text:
Share a Link to this Message
The link has been copied to your clipboard; paste it anywhere you would like to share it.Close
Doug Van Meter - 2 Oct 2016
A Remarkable Change (Ephesians 4:17–21)
Powered by Series Engine
Several years ago, a man was converted through the ministry of our church. His life underwent a dramatic change. Some months later, I was invited to attend an event by this man, in which his entire family was involved. He later told me that his father was glad that he had invited me, because he wanted to meet the man who had caused such a change in his son.
Sadly, his father has actually not yet, at the time of writing, met the one who really so changed his son. Nevertheless, it was significant that his father had recognised such a remarkable change in his son.
The change was obvious for all to see. People therefore remarked about this. He had undergone and was undergoing (and he continues to undergo) a remarkable change. And so had these believers in Asia Minor, with particular reference to those in Ephesus. According to Acts 19, the change was so remarkable that the economy was affected!
Every Christian desires a life of remarkable change. We desire to change for the simple reason that we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is concerned with that which is holy (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). By the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are given the assurance of sanctification because, by His ministry, we experience "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). By the Holy Spirit, we experience the reality that "it is God who works in you both to will [desire] and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).
The battle rages within us because "the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh" (Galatians 5:17).
This theme is on the heart of the apostle Paul as he begins to apply the doctrine of the church to the church.
Having laid down the doctrine that, in Christ, all those who have believed the gospel form "one new man in Christ" (2:15), Paul expects for them to live like this. As we who believe and belong together seek to live balanced lives together, we as a community of faith are built up together as a holy temple (2:21) as evidenced by our behaviour. We undergo a profound change, together. Such change is spelled out for us from 4:17 through the end of the epistle.
In vv. 17–24, Paul lays a doctrinal foundation that undergirds our ongoing transformation as a community of faith. We are called of God to change, and we know that we can change because, by God's grace and power, we have been changed—fundamentally so. Paul is at pains to make us aware of this. He has already made this point in the opening chapters, particularly in chapter two. But here he drives it home again.
The Remarkable Life Requires Doctrine
It is so important that we grasp the importance of doctrine. If we will live a dynamic life of faith, and experience the transformation that such a life manifests, we must know the why of this kind of life. The Christian life, the walk of the disciple of Jesus Christ, is not merely that of self-will and of self-discipline to change. No, it is rooted in truth; it is rooted in doctrine. We need to know what God reveals about why we do (and why we don't do) certain things. Knowledge is vital to living. We must know ourselves, we must know our God. Therefore we must know our Bibles. We must know this passage.
It points us to the remarkable change from a grotesque condition by a gracious conversion unto a godly conduct.
A Grotesque Condition
First, in vv. 17–19, Paul reminds his readers of their formerly grotesque condition:
This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
(Ephesians 4:17–19)
It is essential that we appreciate how messed up we were before we heard the call to Christ. As this passage reveals, our condition was grotesque. What I mean by this is that our lives were grossly distorted from the way God created us to be.
Paul has appealed to these believers to leave behind their former life. He tells them that they "should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk." Clearly, they have changed, and so the expectation is that they will continue to change.
We must never lose sight of the fact that the Christian life is all about change. It is unrelenting. That is why the Christian life is pictured so often as warfare. As J. C. Ryle put it, "A true Christian is one who has not only peace of conscience, but war within."
The Christian life is pictured as a long-distance race. We persevere in changing. We listen to our Coach, who exhorts us to keep on, to lay aside that which hinders us from change.
The Christian is one who hears the call to change and, rather than chafing against it, is challenged by it and aspires to change. Such aspiration is proof of regeneration. "Don't get mad, get glad." There is hope.
It is essential that we appreciate what we were if we will appreciate what we are and what we will be.
We need the negatives if we will appreciate the positives, the before pictures in order to appreciate and to delight in the remarkable after pictures.
As we begin, it is important to recognise that the description given here is, to some degree, true of everyone who is not a Christian. By God's grace, some do not reach the same depth of depraved living, but the seed is there.
Mindless Existence
Our former existence was a mindless existence (vv. 17–18a). Paul writes, "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened."
"Futility" speaks of vanity, uselessness, emptiness, wastefulness (cf. Romans 8:20; 2 Peter 2:18). The "mind" is that which perceives, thinks, wills—even that which feels. It refers to the intellect, to that which decides and that which purposes. It describes the soul of a person—the real you.
The problem is that the mind has become futile, wasteful and useless, precisely because it is empty of factoring God into the equation of life.
Our minds are a mess. Though we are so clever, fallen man is clueless. And the proof is that, in his mind, he rejects God and His authority. This is foolish (Psalm 14:1). It is stupid (Proverbs 30:1–5). This is grotesque and it results in grotesque living.
I use the word "grotesque" deliberately, because our former life was a complete disfiguring of life as it is meant to be. When Cain murdered Abel, he did that which was contrary to the way God intended life to be. When Lamech boasted in killing a young man, he did the same.
The way we treat one another bears witness to this truth. Human history is filled with war, political assassinations, rape, plunder, murder, terrorism, marital infidelity, selfish living, lying, stealing, road rage, corruption, caste systems and all forms of racism and false religion.
The point is simply this: It is vital that we grasp the source of the troubles in our world, and in our own lives. Troubled minds do terrible things. A major transformation is required. A miraculous transformation. And the gospel can do this!
Romans 1:16 speaks of the power of the gospel, and the context that follows is overwhelmingly moral. The gospel saves from the immorality that follows.
The futility of the mind is continually manifested by the futile efforts to change the world apart from the mind of God.
I have been deeply saddened in recent months by the #FeesMustFall campaign that has gripped South Africa. I am convinced that there are economic arguments to be heard, but surely protestors would gain a better hearing if they did not act criminally. Fighting injustice with injustice seems so foolish.
The American elections have shown a similar mindlessness, with the mindless rhetoric of both major parties aiming for the presidency. The candidates seem to be doing little more than playing on people's fears.
The approach to assisted suicide in countries like Belgium is another example. Back in the 1970s, Francis Schaeffer was warning that the assisted suicide laws then enacted, which allowed only for assisted dying in cases of terminal illness, would not stop there. Before long, he warned the floodgates would open and assisted suicide would be allowed for any condition or no condition at all. As it turns out, Schaeffer was speaking prophetically. Without submission to absolute truth, there are no limits to which the wickedness of men will stoop.
Or consider the murderous approach to the real problem of unwanted pregnancies. The South African head of Marie Stopes recently argued, "If you are old enough to get pregnant, you're old enough to have an abortion."1 No parental consent is required for young teenagers seeking abortion. In other words, if you are old enough to have a baby, you are old enough to murder your baby.
The world is foolish. But that is to be expected from a futile world—one that rejects the wisdom of God; particularly the ultimate display of the wisdom of God in the cross.
So, let me ask: How is your mind? Has it been changed or is it still empty? The first indication of a changed mind is that it is changed! Those who have been changed by the gospel have been given a mind that is useful, not useless.
David Powlison is a Christian counsellor for whom I have a lot of time. He studied psychology at Harvard for four years. He did an internship for several years as a psychiatrist, and then God saved him. Almost immediately, he recalls, there were three things that caused him to give up secular psychology.
First, he realised that all the psychiatric theories that he was espousing contradicted each other. There were no absolute standards and therefore no settled way to help people. God's Word, on the other hand, was an absolute, which made far more sense.
Second, working with patients showed him how deeply people needed the kind of help that God offers. One day, while working at a hospital, a woman was rushed in who had cut her wrists. As the attending physicians were bandaging her wrists, she kept crying, "I need someone to love me! Who will love me?" The despair that he heard in her voice made him realise that there must be something more hopeful than what psychiatry could offer.
Third, as he dealt with patients, he realised that he shared many of their problems. They may have exhibited themselves in a different way, but at root they were the same problem. And since the problem was fundamentally the same, the solution must be fundamentally the same: the gospel of Jesus Christ.
He testifies that, when God saved him, He really changed his mind, and so now his approach to helping people is radically different. He is now more compassionate and more helpful because he gets to the root of the problem.
Before we converted, our mind was darkened. There was a futility of mind, which could not understand the truth of God. There are no doubt some very intelligent unbelievers, but their minds are nonetheless darkened so that they unable to grasp the truth of God in Jesus Christ.
Such a mindless mind is to be pitied. As believers, we dare not think that we are inherently better than unbelievers. Instead, we must realise that there, but for the grace of God, would we go too. The unbelieving mind needs grace. A changed mind requires a changed heart.
The very believers to whom Paul was writing used to be like this. They could not speak down to unbelievers. They would have been in the same boat apart from God's grace.
Society is often grotesque. This will grieve the Christian. But is should also drive us to be gracious. Grace conquers the grotesque.
The unbelieving mind is misty because the unbelieving "understanding" is "darkened." The reason for a futile mind is simply that the unbeliever cannot see the light and so it gropes in the darkness. Unbelievers just do not get it—they cannot get it—just as we could not get it before we were converted.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones tells the story of driving somewhere with a friend. His friend told him that if he looked in a certain direction, he would be able to see Scotland in the distance. They pulled over to get out the car and view Scotland, but as they did so a mist descended. His friend insisted that, if he just looked hard enough, he would be able to spot Scotland, but try as he might, he could not see through the mist. Scotland was there, he knew, but he couldn't see it for the mist.
By God's amazing grace, we who were once lost are now found, and we who were once blind can now see. Listen to how Paul described it to the Corinthians:
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
(2 Corinthians 3:18–4:6)
It is not a matter of spiritual or moral cleverness but rather of sovereign grace; covenantal love.
We are no longer to walk in a spiritual, moral fog, for light has shone in the darkness. We no longer love the darkness. We are children of light (5:8).
Because we are enlightened, we reject evolution. Because we are enlightened, we embrace biblical sexuality—sexual relations only in the marriage of a male and female. A recent news article told of how the South African Anglican community stood firm in resisting same sex marriage. In the same article, however, an Anglican bishop expressed hope that this would not be the end of the discussion; that it could be reopened in future synods. That is evidence of a foggy mind.
Because we are enlightened, we reject abortion. Because we are enlightened, we reject the darkness of racism. Because we are enlightened, we reject the anti-authority mood of our age (of all ages!) and we rather happily submit to the authorities that God has placed in our lives. Because we have been enlightened, we reject the grotesque language of hate that seems to flood our land—and the world. Because we are enlightened, we embrace the Word of God while at the same time rejecting the lies of the godless and autonomous seeking culture. Because we are enlightened, we reject the arguments that the church is outdated and that corporate worship is a thing of the past, and totally irrelevant. Because we are enlightened, we reject the idolatry of sport. Because we are enlightened, we reject the fear-mongers who seek to manipulate how we spend our money and who seek to prognosticate the future of our country. Because we are enlightened, we reject the fear-mongers who tell us that the climate is going to be destroyed by man. Because we are enlightened, we reject the arguments of those who tell us that we are wasting our lives by serving God, by sending missionaries to heavily Muslim-dominated areas. Because we are enlightened, we reject the lies that those who are in darkness will never see the light! Because we have been enlightened, we love those who live lives that are grotesque and we seek to help them to live a life empowered by God's grace. Because we have been graciously enlightened, we reject the lifestyle that is ungraciously grotesque. And we do all of this to the glory of God. He is glorified in an otherwise grotesque world by changing us by His grace. Let's show them! Let's live remarkably!
A Materialistic Existence
Second, we see in v. 18b that our former existence was a materialistic existence: "being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart" (v. 18b). Our existence was "materialistic" because it was controlled by what can be seen and felt.
Paul speaks of unbelievers being cut off, of "being alienated from the life of God." This is the consequence of the mind that is opposed to God. To be excluded from the life of God is the worst of the consequences of the fall.
The word translated "life" is used in Scripture to speak of spiritual, not biological, life. Those who have not experienced change through the gospel are spiritually dead; they are cut off from the life of God. There is no relationship with the God of the universe. That is a grotesque way to live.
As Paul said in 2:12, unbelievers have "no hope" and are "without God in the world." Man will always worship, but without the knowledge of the true God, all worship will be idolatrous. It will be monstrous—the worship of the creature rather than the worship of the Creator. That is why the worship of Artemis (Diana) was so widespread in Ephesus.
