatedly been informed that the single most common reason for missionaries leaving their chosen fields of service is the fact that they and their co-workers were not getting along at one level or another. Sometimes they tried to hang on, and endured for years before they broke down, but the hard-heartedness that believers demonstrate toward one another (and the sins that come along with it) makes the worst possible testimony. How did Jesus say the world is to know that we are his servants? He said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples…." How? Because we are constantly fighting against one another? No! The Agapé love applied consistently between believers is the strongest testimony we can produce.
Unity as a Result of Agape Love
And how did Jesus say the world would know that He himself was sent by God? He said in his prayer (John 17:21) "…That they may be one…that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." Unity in the Church is the other half of the testimony of the church. In fact, if you think about it, you can see that Jesus gave the World two means by which to judge the Church: Agapé Love, and Christian Unity. Whether we like it or not, we are being judged by the World, as directed by Jesus Himself, and…we are found sadly wanting. If we allow ourselves the luxury of anger, bitterness, or self-will, then what we demonstrate to the world is that the message of the cross is false, and/or that we ourselves are not the servants of God.
In fact, even when we want to do right, we find ourselves thwarted, either for the simple cause that it takes two people to be in unity and a loving relationship, but only one wants it; or, because in our human ability we simply cannot bring ourselves to be at peace with someone because they have hurt us badly, or we don't trust them, or, conversely, that we feel guilty because we know that we hurt them.
Either trap can be fatal.
So… what is the answer? We agree that we can't do it, so… Who can?
Only the Holy Spirit can do it
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
It is funny that we should say that we "can't do it"…that is exactly what God says, too! God warned the Israelites that they could not keep his Law. Paul has warned the believers that they cannot please God in the flesh. God never has given us a difficult assignment; He has almost always given us an impossible assignment! The Christian life is not difficult, it is impossible… apart from the moment-by-moment control of the indwelling and presiding Holy Spirit.
Only God can live the life that his righteousness demands. Jesus demonstrated God's righteousness, as "God in the Flesh." He fulfilled the righteous judgment of the Law upon us at the Cross, and His righteousness was imputed to us (deposited in our accounts) the moment we trusted in His finished work for our salvation. But we still somehow think we ought to be able to do in our flesh what even He himself did by the Holy Spirit. (Jesus pointed out that what he did he did by the Holy Spirit.)
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
This is a very important concept. Paul has laid out the problem in stark terms, not padding the truth at all. We still have a sin nature, but we also have a new nature. The new nature is a created being; completely obedient to God, and completely in harmony with the Holy Spirit. But we still have a will, and, even now, we can choose to submit to the Holy Spirit, and "walk" (day-by-day, step-by-step) with Him, or not. There is a war going on, and we have to choose, moment-by-moment, whose side we will serve.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Remember that Paul made a similar statement in Romans 8:14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."
If you are a child of God, you are not under the Law…and, by the Holy Spirit, it should become clear to all observers that your life does not need the constraint of the Law, because you are under God's direct control. If you insist on putting yourself under the Law, then you are defeating the purpose of God's Grace. So, what is the "measuring stick", so to speak? How are we to see the difference, day by day? Paul introduces two contrasting concepts; "works" (plural) and "fruit" (singular). He pairs them with two mutually exclusive persons; the old Sin nature of every believer and the Holy Spirit of God. He says that our old sin natures produce certain traits in character and behavior that are observable to any person watching, and rejectable by all, as well. Think about this: sins of the flesh, while a source of pleasure to unbelievers, are a source of condemnation from those same unbelievers when they are practiced by believers. Why? Because, for better or worse, the World holds us to a higher standard of righteousness, and it is always looking for ways to condemn us.
But if you walk in the Spirit, there will be nothing to condemn. Doesn't that sound attractive to you? It does to me. I read in the book of Daniel that his 120-some worst enemies, who unanimously wanted him dead, could find nothing wrong with him except his relationship with the God of Israel. My friends don't have to look very far to find fault with me. My enemies certainly can find cause to condemn me. And I yearn for the time when I will finally be freed from my sin nature, and can rest from the war between the flesh and the Spirit.
But I remember that Daniel was living that way in his normal human body, not in some sort of "exalted state". He simply was unfailingly doing at all times exactly what he was supposed to do. There is no evidence of his ever having spoken unkindly, or having stirred up arguments, having made accusations, or anything else of a counter-productive nature. Ironically, though, in his recorded prayer, he identified closely enough with Israel that he said "…we have turned our backs on You…" (Not "they", but "we".)