Note that this is not only saying that man in sin is alienated from God, but from "the life of God." This means that man is cut off from that which gives ultimate meaning to life, for as Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the life of God" (Matthew 4:4). After all, God is not the God of the dead but of the living (Matthew 22:32).
This is the explanation for the so-called "absurdity" or "meaninglessness" of life that so many speak and write about. What a travesty! What a futile and grotesque way to live—to live only in accordance with things material. (This was the mindset behind the trick question put to Jesus in Matthew 22 above.)
How grotesque to live for cars and houses and boats and diamonds and clothes. But materialism is not only the sin of the wealthy. Those without anything are also guilty of materialism. And though they set their sights much lower, ultimately they are driven by the same godless and grotesque philosophy which says, "Let us eat and drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die."
Augustine of Hippo was one who understood what a grotesque life looked like, and he said, "Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee."
Of course, this means that those who have been converted are no longer estranged. We are alive to God (Romans 6:11). Our lives must exhibit this. Because we have the life of God we are hopeful, we have meaning, we have purpose—even (especially?) when life is filled with pain Because we have the life of God we live a life of true beauty.
But Paul continues to speak of the fact that the lost mind is clueless. He speaks of "the ignorance that is in them" and "the blindness of their heart." This is all related to the life of alienation. The grotesque life is the consequence of a mind that is ignorant of God and is spiritually obtuse.
The biblical truth is that this kind of mind is the result of judicial blindness. Isaiah was witness to this truth. When he volunteered to do God's bidding, the Lord told him,
"Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed."
(Isaiah 6:9–10)
This is such a sad description of man in sin; of those who have not experienced the power of the gospel. They are blind to the glory of God, to the glory that surrounds them! Isaiah himself had such a glorious vision of the Lord in the same chapter, but the lost were completely blind to that glory.
The tragedy is that even now there are some here no doubt who can make no sense of our joy, of our praise, of our submission to this glorious God. What a tragic, and even grotesque, way to live. But you don't have to live like this. Rather, even in the midst of others whose hearts are hardened and who minds are blinded, you can be made whole.
One things of the man with the withered hand in Mark 3. The Pharisees were watching closely to see if Jesus would heal the man on the Sabbath. When he did, they were angry and sought to kill him. The man himself rejoiced that Jesus had healed him, but the unbelieving Pharisees were blind to Christ's glory in that incident.
This example highlights the danger of becoming hardened to the truth by exposure to truth—if you do not respond to it. The same sun that melts the wax does indeed harden the clay. Be careful. "He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy" (Proverbs 29:1).
William Wilberforce had a friend name William Pitt, who served as Prime Minister of Britain. Pitt was a nominal Christian, and Wilberforce wished to reach him with the gospel. Wilberforce had a favourite preacher, and one day he invited Pitt to attend a service with him to listen to this preacher. Wilberforce recalls coming away from that service enamoured by one of the greatest sermons he had ever heard. As they walked away together, Pitt said to Wilberforce, "I have no idea what that man was talking about."
How said that the same gospel can enlighten some while others are kept in the dark.
Are we living in the light of our privilege or do we live as though we are blind? We must open our eyes to the glory all around us!
A Miserable Existence
Third, in v. 19, we see that the unbelieving existence is a miserable existence. Paul speaks of unbelievers "who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness."
The word translated "past feeling" speaks of being callous or apathetic. The root means "to hurt," but Paul adds a prefix which makes it mean "to hurt no longer." One can picture a seared conscience (1 Timothy 4:2).
At one time, sinful behaviour made one's conscience sting, and so rather smartly we stopped. But as time went on, we stopped listening and the pain dulled. But the absence of pain does not mean the absence of trouble. In fact, the more we become numb to an otherwise painful conscience, the more danger we are in.
Some time ago, I was getting ready to head to the road for a run. As I was leaving the house, my wife asked me if my foot still hurt. I told her that it did, and she asked me why I was then running. I told her that, after a few kilometres, the foot numbs and I don't feel the pain anymore. In no uncertain terms, she told me how foolish I was being. Ignoring the pain can result in irreparable damage.
This is precisely what Paul is saying. As we become apathetic to the voice of conscience pointing us to God's unalterable standard of righteousness, we soon find ourselves surrendering to behaviour and even a lifestyle that is perverse, twisted and, in the end, grotesque—a complete distortion of the way God intended us to live.
The description of the lifestyle is grotesque by any sane person's definition: "lewdness," "uncleanness" and "greediness."
"Lewdness" speaks of sensuality, of being unchaste, of lustful desires and actions. It refers to licentious living with no moral restraint at all. It is almost always used to refer to sexual immorality. It describes one who is addicted to sexual misbehaviour (see 2 Peter 2:10–12).
"Uncleanness" refers to impurity. Again, it carries a sexual connotation.
The phrase preceding it—"to work"—can literally be translated, "to trade in." The idea seems to be that the Gentile culture out of which these believers had been saved was one where people made their living trading in sexual perversion. This would include, but not be limited to, such things as prostitution—both male and female; as well as child prostitution. Sex for money, or sex and money, may be the idea here.
There is a horrible cost to such corrupt living. Someone has written, "'Free porn' is a misnomer. Pornography always costs somebody something. And it's the women and girls in our culture, surrounded by boys and men with porn expectations, who often end up paying the highest price."
This adds some light to the final phrase: "with greediness." This speaks of "unbounded covetousness" or "uninhibited lust for what one desires." (MacArthur) It pictures the process where one act of lust leads to two, two leads to four, and four leads to an all-consuming desire. Its appetite is never satiated.
Does this description sound familiar? Paul is describing our culture—estranged from God, a culture that is characterised as desensitised to pleasure, sensitised to lust, and crippled in willpower.
The society of which Paul was writing was an addicted, because alienated, society. A mindless, materialistic society will result in a miserable society that will be mastered by that which seeks to mask the emptiness. The mask takes the form of addition: drug addiction (we are the most highly medicated society in history), alcohol addiction (we are a drunken society), and sexual addiction (ours is an aggressively sexualised society).
It is this kind of life from which we have been delivered. It is this kind of grotesque perversion of God's wonderful gift of sexuality that we have been freed. But why does Paul, here and elsewhere, focus on sexual sin?
It would seem that sexual sin becomes more prevalent where the knowledge of God is the least prominent. And perhaps this is the case because to the degree that a society, or an individual for that matter, pushes the knowledge of God to the periphery, to such a degree shame is lost. And where shame is lost, sensuality rushes into the vacuum—without any restraint.
This is an important matter, for the days in which we live are certainly filled with much grotesque perversion of God's good gift of sex. Pornography is such a huge part of most nations' GDP that if it was removed from society the economy would feel its jolt. The problem of pornography is epidemic. Listen to what Playboy writer Damon Brown says: "It seems so obvious. If we invent a machine, the first thing we are going to do—after making a profit—is use it to watch porn." In the last 150 years, pornography has ridden on the heels of new technology, from the photograph to the film projector, from VHS to DVDs, from the World Wide Web to smartphones. "You name it," Brown says, "pornography planted its big flag there first, or at least shortly thereafter."
Unfortunately, those who should be a remarkable exception—believers in the church—are sadly anything but. I have no doubt that there are smart phones in our auditorium any given Sunday that would cause great embarrassment—and, I hope, shame—if they fell into the hands of someone other than the owner. Christians are not immune to the grotesque behaviour indicated in this text. The church needs to wake up to this and to repent of it.
This is one reason why I am deliberately and repeatedly using the word grotesque in this study. I am not trying to be sensational, but am rather trying to help us to see that the ugly lifestyle that God has saved us out of—or, as the case for many, from.
But this is not a moralistic attempt at being "scared straight." Rather, more to the point, when we see the ugliness of what God has saved us from, we are better able to appreciate God's love and mercy and grace to us. And as Paul wrote to the Romans, "the goodness of God leads to repentance" (2:4).
This brings us to our final consideration.
A Gracious Conversion
Paul next describes the gracious conversion of those who have been brought to believe in Christ: "But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus" (vv. 20–21).
"But" is a wonderful word of contrast in Scripture. We have encountered such a contrast already in 2:4 and 2:13. What we were, thank God, is no longer what we are! We were mindless, materialistic and miserable. "But" we "learned Christ." That is, we not only heard about Him, but we actually heard Him (see John 10). We were "taught by Him"; and as we obeyed His voice, He led us out of the muck and mire of the world to paths of righteousness. He changed us. He put us in our right minds, and He made us spiritual by the new birth (1 Corinthians 2:9–16). He took our misery and gave us mercy—literally. You see, "the truth as it is in Jesus" is the truth of the gospel. Paul is saying that what made the difference—and what continues to make the difference—is the gospel that we heard and that the Holy Spirit enabled us to truly hear and to believe (1:13–14).
So, what was it that we "heard" in the gospel? What did we learn from Jesus? What is it that Jesus is still teaching us through His gospel? That, by His grace, we are no longer enslaved to grotesque living precisely because He became grotesque for us. Let that remarkable truth sink in. When it does, then, first, if you are not a Christian you will see that you have no excuse not to be; and, second, if you are a Christian you will see that you have no excuse but rather you have every encouragement to live remarkably rather than grotesquely. Let me explain as we bring this to a close.
The Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ, God's Son, died for every sinner who will be saved. The Bible says that, when Jesus did, this God "made Him to be sin" for us so that "we might become the righteousness of God" in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
This means that Jesus suffered for every kind of sin, including sexual sin, committed by all of those whom He saves. I say this with fear and trembling, yet out of fidelity to Scripture, that Jesus Christ became that sin. He did not commit the sin, but He was treated by the Father as though He had. It was because of this substitutionary act on Jesus' part that He was in a position of being cursed by God (Galatians 3:13; Deuteronomy 21:23). Jesus was treated by the Father as though He had broken God's law. He was treated like an unbeliever. He was treated like "the other Gentiles" that Paul writes of in this text. And how does God respond to law breakers? By condemning them (see Deuteronomy 27:11–26).
I tremble to even think this, and to say it, but it is true: Jesus Christ was treated by the Father as though He was morally grotesque. Let that sink in.
When He hung on the cross, He did so for every sinner who would be saved. And you and I know a lot of those. We know ourselves. There is not a sin that you can think of for which Jesus did not, as a substitute, suffer God's wrath. Think about this. As Jesus suffered God's condemnation for these sins, heaven responded, "Amen."
Jesus suffered for the sins of adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bestiality, pornography of all kinds, child molestation, rape, murder, idolatry, blasphemy, racism, and hatred of all kinds. The Father turned His face away because He could not look upon His Son who, for those three hours, was grotesque to Him.
Think about that. But then think about why this was so. It was because God so loved the world. He loved the Gentiles in all of their moral and spiritual grotesqueness. He loved the Jews in all of their self-righteous grotesqueness. Are you saved? Then He loved and He loves you.
Do you desire to be saved from your sins? Then cry out to Him for mercy, relying on Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness and from deliverance from your guilt. Confess the grotesqueness of your sinful, godless life, and trust Him that He suffered its penalty for you. Then bask in His love.
But how do I know that He will forgive? How do I know that He is able to do so? Because, after three hours of suffering for my grotesqueness, He was no longer viewed as grotesque. He said, with great faithful relief, "It is finished" (John 19:30). Then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit to the Father, who gladly accepted it. And we know this because, three days later, He rose from the dead. It was the Father's declaration, "Grotesque no more!"
He who is full of grace and truth was exalted to the Holy of Holies at the Father's right hand, where He sits and intercedes today to save all who come to Him.
Unbeliever, believe today. He will save you; He will save you now.
Christian, come to Him today and enjoy cleansing from any grotesque behaviour for which you are guilty. Hear Him again today as He once again declares His gospel to you.
An author addressing Christian men struggling with pornography helpfully and hopefully writes,
As far as God is concerned, you are already His. God's love for you cannot be overstated. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus loves you with an endless love, and you have done nothing to merit it or deserve it. He loves you despite all your unlovability, despite your lingering sinful desires. Though in your sin you are undeserving and undesirable, He loves you when your mind disavows it, your heart dodges it, and your soul dismisses it. He loves you right now as you are, not as you think you should be. This, the New Testament says, is the key to unlocking God's power for change. It is not God's wrath that affects deep repentance in us, but rather, God's kindness (Rom. 2:4). Being filled with all of God's fullness happens not by knowing God's power but by comprehending the breadth and length and height and depth of His love—a love that "surpasses knowledge" (Eph. 3:19). (Gilkerson)
Thanks be to God for delivering us from such a grotesque manner of life and graciously converting us to a remarkable manner of life. His grace remains available and sufficient to continue to deliver us from the frequent temptations which seek to draw us into this graceless, grievous and grotesque walk.
- Aayeshie Fridie, "Do you have to tell the dad you're having an abortion? The law says NO in SA, https://goo.gl/ZkpPXQ, retrieved 26 September 2016. ↩


text:
Mathematics in the High School
by William Betz - 1937
It is firmly believed by all well-informed teachers of mathematics that their subject requires no 'special pleading.' There can be no doubt, however, that the prevailing misconception as to the real importance and the potential educational significance of the most ancient of all school subjects is a source of weakness in our educational program. Hence the attempt will be made in this article to state, however briefly and imperfectly, certain pertinent facts concerning each of the four following aspects of the question: The Universal Backgrounds of Mathematics, Mathematics as the "Universal Servant of Mankind, Mathematics as a Universal Mode of Thinking, and Mathematics as a Humanizing Element in Education.
To view the full-text for this article you must be signed-in with the appropriate membership. Please review your options below:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Enhance your teaching with Blended Learning
Blended learning is a combination of face-to-face and online education where both elements supplement and enhance each other. This enables:
- more flexible forms of teaching;
- more active engagement with students during their time in the classroom: more interaction, more involvement; and
- more and better (peer) feedback.
As a teacher at the Faculty of Geosciences, you have available to you a lot of support and advice for making the best use of blended learning in your courses.


text:
1. 7. Career Development
1.1. "The personal development of our employees is very important to HEMA. Our internal training programmes offer our employees many opportunities for professional development within our organisation. This varies from skills training to job-oriented career guidance. The wishes and the strengths of the employees are the central focus of this training. The courses are available to all HEMA employees, from the Distribution Centre to our stores, and from eager newbat"
1.2. needs analysis
1.2.1. 1. step: gaining knowledge of the German language as Hema also operates in Germany
22.214.171.124. 2. step: offering Huub a weekly German language course, as well as a software to work at home; specific goal: Huub achieves a language certificate of German level B1; yearly buudget: 700€
184.108.40.206.1. 3. step: implementing the training: combined online and on the-job training
1.2.2. ongoing training in technology, improving his skills with the computer system (technology based)
1.3. HR management decides on the budget, there is a standard budget for the industry and also a standard budget that Hema goes by for its employees, Hema decides according to Huub's position in the company;
1.3.1. issue that contract is only for three years and we know from Huub that he is planning on opening its own business; this is why the budget is not the highest but Hema does want to offer him good opportunities so he works well and gains from the work relationship with Hema
2. 6. Compensation and Benefits
2.1. direct and indirect payments
2.1.1. indirect payments; set standards by government and Hema's policies, plus HR management decides on how much additional vacation or retirement money Huub gets depending on his position in the company
18.104.22.168. health insurance
220.127.116.11.1. half paid by Hema
22.214.171.124. paid vacation
18.104.22.168.1. 30 days
22.214.171.124. retirement plan
220.127.116.11.1. in addition to the statutory retirement policy, Hema pays Huub an additional amount for retirement on a private insurance
2.1.2. direct payments
184.108.40.206. fixed salary; based on decisions by HR management as well as industry standards; Huub earns well as Hema profiits from his knowledge and experience
220.127.116.11.1. 60,000 Euro
184.108.40.206. benefits/bonus, set by the HR management and senior management for all employees at Hema; according to their position and level in the company they might get more or less
126.96.36.199.1. "We cherish our employees. By providing extra facilities for our employees with regard to, for example, health and education,HEMA ensures that our employees feel good and can perform their duties optimally. Employees must be able to work in a safe, healthy environment, whether they are stocking shelves, unloading trucks or working at the sales counter. For this reason, we focus a great deal of attention on safe lifting and correct usage of tools. HEMA also takes the capacities of individual employees into account. This prevents employees from being overburdened or injured. The health of our employees is also determined by their lifestyle. HEMA encourages its employees to exercise regularly. For example, we arrange volleyball tournaments and motorbike and cycling days. HEMA also takes part in marathons with an enthusiastic team. The Distribution Centre increases staff awareness of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle by regularly organising health days, offering healthy choices in the company restaurant and offering courses to help people stop smoking."
18.104.22.168.2. special benefits "HEMA offers employees and former employees a number of special benefits. For employees who have been at HEMA for 25 years or more, there is the "Zilverlingendag": a meeting to which we invite people who have retired or left service after being employed at HEMA for 25 years or longer. At the meeting they are able to catch up with (ex-) colleagues and keep up to date with events at HEMA. "HEMA Actief" also organises and sponsors various sports events each year. For example, HEMA employees participate in the Nijmegen "Vierdaagse" and the Dam to Dam run. There are also volleyball and soccer tournaments. In 2011, HEMA was approached by Bos Theatre Productions, which asked whether HEMA employees could play a role in the stage show "HEMA the musical" – a high-profile, comical production that was staged at various theatres in the Netherlands in 2012 and 2013. Naturally, we were happy to give our permission, with the result that HEMA employees were able to play a role in the musical."
3. 5. Performance Management
3.1. Performance Management, Hema does not only do it one way but both ways employee->employer as well as suboridinate-> boss -> company
3.2. "What makes employees happy? At HEMA, this is an important question, for the happier our employees, the better our business functions. To monitor our performance as an employer and to discover potential points for improvement, HEMA regularly carries out employee satisfaction studies. Following every study, we develop an action plan based on the findings. The most recent study was conducted in 2011. The general satisfaction was rated at 7.3."
3.3. After trial period Huub is starting to show signs of underperforming -> what to do?
3.3.1. 1.talk with Huub about possible problems on his underperformance, external influences etc. and talk with him about possible solution to the issue
3.3.2. 2. Conducting a performance analysis Measurement by Objectives (MBO) - conducted by the HR team as well as the manager above Huub
22.214.171.124. Measurement by Objectives (MBO): set up measurable goals
22.214.171.124.1. warehouse performance improvement
184.108.40.206.2. faster ways of shipping
18.104.22.168.3. imporvement on intelligent stock management
188.8.131.52.4. measurement on reflections about Huub of his subordinates and staff he leads
184.108.40.206. Interviews with the employee and his supervisor: Huub and the HR manager as well as the line manager above Huub (senior management)
188.8.131.52. Attitude survey
188.8.131.52. Analyzing job-related performance data: warehouse productivity, numbers of shippings sent out in a day, absenteeism and tardiness, waste, product quality, satisfaction of his team, motivation of the team he leads, customer compaints, mistakes made
3.3.3. 3.positive incentive for him to perform better
188.8.131.52. benefits
184.108.40.206.1. financial
4. 1. Human Resource Planning
4.1. what hema needs: -> what position has to be filled for how long - what perosnal skills and qualifications is Hema looking for?
4.2. Hemas culture
4.3. Requirements
4.3.1. business related studies
4.3.2. fluent in Dutch and English
4.3.3. managerial, math and computer skills
4.3.4. experience in the logistic field
4.3.5. outstanding communication and leadership skills
4.3.6. Hema employees: customer oriented, loyal and acting as a part of the company
4.4. Position
4.4.1. Time period: 3 months trial period, then permanent contract for 3 years
4.4.2. Looking for : Logistics Operations Manager
4.4.3. Job availability: From now on
4.4.4. logistics headquarter in Utrecht, Netherlands
5. 3. Selection
5.1. Selection Tools
5.1.1. 1. step testing: measuring personality, Huub's CV shows that he owns the abiities and knowledge to work this job, Hema now wants to find out if he also has the motivation and interpersonal skills as we know that Hema is just a job for some years before he can open his own business; use a test like the Birkman Method (www.birkman.com) to see if he is motivated and where his strengths lay, additionally he has the entrepreneurial skills but does he have the skills to work in a company with fixed rules and standards
5.1.2. 2. step interview: 1. Structure the interview and Review background (CV, etc.), 2. Establish rapport, 3. Ask questions; selection interview: structured interview, (ask profile-oriented interview questions: ask Huub about his former jobs and responsibilities) panel interview: HR manager, warehouse senior manager; 4. Close the interview, 5. Review the interview data
18.104.22.168. Huub's personal skills
22.214.171.124.1. passion for a job in the logistic field
126.96.36.199.2. straight forward -> fits Hema's culture
188.8.131.52.3. strong and self-confident/strong character -> able to face challenges and new situations
184.108.40.206.4. flexible in working hours and location
18.104.22.168.5. solution oriented
220.127.116.11.6. technical skills
188.8.131.52.7. entrepreneurial
126.96.36.199. Qualifications
22.214.171.124.1. international background
220.127.116.11.2. experienced/ required degrees
184.108.40.206.3. specialization
5.1.3. 3. other selection techniques: background investigation (criminal convictions search and credit history reports) and reference checks to check how honest the candidate is and to uncover damaging background information and eventually fake job references
5.1.4. 4. Medical Exams and Drug Screening; assures Hema that Huub is able to work well
5.1.5. 5. Evaluating the Selection Process, interviewers of the panel interview get together and go through the answers and performance of the different candidates, then decide for Huub
18.104.22.168. worries of hiring Huub
220.127.116.11.1. has his own company and projects going on that he is working on
18.104.22.168.2. job hopper
220.127.116.11.3. he probably wont stay long? worth the training? How can we benefit from him and he from us? Make it a win-win situation>
6. 4. Orientation/Training
6.1. provide Huub with knowledge, awareness, and expertise for his new job and introduce him to the Hema culture
6.1.1. introducing Huub to Hema is being supported by showing this video clip to him and the other new employees
6.1.2. this results in: Huub feeling welcomed, understands the company setting of Hema, knowing about policies and clear understanding of Hema's expectations and the job he has to do, getting to know colleagues
6.2. Onboarding, 3 days, 1. administrative based activities , giving out handbooks with policies etc. 2. HR activities filling out forms and getting to know policies and company rules 3. culture building through training and games that help Huub understand Hema's culture and working processes, getting to know the different Hema warehouses together with other new employees and senior managers, team building activities,
6.2.1. Onboarding: the first step into the continuing process of socialization
22.214.171.124. socialization - introducing employees to attitudes, standards, values and patterns of behavior set by the company
6.2.2. Huub receives a Welcome present: tickets for him and his family to the Hema musical
6.3. "Our management style aims to create conditions in which our employees are committed to and feel responsible for their work. HEMA provides good, safe and healthy working conditions."
6.3.1. Hema employee policy: "Therefore, it is of vital importance that the employees act with integrity and are also treated with integrity."
6.4. On-the-Job Training
6.4.1. Coaching: Huub will be coached by the senior logistics manager
6.5. Computer-based training (CBT)
6.5.1. used to show Huub how the internal software works, the portal of Hema, the company mail system as well as the warehouse stocking system and the order process software
7. 2. Recruitment
7.1. 1. Decide what position to fill
7.1.1. Job Description (see word document)
7.1.2. Job Analysis
7.1.3. Job specification
7.2. 2. Build a pool of candidates to chose from; internal and external candidates
7.2.1. Channel
220.127.116.11. Internet
188.8.131.52.1. Home page
126.96.36.199.2. Job Boards
18.104.22.168. logistics magazines
22.214.171.124.1. logistics business magazine
188.8.131.52. internal sources of candidates
220.127.116.11.1. job posting on company boards and via mail
7.3. 3. Application forms
7.3.1. provides verifiable data from the candidates