What will it look like?
So, what are the earmarks of the flesh-controlled life, and that of the Spirit-controlled life?
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
I find it fascinating that the "works" (plural) of the flesh are listed seventeen strong, with an eighteenth item that is a "catch-all" phrase: "and such like". The list is literally twice as long as that of the fruit of the Spirit, and the last item extends it to include everything that the human heart can imagine. And it is plural; if you are partaking in any of these, then you are in the flesh; it's as simple as that.
But the next "list", the fruit of the Spirit, is half as long, and is singular: it is not a "smorgasbord" from which you can choose what you would like to exemplify. It is a "nine-fold" fruit, singular; a fruit with nine aspects, or characteristics, and all nine aspects, or characteristics, have to be present or it is not the Holy Spirit who is producing it.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Notice that last bit? "Against such there is no law…?" Why is that even an issue? It is because the whole context of the book has been the separation of Law and Grace. If you are walking in the Spirit, the Law will have no effect on you because it does not touch the things of the Spirit. That is why the enemies of Daniel could find no cause for accusation in his life. He walked in the Spirit, and there was no cause for offense. There was literally nothing to condemn. I would love it if all my enemies found in me that same problem: nothing to condemn. But the honest truth is that my friends can find fault with me.
I did discover recently that a man I have known for 25 years, and of whom I had heard via the workplace "grapevine" (nice word for gossip) that he strongly disliked me, actually disliked me because I am a believer. That is a relief to know. I learned it, ironically enough, from another unbeliever. (He said the exact word used was "Bible-thumper"…which I guess is OK, but I do hope I did not cross some line and offend him by my words. If it is God's Word that offended him, I am in the clear, but if I did it, then he may have had reasonable cause for offense.) I will probably never know for sure, but I don't think we have ever had an argument, or any sort of cross words. We only worked together a short while, and I think I was always relatively friendly…but who knows? James says we all offend with our tongues. Looking forward, all I can do is to try to be vigilant to walk in the Spirit, so as to not cause offense, but, instead, to be productive for God.
This next verse is easy to miss, and nearly as easy to misread:
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Please take note that this is past tense: Whatever the verse is about, it already happened. This is not a command to "get crucified", or to "crucify the flesh". It is a statement of Fact, that if you belong to Jesus, then the crucifixion is a done deal. We just need to learn to walk in the daily reality of that fact. God sees you as being permanently separated from your old sin nature. He dealt with your sin at the cross, and will no longer see you in your sins. In fact, that is what Romans 6:1-14 is all about. You are dead to sin (whether you believe it or not), and do not have to continue in it. In Romans he points this truth out and says that it is incumbent upon us to believe it and rest in that truth, taking shelter in the fact that we are no longer slaves to sin. Here in Galatians, he says we are to walk in that truth.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
This is an "it just makes sense" sort of statement. "Since you already have been saved, redeemed, resurrected and baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit, and since, in fact, you are already seated with him in Heaven…doesn't it make sense that you function by that principle as well? That you, in fact, allow Him full ownership in your life?"
And what would that look like if you did?
Paul's final messages in Galatians are to tell the believers how to treat one another. But if the fundamental principle is confessed and agreed to, (that, since I am spiritually alive because of Christ and Him alone, and have been joined to him by the work of the Holy Spirit, not my own works) then it is a logical necessity that I complete the transaction and walk with him.
When I was first born again, something a friend said made perfect sense to me: "If I belong to Him, I ought to work for Him." That stuck with me ever since. And, as I look at this verse, I realize that that is exactly what Paul says. If I belong to Him, it makes sense that I act as if I do.
Spend some time thinking this over: if you see that the fruit of the Spirit is pretty thin on the limbs, so to speak, then perhaps you need to confess that you are not walking consistently, and you need to allow God to work a full repentance—a turnaround—a change of course. "Walking" must become a continuous exercise of faith, not just a series of failures, in the flesh. Bear in mind that as a toddler is learning to walk, he or she falls down a lot. That is OK…success means getting up one more time than we fall down. Eventually we learn to walk in a stable manner.
Let's look to God to teach us to walk with Him.
Lord Jesus, help us to see ourselves through your eyes, and to be sober about our strengths and weaknesses, our successes and failures, and to confess them for what they are, without excuses. Allow us to be healed by your Spirit and so to lead others to You.