text:
Bata pa lang ako bilib na ako kay anonymous. Hanggang sa ngayon hindi ko pa rin sya nakikilala. Haaaay, so what I did was searched the internet kung sino ba talaga si Anonymous? Sangkatutak na page ang lumabas, hindi ko na tinignan yung iba, yung una na lng. Pero bago yun eto ang dahilan ko kung bakit ko sya idol at nagustuhan bilang isang manunulat.
"Growing old is nothing more than mind over matter; If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."
"If you want to make your dreams come true, the first thing you have to do is wake up."
"There are no such things as strangers, only friends that we have not yet met."
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."
eto pa ang iba pa nyang mga sinulat… grabe dame
Eto na yung magpapakilala kung sino ba talaga si Anonymous… sayang nga lang at wala pa rin akong nakuhang picture nya… haaayyy
Anonymous is the source of 90% of all internet truth and justice. Anonymous is void of human restraints, such as pity and mercy. Those who perform reckless actions or oppose Anonymous will be eliminated. Failure is not tolerated. Enemies of Anonymous are those who are not Anonymous. Enemies are to be dealt with swiftly and with great justice. Anonymous must work as one. No single Anonymous knows everything. You are. I am. Everyone is. Anonymous is humanity when the gloves come off.
Anonymous is not a person, nor is it a group: Anonymous is an idea. A movement. An anonymous collective, left to its own devices, quickly builds its own society out of rage and hate. Anonymous is not so much unlike other web communities, we have in-jokes, culture, extended debates, etc, just like everyone else. The difference, and the reason we visit other communities is that we have a need to be harassed by "nannying" moderators. Here, there isn't anyone to do that – yet long and productive edit wars spring up at about the rate you'd never tolerate elsewhere, on topics you'd never believe. We have no leader, no pretentious douchebag or group thereof to set in stone what Anonymous is and is not about. We don't dare to lead for will but rather break the "bridge" instead.
"Anonymous" is the name assigned to a poster who does not enter text in to the [Name] field. Anonymous is not a single person, but rather, represents the collective whole of the internet. He is a god amongst men. Anonymous invented the moon, assassinated former President David Palmer, and is also harder than the hardest metal known to man: diamond. His power level is rumored to be over nine thousand. He currently resides with his auntie and uncle in a town called Bel-Air (all though he is from West Philadelphia born and raised).
Anonymous is Legion. Anonymous does not forgive. Anonymous does not forget.
Anonymous is the only page on encyclopedia dramatica that takes itself seriously.
Anonymous is devoid of humanity, morality, pity, and mercy.
Anonymous works as one, because none of us are as cruel as all of us.
Anonymous cannot be harmed, no matter how many Anonymous may fall in battle.
Anonymous takes all attempts to harm Anonymous seriously.
Anonymous only undertakes Serious Business.
Anonymous is everywhere.
Anonymous is nowhere.
Anonymous cannot be out-numbered.
Anonymous is a hydra, constantly moving, constantly changing. Remove one head, and ten replace it.
Anonymous reinforces its ranks exponentially at need.
Anonymous has no weakness or flaw.
Anonymous exploits all weaknesses and flaws.
Anonymous doesn't have a family or friends.
Anonymous is your family and friends.
Anonymous is not your friend.
Anonymous is not your personal army.
Anonymous is in control at all times.
Anonymous does not accept failure, Anonymous delivers.
Anonymous has no identity.
Anonymous cannot be betrayed.
Anonymous are created as equals.
Anonymous is a choice.
Anonymous obeys the Code.
Anonymous has seen Fight Club too many times.
Anonymous is your fucking khakis.
In the future, everyone will be Anonymous for fifteen minutes, but some will be more Anonymous than others.
Anonymous is to be expected.
Anonymous does not wear fanny packs.
Anonymous will always break the bridge.
Anonymous knows what your mom said last night.
Anonymous is the undisputed King of the Internets.
Any attempts to harm Anonymous are taken seriously, and will be met with fierce retaliation.
Anonymous never forgives, never forgets, and has been known to invoke Rule 34 at any given moment.
Don't mess with Anonymous.
nakuha ko sa encyclopedia
Filed under: personal |


text:
Kevin Hallas, Commercial Manager in HSE's Centre for Human and Organisational Performance, illustrates how instinctual, rather than thoughtful, behaviour can undermine health and safety. How long do you wait for temporary traffic lights to change? The longer you wait, the more you think they're not working. You can see the other end of the road … Continue reading "What if these traffic lights never change…?"
Month: February 2017
Why it's time to speak up about stress at work
Carolyn Yeoman, Principal Organisational Psychologist at HSE's Health and Safety Laboratory, explains the benefits of tackling work-related stress. It often strikes me as odd that the single largest contributor to employee absence seems to be the one we talk about the least. Illnesses relating to workplace stress, anxiety or depression account for around 40% of … Continue reading "Why it's time to speak up about stress at work"


text:
Target's New Hearth and Hand Fall 2019 Products
No Demo Day Necessary! Target's Hearth & Hand Fall 2019 Collection Will Transform Your Space
As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. POPSUGAR has affiliate and advertising partnerships so we get revenue from sharing this content and from your purchase.
Jute Rug
The fringe detailing at the end of this Jute Rug ($35) looks adorable with another rug rested on top.


text:
Hi all,
It is time for another rebus swap to share with you all. This month the theme of my rebus is "P" Words …. each rebused word will start with the letter "P".
If you would like to solve it, why not post a comment to this blog post with your answers. I will let you know what the correct answers are next time I post a rebus card here.
Last month's challenge was to create a card with a rebus theme suitable for any occasion we wanted. If you didn't work out what my card said it was …. Just For You! Easy enough right
You can find all my past rebus cards here.


text:
If you currently use Veeam backup and replication on-premises or have explored the Veeam website, then you most likely have heard of their 3-2-1 rule of availability. This rule states that you should keep 3 copies of your data and applications stored on at least 2 different types of media and keep 1 of those copies off-site.
The iland Secure Cloud Backup solution using Veeam Cloud Connect helps you to fulfill Veeam's 3-2-1 rule by enabling backup to an off-site cloud repository and/or copying your local backups to the cloud. Let's take a look at how easy it is to get started with Veeam Cloud Connect. By the way, if you're considering a disaster recovery solution as well as, or instead of a cloud backup solution, take a look at my blogs on Veeam DRaaS starting here.
Setting Up for Success
Setting up Veeam Cloud Connect is a relatively simple process with minimal work needed. Essentially, all you will need is Veeam installed on a server and an outbound internet connection from your local repository. If you already have Veeam installed, you can add iland as a service provider and backup to your cloud repository. The connection to your service provider works with a TLS (Transport Layer Security) certificate for added security while transferring data. You can also configure encryption on the actual backups themselves for increased data security. Once you connect to the service provider, you will have a new off-site cloud backup repository in your Veeam backup infrastructure. You will be able to set the repository as the target for any new Veeam backup or backup copy jobs.
Maintaining Backup Visibility
Even though these backups would be physically located off-site, you will still be able to view and manage your backup files. For instance, if you need to delete or restore data from your backups, you could do this from your local Veeam console. With Veeam Cloud Connect, you will have full visibility and control of your backup files even though they are located in a cloud environment.
When using Veeam Cloud Connect backups with iland, you will also have access to the iland Cloud Console which provides many useful backup management features. Within this console, you are able to view your job history, repository storage usage and billing information. You can also set customer alerts for your cloud repository and request additional storage. The console also works as a single pane of glass if you have multiple tenants backing up to the iland Secure Cloud. If you are managing multiple sub-customers' backups or backup to multiple iland locations, you can view all of your repositories in the iland console from the same single account.
3 Key Things to Consider with Veeam Cloud Connect Backup
1. Backup Types The first aspect to consider when backing up your data with Veeam Cloud Connect is the type of backups you would like to run. You can do a direct backup of your production servers to your cloud repository or perform a backup copy job of your local backup files. Typically, iland recommends using the backup copy feature when backing up to a cloud repository. This allows you to copy your files off-site, without having to run a snapshot on the production servers themselves but it does require that you are backing up those servers locally.
2. Bandwidth Availability Another consideration is your bandwidth and network congestion. Obviously, the more bandwidth you have, the quicker you can complete a backup. A good rule of thumb is to assume that one terabyte of data will take about 24 hours to transfer with a 100Mb connection. If you have a large amount of data to backup but a low bandwidth connection, you may want to plan for the first job to take a few days. During a deployment with iland, we can help you plan and account for your initial backups with your available bandwidth. Keep in mind that your end users will also be using this bandwidth during production hours. If your users work from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., it may be best to plan your backups to begin after 5:00 p.m. This allows for more bandwidth to be allocated to the backups.
3. Backup Retention Policy You will also want to account for your backup retention policy and the storage needed to fulfill that policy. With Veeam Cloud Connect, you are able to configure how many backups you want to keep off-site. You can keep a backup chain of two or more restore points that run daily or periodically throughout the day. You can also configure the job to save archival backups at a weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly interval. For instance, you could backup every night for seven days – giving you the ability to restore from any of the last seven days. On top of this seven-day retention, you can also save a backup every week or year to retain data for a longer period of time in just one backup. These archival backups do consume a significant amount of data. So, the retention strategy and storage requirements needed for your retention policy should be considered. The iland Cloud Services team can help provide you with storage estimates based on your data retention needs.
I hope this blog was useful in outlining how easy it is to get started with Veeam Cloud Connect and the key things to consider for setup to help you quickly achieve the 3-2-1 availability rule to protect your business. Stay tuned for my next blog which will cover storage and job considerations for Veeam Cloud Connect.


text:
Colored Scales on Shimmering Silver Ultra Glitter MagicBand 2 Skin
This limited edition design features a colored scales pattern on our shimmering silver ultra glitter. High-gloss with shimmering metallic glitter and iridescent finish.
Our specialist adhesive ensures that the Skin stays firmly in place while allowing for easy removal when you are ready to change your style.
All of our MagicBand covers are precision cut and professionally produced to ensure a perfect fit to the colored portion of your Disney MagicBand and are suitable for both smaller and larger MagicBands.
*Excludes orders that contain personalized products.
Please note that this material may leave a small amount of residue on the MagicBand if left in place for extended periods. This can be easily removed with nail polish remover.
Customer Search Tags: Epcot, Spaceship Earth, Epcot Glitter


text:
love how Nigerian music stars are taking African music to the world with mega collaborations.
Davido has linked up with Quavo of Migos in Atlanta and we can only anticipate that there's new music coming from the two of them.
The video of their quick meeting was shared on one of the social media pages of Davido's music label, DWM.
Check on it!


text:
At Woodlands Homestead, surrounded by Australian native trees, you'll find magnificent heritage gardens which have been extensively restored.
Notable Garden FeaturesNotable features of the heritage gardens at Woodlands Homestead include:
- The two large magnolias in the courtyard, planted by the Greenes in the 1840s, are among the oldest exotic trees in the state of Victoria. The third smaller magnolia was grown from tissue culture taken from a third original 1840s magnolia which was diseased and removed in the 1990s.
- The large pines, peppercorns and Moreton Bay fig trees, planted during the Crokers' ownership (1889–1917) to shelter and beautify the homestead. The hardy cacti and aloes also date back to that period.
- Developments during the Chaffey period (1917–1936): privet hedges, the Canary Island date palm, lilacs, jasmine and pittosporum.
- Restoration of roses and other flowering plants to the oval bed in the driveway and flower beds around the south corner of the house, and the restoration of gravel paths began in the 1980s. This restoration has continued since then especially over the last 5 years with the assistance of Tom Baker and a team of other enthusiastic volunteers, community participants and City of Hume workers. The aim is to continue to restore the garden to its 1920s configuration.
Garden DevelopmentThe Greene's are known to have planted vines, fruit trees and vegetables, but had neither the time nor the water supply to maintain an extensive ornamental garden. In these early years there were more eucalypts and other indigenous trees around the homestead than today.
Later in the century, landscaping with tall exotic trees became popular. William Croker's plantings of pines and other trees reflect this simple and gracious colonial style. He also had the courtyard paved, the aviary built and the gravel paths laid around the house.
The Chaffey's added flower beds, flowering shrubs and trees, and planted a privet hedge.
The garden was generally unchanged or neglected over the forty years prior to the property being acquired as parklands in the 1970s. However, many plants survived and form the basis of the present garden.


text:
If you're lucky enough to work from home you'll know all about the various positives and negatives it entails – you can work without distraction from others, work at your own pace and play music as loud as you want. On the other hand, it's easily for it to get lonely, especially if you're the only one in your household that works from home, nevertheless, we've compiled a small list of tech and tech-related things that will be perfect if you spend your days working from home.
Check out the list below and if you can think of anything to add to it then let us know in the comments below.
Want some exclusive content? Join the UltraLinx mailing list here.
AIAIAI TMA-2 Young Guru Preset Headphones
Working from home can bring a lot of complications, if you need to be quiet but need some music to be productive, then you're going to need a good pair of headphones – they don't get much better than AIAIAI's TMA-2's, we were lucky enough to review them, check that out here.
Bose Companion 5 Multimedia Speaker System
For when headphones aren't needed, your home workspace is going to need some top quality speakers, and you don't get much better than the Bose Companion 5's. They're our speakers of choice at the UltraLinx office!
Herman Miller Classic Aeron Task Chair
If you're going to be putting in some serious hours at home, you're going to need a chair that's not going to leave you crippled at the end of the day. The Herman Miller Aeron is the best of the best, and certainly an underrated part of the workspace.
Gather: The minimal, modular organizer that cuts clutter
We recently did a write up about Gather on the blog, it's a new Kickstarter by Ugmonk that aims to use a minimal, modular design to store what usually clutters up your desk with ease. It's already raised over $250,000 with 31 days to go on the Kickstarter, so don't miss out on this one.
Belkin PowerHouse Dual Lightning Charging Dock For iPhone & iPad
If you're constantly working from home you're going to need some charging power while also keeping your devices accessible, the Belkin Powerhouse has got you, it charges two devices at the same time at speeds faster than most single chargers can manage.
Logitech Wireless Solar Desktop Keyboard
Of you're on the go all time you don't have time to be worrying about batteries, this solar powered keyboard by Logitech not only looks awesome, it also uses any light source to keep your keyboard charged for at least three months in total darkness.
Apple MacBook 256GB 12-inch Retina Display
You shouldn't be lacking in power if you're working from home, but you also need something compact just in case you need to work on the go. The 2016 Apple MacBook should have exactly what you need.
So you have your laptop and you're keyboard, you now need some serious power when it comes to screen estate, espcially if you're into design, you need as much quality as possible. This Dell 4K monitor will be perfect, and it's what we use here at the UltraLinx office, check out the review.
Satechi USB-C Combo Hub for MacBook
Yes, the MacBook isn't exactly famous for its connectivity, you're going to need a dongle. This Satechi Combo Hub is all you need, it's one of the most popular on the market and for good reason.
Twelve South BookArc for MacBook
If you're not a dual screen kind of person and you want to keep your MacBook docked up then you can either stick to a Hi Rise Stand and keep it on show, or you can use a Book Arc to store your MacBook so you only need to concentrate on one screen.
Working from home is all well and good, but for those times you need to venture out, you're going to need a quality MacBook sleeve. We've got some perfect ones on our own store, they've had some excellent reviews so far, and we think you'll like them too.
Sofia + Sam Multi Tasking Laptop Bed Tray
Having your desk setup is nice, but what about when you want a more chilled environment, this bed tray is perfect for lazing out on your sofa or bed while still giving you the ability to get some work done.
Kinps Apple MFi Certified Lightning to USB Cable 10ft
Working from home you're going to need a cable that can reach everywhere, you won't go wrong with this huge 10ft Lightning cable by Kinps. If USB-C is more your thing, you can find the perfect one here.


text:
- 1Call Us Now 800-818-2451
- 2Get The Best Flight Deal!
- 3Enjoy Your Luxury Flight!
We Absolutely Guarantee The Lowest Fares For International First & Business Class Flights
I'm always traveling overseas. Lana customized for me all my trips like my personal assistant at the right price with the best fly. She is awesome!! Thank You LANA.
I'm always traveling overseas. Lana customized for me all my trips like my personal assistant at the right price with the best fly. She is awesome!! Thank You LANA.
Istanbul is the biggest city in Europe and the world's fourth-biggest city. It is the capital of Turkey and the most popular place for tourists who visit this country. The population of Istanbul is around 15 million residents plus about 12-17 million of unregistered citizens. It`s also the administrative center of the Istanbul Metropolitan municipality.
In the past, it was also known as Constantinople and Byzantium. At the time, this city was a major center of Islam and a place for pilgrimage. Nowadays, Istanbul is a very beautiful place that can easily amaze its visitors with great historical heritage combined with modern culture. Old buildings stand side by side with really tall skyscrapers and little old shops are situated near large shopping malls.
The city is situated between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara at the shore of the Asian side of the Bosporus strait. The climate is mostly Meditarenian with single areas of oceanic and humid subtropical. Winters here are usually pretty cold and summers are very warm. The level of humidity in Istanbul is extremely high and sometimes raises up to 80%.
There are a lot of different beautiful and glorious historical places here. For example, at the Hippodrome of Constantinople, there is an ancient obelisk which was erected by Theodosius. It is attracting tourists from all over the world. There is also a lot of surviving architecture from the period of Ancient Rome. Erected in 330 CE, the Column of Constantine still stands not far from the Forum of Theodosius.
Whenever you buy tickets to last minute business class flights to Istanbul at https://flybusinesscheap.com, you save up to 50-70% of the original cost. In addition to that, you will also get to enjoy a great list of advantages and specials.
Business class is, without any doubt, much more comfortable to travel with that economy. Here are only the main and the most obvious advantages that you get when you travel with it:
If you buy a ticket to last minute first class to Istanbul, then you will enjoy even more bonuses.
The best time of the year to visit this city is definitely late spring and early summer. It's related to climate features that dominate in this region. Exactly at that time, the weather is really soft and pleasant. But Istanbul is still interesting at any other time because of the many different activities, festivals and mass events that take place all year round.
According to the reviews by passengers who have bought tickets to last minute business class to Istanbul, we created a list of the best airlines. They are:
There are two international airports in Istanbul. Istanbul Atatürk Airport is bigger and located 15 miles to the west of the city. Its passenger flow is around 63 million every year.
Sabiha Gökçen International Airport stands 28 miles to the southeast of the central district of Istanbul. It serves only about 15 million passengers a year. Last minute first class to Istanbul passengers arrive to separate from the standard class clients customs control cabins.
There are three main ways to get from this airport to Istanbul. The most traditional and easy way is to travel by bus. If you are decided to get a taxi, be ready to pay a lot of money. But most commonly passengers get to the city by railways, which lead to different districts of Istanbul and some nearby towns.
Get travel offers and other updates by email.
We sell their tickets all in one place.


text:
Editorial in Indian Birds vol. 5 no. 5 (published on 5 April 2010).
Human actions, whether direct or indirect, are nowadays almost singularly responsible for nudging species towards their doom. Redemption from such a, potentially, lost cause lies in the adroit harnessing of resources, an assessment of the situation, the application of rigorous science, and hopefully, the forestalling of a threatened species careening towards extinction.
Human actions, whether direct or indirect, are nowadays almost singularly responsible for nudging species towards their doom. Redemption from such a, potentially, lost cause lies in the adroit harnessing of resources, an assessment of the situation, the application of rigorous science, and hopefully, the forestalling of a threatened species careening towards extinction.
In India, vultures have been the hapless victims of a seemingly innocuous human act—that of using a drug as a painkiller for cattle—resulting in a population crash that teeters on the verge of extinction. Just ten years ago, who would have believed that E. H. Aitken's laudatory "unsalaried public servants"1, would come to this? In the nick of time, the culprit that caused the vultures' drooping death was identified. If the drug were to be banned, its usage completely stopped, the vultures would have a slim chance of recovery. Banning a drug is difficult, enforcing that ban, a nightmare. A tug-of-war between players only erodes resolve into time-fed laxity—all at the expense of the vultures' future.
The Edible-nest Swiftlet Collocalia fuciphaga is found throughout southeastern Asia, but in India, it inhabits only the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Its pure 'saliva' nest is a victual delicacy in southeastern Asian cuisine, wherein lies its nemesis. Protecting the bird in the wild is impossible, given its preferred breeding terrain. The conservation solution is to ranch it in such a way that its eggs are slipped under surrogate Glossy Swiftlets C. esculenta, and its nest, harvested. A misinformed government order placed the Edible-nest Swiftlet in Schedule I of The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, thereby protecting it totally, and paradoxically, blocking the only scientific solution that would ensure its continued survival on the islands. The only way forward was to remove the bird from Schedule I, allow its nest to be harvested, and prevent the species from becoming extinct (in India) by protection!
The third scenario is centered on the 6.82 km2, volcanic, Narcondam Island—home to the endemic Narcondam Hornbill Aceros narcondami. In 1905 the population of hornbills on Narcondam was c200, in 1972 c400, in 1998 c3602, in 2000 c4323, and in 2003 c3404. Why is this bird at a cul-de-sac, when its population has been more-or-less stable over one hundred years? The simple one-word answer is—goats. Lavkumar Khachar's article highlights this issue and the urgent need for action. Will we allow goats to eat an island from under the Narcondam Hornbill? Indeed, will we allow them to do what we sent a posse of policemen to prevent Myanmar from doing—take the island away from India? Without vegetation holding it together, the volcanic rock will erode over time. Today it may sound fatalistic to say that an island devoid of vegetation might not survive the vagaries of tropical weather, but water and wind are an unstoppably potent force of erosion—and this, a one-way street to environmental disaster.
Island natural histories are mortally susceptible to invasions of flora and fauna and the introduction of goats on Narcondam is an act of criminal negligence, a slap in the face of our cognitive intelligence. The immediate solution is to remove all the goats, both captive and feral, from Narcondam, by whatever means necessary—delay would be catastrophic; implementation might restore equilibrium over time.
Paradoxically we only learn about a critically threatened species when it is already slipping downhill. Narcondam, however, is a situation that can be rectified easily. Yet, it is more than a decade since the late Ravi Sankaran of SACON raised these concerns and alarms in a report published by the institution, as did the late S. A. Hussain of BNHS, in several publications. The Indian government has taken no corrective action up till now. It is still not too late in the day to salvage the situation. If there is quick action, the magnificent Narcondam Hornbill will certainly survive, in splendid isolation, on a wild volcanic outcrop jutting above the storm-tossed waters of the Bay of Bengal—the unquestioned icon of a potential Peace Park between India and Myanmar and a symbol of successful conservation.
—Aasheesh Pittie
1Aitken, E. H. 1947. The common birds of India. 3rd ed. Bombay: Thacker & Co. Ltd.
2Vijayan, L. & Sankaran, R. 2000. A study on the ecology, status and conservation perspectives of certain rare endemic avifauna of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Final report. Coimbatore: SACON.
3Yahya, H. S. A. & Zarri, A. A. 2003. Status, ecology and behaviour of Narcondam Hornbill, (Aceros narcondami) in Narcondam Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 99 (3): 434–445 (2002).
4Vivek, R. & Vijayan, V. S. 2003. Ecology and conservation of the Narcondam Hornbill Aceros narcondami at Narcondam Island Sanctuary, India. Coimbatore: SACON.


text:
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Dermal Fillers for the Face: Special Considerations
9 comments :
- AnonymousOctober 14, 2014 at 11:01 PM
Thanks you for sharing this amazing information. Truly said. Dermal fillers are used to restore lost volume and smooth out lines, dermal fillers are a popular way to rejuvenate the face and handsReplyDelete
Everybody needs to be lovely, and a few people will persevere relentlessly to look spectacular. Supporting an excellent skin can be a costly and tedious undertaking. 英国整形医院ReplyDelete
dermal fillers are indeed a good choice for the smoothing the imperfections and any lower quantities in the facial exposure. Nice post to demonstrate their importance in practical.ReplyDelete
I really love your blog related to dermal filler for skin. Dermal fillers is the right option to improve the quality of the skin. Find the best dermal filler suppliers information at Visit drkorman.com !!!ReplyDelete
Buy Dermal Fillers online cheap with fast delivery !ReplyDelete
I simply came across your blog and desired to say that I have really enjoyed searching your blog posts. It gives lots of valuable stuff. You can find out the Best Doctor for Botox in Los Angeles by visiting at Dermatique Skin Spa.ReplyDelete
I think this is a better than average article. You make this data intriguing and locks in. You give perusers a considerable measure to consider and I welcome that sort of composing. Elite collegeReplyDelete
Nice post, impressive. It's quite different from other posts. we provide Hifu treatments in Singapore Aesthetic clinic at affordable cost. for more info visit our website.ReplyDelete


text:
In 2011 a friend of mine — a brilliant college graduate from a top university — worked on hardware and coding projects for MarketPsych. To save money he lived in his car in Venice Beach, Calif., near our office. He's a free spirit and a technical genius, and in 2013 he set up cryptocurrency mining software on our spare server space. He accumulated a good deal of coins through his mining. Needless to say, he no longer needs to live in his car.
Many of the early bitcoin
We wrote our first and only newsletter on cryptocurrencies when the bitcoin price was still under $100. After a 100-fold appreciation, much has changed in the cryptocurrency world. And yet a disturbing amount has remained the same for bitcoin itself.
The biggest winners from bitcoin so far are the inspired developers, early investors, exchanges, miners, money-launderers, and thieves. Bitcoin may continue to swell in value and become a universal, global currency, but it is still a dream. The future of viable blockchain applications lies elsewhere.
I'm not going to tell you which cryptocurrencies are best to invest in, nor will I tell you when prices will collapse (it's not uncommon for prices to drop 80%-90% from their peak).
I can tell you about the psychology driving bitcoin prices into bubble territory. Many rational value investors and financial analysts are proclaiming that there is no value in cryptocurrencies. But they are using the wrong toolkit. Analyzing cryptocurrencies with traditional valuation metrics is impossible. The psychological aspects of valuation contain the key to understanding bitcoin. Bitcoin's $285 billion market cap as of Dec. 12 certainly is a measure of value.
" Cyrptocurrencies are the greatest asset-price bubble in human history. "
Cryptocurrencies are definitely in a bubble. In fact, cyrptocurrencies are the greatest asset-price bubble in human history. Bitcoin is a perfectly engineered bubble machine. Its value is what buyers believe it is. This is key to understanding the current mania.
The chart below depicts the average daily relevant references to bitcoin in top global financial news and social media since 2010. As of November 2017, media mentions were topping 45,000 daily (see far right of chart).
Unfortunately, it's difficult for me to believe in bitcoin anymore. Bitcoin should be a low-cost money transfer mechanism. Now the cost is $5-$20 per transaction. Bitcoin should be fast to transfer, but clearing can take up to 24 hours. According to a top exchange: "Bitcoin may not be the ultimate cryptocurrency — for example, it has major delays such as transactions requiring at least 10 minutes to be verified and the price is very volatile...." This Wall Street Journal article describes such delays.
Other problems with bitcoin include:
1. Four mining pools provide half of bitcoin's capacity, making it more susceptible to attack.
2. There are numerous and often-confusing blockchain forks. Bitcoin Cash is perhaps the most viable, but it also dilutes the brand.
3. Bitcoin transaction speed falls far behind bank transactions, and it cannot be fixed in its main branch.
4. Use of bitcoin in daily transactions is not increasing. Per this article: "The number of bitcoin transactions on a daily basis has been consistent in 2017."
5. By the number of the wallet, owner's transactions can be tracked, which substantially undermines anonymity.
One additional consideration: In order to understand bitcoin, we've got to understand the miners and their own financial incentives. Miners have been some of the most resistant to upgrades on the bitcoin network, including the most powerful miner, Jihan Wu of BitMain. Many in the bitcoin community have not taken kindly to his ASIC-boost hardware modifications (which reduced energy required to mine bitcoin by 30%).
However, despite the above criticisms, the long-awaited lightning-network upgrade solves the scaling problem with transaction speed and efficiency increasing — according to estimates — up to 100,000 times. Big miners are now on-board with the upgrade. Protocol changes are in place, and the initial roll-out has just begun. All that is needed is software and adoption in exchanges and other key places. There could be lightning adoption starting in six- to 18 months, with most exchanges and miners running in lightning within two years.
Also in the bullish column, bitcoin is explicitly modeled on gold US:GCQ8 . Like gold, bitcoin is a currency that is tied to physical limits (energy) rather than trusting centralized governments not to abuse the currencies they administer. As the bitcoin price rises, the energy cost to generate bitcoin naturally rises, similar to the increased energy costs that go into gold mining as its price rises. Governments can print money. They can't print energy. After 2025, little bitcoin will be mined, which will be deflationary for the currency. Enforced scarcity itself creates conditions for an ongoing bubble.
The advent of bitcoin futures allows for much more complex uses of bitcoin, such as in global payments and money transfers. Multinational corporations could use bitcoin to transfer funds inexpensively between various legal jurisdictions. (Note: I've tried to do this, but it is difficult for U.S.-domiciled companies to do so, and there is significant additional paperwork.) Multinationals could hedge U.S. dollar risk with futures, for example while transferring funds from the Indian rupee into the Japanese yen in bitcoin, and they would save the currently significant trading and transaction costs of such transfers. Such companies would still owe taxes in their national domicile.
But as with many of the bitcoin improvements, these are forward-looking statements. Bitcoin nowadays is still a dream — a dream with tremendous potential if it pans out.
The value of bitcoin appears to be centered around its first-mover status, subsequent price appreciation, the true believers who hold it as store of value (increasing its scarcity), and the dream of its becoming the global unit of value exchange.
That brings me back to the investing, trading, and speculating on bitcoin. Speculation is such an integral part of bitcoin that new jargon emerged to describe the psychology of owning it: "FOMO" (Fear Of Missing Out) and "HODL" (Holding On For Dear Life). Bitcoin was engineered to be bubbly.
Our book "Trading on Sentiment: The Power of Minds Over Markets" (Wiley, 2016) has two chapters on bubbles, and this past newsletter also address the topic.
According to the staging system we propose, we're solidly in late Stage 2/early Stage 3 with cryptocurrencies — a full-on bubble. Ironically, bitcoin's slow clearing speed may prevent short-term panic. And not many new investors have enough money at stake to be scared of the risks yet — there is little leverage. Bubbles often implode when people "look down" and realize they are vulnerable, and credit dries up. But for now many investors are still trying to rush into bitcoin while reading success stories like those of my friend.
The ICO bubble, on the other hand, is clearly going to end badly for most companies. But that said, the next Amazon.com
" What are the odds that bitcoin will double in price versus drop 90% over the next five years? "
What are the odds that bitcoin will double in price versus drop 90% over the next five years? Better than 50/50? Given that bitcoin has risen 5,000-fold since I first investigated it, the odds are in favor of bitcoin doubling in price over that time.
Yes, there is a media frenzy. Yes, bitcoin will hit short-term speculative tops (a "blow-off tops") as it has done several times in the past and then dropped 80+%. I realize that past history is not a predictor of future returns. And I understand that bitcoin has no fundamental value. Yet bitcoin was designed to create a perfect psychology-driven asset-bubble. It is a dream; a vision of a global, decentralized currency. Even with government bans, crackdowns, trading freezes, and the like, the cryptocurrency frenzy has only grown.
Helping bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies along is the public belief — and the news and social media forecasts — that they could go higher.
James Mackintosh of the Wall Street Journal noted, "[F]or the moment, bitcoin's best hope looks like attracting more and more buyers who want to shift their savings onto the blockchain — and speculators willing to bet that those savers will arrive. The soaring price of bitcoin alone shows that expectations are high. But as currency historian and Berkeley economics professor Barry Eichengreen said: "Expectations can change."" Adding his voice, Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz noted, "The value of a bitcoin today is expectations of what the bitcoin is going to be tomorrow." Both are right - expectations explain why bitcoin can go higher (or lower).
Performing quantitative testing on our currency sentiment data, our Head of Research, CJ Liu, examined how national currencies performed since 1998 on weekly, monthly, and yearly rotational models when various media themes or sentiments were predominant. His software first selected the 20 currencies with the most mentions in the media over a prior period. It then ranked them by their average "Price Forecast" over that period (the priceForecast TMRI). It then created a portfolio by going long the top-five currencies with the highest priceForecast score, and going short the bottom-five with the lowest priceForecast score. He then plotted the return of $1 invested in this strategy, with $0.10 allocated to each currency at the beginning of each rolling period.
" Currency prices go where the media predicts they will go "
From CJ's research, it appears that currency prices go where the media predicts they will go:
We can see this effect broadly in the U.S. dollar
Using a daily model we see a variety of sentiments that predict next day returns. High one-day values on TRMI called priceDirection, volatility, optimism, and longShort (references to buying minus selling) all seems to predict higher next-day returns.
Using our bitcoin sentiment feed, we charted monthly sentiment about bitcoin in news and social media from 2010 to 2017. The total monthly November 2017 sentiment for bitcoin was at the high of the range, but not beyond. In general, bitcoin sentiment as of the end of November did not seem excessively high.
But since sentiment isn't a clear predictor of currency prices in most cases, we'll look at PriceForecast. The chart below covers 2017 through November. While the PriceDirection index rose in 2017 (the blue line), consistent with bitcoin's price rising, the PriceForecast index actually sagged. Commentators are becoming more negative on bitcoin's price prospects while the price rises, but overall they remain in the positive. And as noted above, for traditional currencies the media price forecast is the most significant long term predictor versus other sentiments
" Be prudent and take security very, very seriously. "
When all's said about bitcoin, it's clear that only money you wouldn't mind losing should be used in speculation in cryptocurrency. Also, keep in mind that criminals thrive in the relative anonymity of the bitcoin world. Malfeasance and insecurity is common. Tip to the noobs (amateur cryptocurrency investors): Be prudent and take security very, very seriously. Most coins are scams. Some have back doors built into their code, are premined (in which the issuers take lots of coins for themselves), or are simply pump-and-dump schemes. A list of some scams is here.
Read: Why it's now time to break from the stock market's herd
Revolutionary new technology is being created in the blockchain and smart contract space. Yet there are many considerations that need to be navigated. Adoption of this technology, like with the internet, is going to be much slower than we want to believe. As such, the short term may be a positive and wild ride, but longer-term prices for bitcoin will likely end up much lower than they are now. There is already a good deal of smart-money chasing deals. There is competition — new cryptocurrency technologies will be emerging from governments as well as large tech companies including Google
Moreover, without acceptance of cryptocurrencies as actual fiat currency by governments, then the regulatory environment will be prohibitive to their common use. There is a lot to consider, and blindly speculating on these is not a good idea. Weathering volatility requires understanding.
Behavioral economist and psychiatrist Richard L. Peterson is CEO of MarketPsych, a training and sentiment analytics firm.
More about bitcoin:
Ride the bitcoin wave with these 11 cryptocurrency-related stocks
Bitcoin futures: Here's what you need to know
Four lies about bitcoin futures that stock investors need to know


text:
Canon PIXMA TR8520 Drivers Download
Canon PIXMA TR8520 Drivers Download
Support for:
- Android
- Mac Os X
- Windows XP
- Windows 7
- Windows 8
- Windows 8.1
- Windows 10
- Windows Vista
Canon PIXMA TR8520 Drivers Download for Windows
Canon PIXMA TR8520 Drivers Download for Linux
Canon PIXMA TR8520 ScanGear MP for Linux (Source file)
Canon PIXMA TR8520 ScanGear MP for Linux (debian Packagearchive)
Canon PIXMA TR8520 ScanGear MP for Linux (rpm Packagearchive)
Canon PIXMA TR8520 IJ Printer Driver for Linux (Source file)
Canon PIXMA TR8520 IJ Printer Driver for Linux (debian Packagearchive)
Canon PIXMA TR8520 IJ Printer Driver for Linux (rpm Packagearchive)
Canon PIXMA TR8520 Reviews– If you're looking for an affordable all-in-one (AIO) device for your family or office, you may find it hard to choose the best of so many models. Should it be fast, cheap or with the best print quality? Should it be compact, but still process legal paper? Should it be compatible with a variety of photo papers? Or maybe you want some of the document management features for workgroup AIOs? Unfortunately, you can not have everything, especially if you want to keep the purchase price as low as possible.
This brings us to the Canon Pixma TR8520 Wireless Home Office All-In-One and replaces the well-known Pixma MX922 Home Office all-in-one. Like the MX922, the TR8520 ($ 199.99 ahead of a $ 50 easy-to-find online rebate) focuses on print quality, not document management. And like the MX922, it's not the fastest or the cheapest to use. If high speed and low ink costs are more important than print quality, consider higher costs or higher AIO for business needs and high print volumes. ,
In his favor, the TR8520 offers enough document properties to be a good choice if these features are needed only from time to time rather than daily. It supports a wide range of connectivity options including Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.0 and PictBridge. And the TR8520 has a 20-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF), which is limited in practice due to the inability to automatically duplex copies and scans.
Also in his favor: a five-color ink cartridge system with pigments and dyes. With separate black cartridges, you can get better results by switching from plain paper to photo paper. The 4.3-inch color touchscreen is another plus for photography enthusiasts. You can preview your photos (in JPEG or TIFF format) before selecting the photos to print. The front and rear paper drawers allow you to load two different types of paper at the same time. You can have 10 sheets of 5 x 7-inch photo paper in the rear tray, while 100 sheets of letter-sized plain paper are loaded in the front tray.
Overall, the Pixma TR8520 is an update worthy of the MX922. It may be a good choice for a family or home office that needs document management capabilities but is primarily interested in outstanding print quality, especially graphics and photos.


text: Jack Joseph Osbourne is an English-born American media personality. As the son of heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne, he starred on MTV's reality series The Osbournes, along with his father, mother Sharon, and sister Kelly. Osbourne has since pursued a career as a fitness and travel reporter, presenting shows such as Jack Osbourne: Adrenaline Junkie and BBC's Saving Planet Earth. He was diagnosed with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis in 2012.


text:
Proceedings PaperHigh Transmittance Long Fiber Optics
|Member Price
|Non-Member Price
Paper Abstract
There has been a demand in recent years for fibers up to 100 feet in length having high transmittance and able to withstand severe vibrations and high temperatures. High transmittance glasses most widely used for the fiber core have been the lead flint glasses such as Schott F2. We have on occasion been able to obtain absorption coefficients as low as 0.05 per foot using this F2 glass, but the absorption increases rapidly as the fibers are heated. Furthermore, these glasses have softening points which limit their use at elevated temperatures. Several new glasses have been developed having high transmittance and able to withstand the higher temperatures. Data on the spectral transmission as a function of temperature is presented for these glasses, together with their absorption coefficients at the wavelengths of peak transmission. One of these glasses has a transmission over a 100-foot length which is five times greater than that of F2, and has an absorption coefficient of 0.027 to 0.033 per foot at the wavelength of peak transmission. During the past few years considerable advances have been made in the area of fiber optics generally and an accelerated utilization of this technology is anticipated in the future. Fused elements up to one or more inches in overall length are approaching their theoretical maximum performance, but in contrast,the performance of many flexible fiber optics elements, such as "light pipes" and imaging bundles, is very much less than that which can be ultimately achieved.
Paper Details
Date Published: 1 October 1968
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 0014, Fiber Optics I, (1 October 1968); doi: 10.1117/12.965335
Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 0014:
Fiber Optics I
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 0014, Fiber Optics I, (1 October 1968); doi: 10.1117/12.965335
Show Author Affiliations
B. G. Phillips, Optics Technology, Inc. (United States)
Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 0014:
Fiber Optics I
© SPIE. Terms of Use


text:
High glucose level fluctations happen daily in people with diabetes. It is important to control blood sugar levels through exercises, diet and medication
Blood sugar levels can be affected by many conditions. The most common cause of high blood sugar is diabetes. According to experts the criteria for diagnosing diabetes are satisfied if any of the following results are obtained on at least two different days:
- Fasting blood glucose level: > is 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L)
- 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test level: > is 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L)
- Symptoms of diabetes along with random blood glucose test levels > is 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L).
The common signs and symptoms of high blood sugar or diabetes are;
- Dry mouth
- Increased thirst and frequent urination: Elevated blood sugar in the blood causes fluids to move out your cells. This makes you feel thirsty----and so you drink more water----this leads to frequent urination
- Increased frequency of urination during the night
- Increased hunger---as your body cannot use the glucose in the blood your muscles and other tissues become depleted of energy source----so you feel hungry more frequently.
- Blurred vision: Elevated glucose levels in the blood leads to loss of fluid from the lenses of your eyes----which can affect your ability to focus and see clearly.
- Dry, itchy skin.
- Patches of darkened skin.
- Fatigue or drowsiness
- Weight loss
- Slow-healing sores or frequent infections.
People with fasting blood glucose levels from 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 --6.9 mmol/L) are considered to have prediabetes (impaired fasting glucose). If you have impaired fasting glucose your risk of developing diabetes is increased.
Some other causes of high blood glucose levels include;
- Severe stress,
- Heart attack, stroke,
- Endocrine problems such as Cushing's syndrome or excess production of growth hormone (acromegaly).
- Certain medications such as corticosteroids
If your blood sugar levels are elevated your doctor may recommend re-testing of sugar levels and if required other tests. DO not ignore if your blood test results are abnormal.
Dr Poonam Sachdeva, our in-house medical expert talks about the why what and how in diabetes.
Read more articles on Understand Diabetes
All possible measures have been taken to ensure accuracy, reliability, timeliness and authenticity of the information; however Onlymyhealth.com does not take any liability for the same. Using any information provided by the website is solely at the viewers' discretion. In case of any medical exigencies/ persistent health issues, we advise you to seek a qualified medical practitioner before putting to use any advice/tips given by our team or any third party in form of answers/comments on the above mentioned website.