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In Thailand there are 61,416 full-time monks and about 32,000 monasteries. The Sangha (brotherhood of monks) in Thailand consists of about 200,000 monks (full-time and part-time monks) and 85,000 novices at most times of the year. However, these numbers increase during the Buddhist 'Lent' to around 300,000 and 100,000 novices. Young boys may become novices at any age, but a man cannot become a monk until he reaches the age of twenty. He can then remain a monk for as long as he wishes, even for just one day. Three months is more usual, although some choose to remain in monkhood for the rest of their lives. [Source: Buddha.net]
In Thervada Buddhism, monkdom is something that all young men go through for a period of time as a kind of maturing and coming of age ritual for the young man and a way for his family to earn merit. Ordination usually takes place when a young man reaches the age of 20. Traditionally Thai women have considered a suitor to be "unripe" if he hasn't spent a portion of his life as a monk. Phra is the honorific title for monks in Thailand.
Many monks who become ordained for their entire lives serve as scholars or teachers, with some specializing in healing, folk magic, fortunetelling and astrology. Thailand's chief Buddhist monk is known as the Supreme Patriarch. Abbots are high ranking monks. They are usually well educated or have some other skill that commands respect. Many are heads of temples. Some run charitable foundations. Many high ranking monks are from the poor Northeast. Monkdom has traditionally been a way for poorer people to advance.
The Sangha in Thailand is broken down into two main Nikayas. The first is the Maha Nikai, and the second is the Thammayut Nikai. The later was formed by King Mongut (Rama IV, who most Westerners know from the "King and I"). This was patterned after an earlier Mon form of monastic discipline, which had been practised by King Mongut before he ascended the Thai throne. Both adhere to the 227 monstic vows but Thammayut is regarded as stricter. For example they eat only once a day—before noon—and must eat only what is in their alms bowl. In addition, they are expected to become proficients in both mediation and scholarship. By contrast Mahanikai eat twice before noon and specialize in either meditation or scholarship. The Thammayut Nikai makes up only about 3 percent of the total Buddhist Sangha in Thailand.
On top of this is the forest monk tradition. Urban monks stress scholarship while forest monks emphasize mediation. Phra Paisan is a modern forest monk. Thomas Fuller wrote in the New York Times: "His life is a portrait of traditional Buddhist asceticism. He lives in a remote part of central Thailand in a stilt house on a lake, connected to the shore by a rickety wooden bridge. He has no furniture, sleeps on the floor and is surrounded by books. He requested that a reporter meet him for an interview at 6 a.m., before he led his fellow monks in prayer, when mist on the lake was still evaporating."
See Separate Articles Under Theravada Buddhism
Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara; Thai Buddhism's Supreme Patriarch
The Supreme Patriarch promotes Buddhism and leads the Sangha Supreme Council, which oversees the country's Buddhist monks and novices of all sects. The council's job is to make sure monks follow Buddha's teachings and do not violate the rules set by the council. As the head of the religion, the patriarch has legal authority to oversee different sects of Buddhism. The patriarch is formally appointed by Thailand's king.
Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara (SOM-ded PRA YA-na-SUNG-WORN) was Thailand's Supreme Patriarch from 1989 to his death in 2013. Associated Press reported: "The Supreme Patriarch was a friend of His Holiness Dalai Lama of Tibet, who called the Thai monk "my elder brother." The Dalai Lama paid several visits to Thailand since his first state visit in 1967, and each time he would visit the temple where the Supreme Patriarch resided to have a discussion. [Source: Thanyarat Doksone, Associated Press, October 24, 2013]
The Supreme Patriarch was born Charoen Gajavatra on Oct. 3, 1913, in Thailand's western province of Kanchanaburi, the eldest of the three sons. He was still a boy when his father died, and was raised by his aunt. He became gravely ill as a boy, and his family made a promise to sacred spirits that he would become a monk if he recovered. He did, and he became a novice when he turned 14.
The future Supreme Patriarch moved to Bangkok in 1929 to a well-respected Buddhist temple to continue his religious studies. He returned briefly to his hometown to get ordained and became a monk in 1933. He was named Suvaddhano — "one who prospers well" — by the Supreme Patriarch of the time, and rose through the ranks of the monkhood. In 1956, when King Bhumibol spent 15 days as an ordained monk, the future patriarch taught and supervised him. He served as secretary of the Supreme Patriarch who preceded him, and was appointed the top Buddhist monk in 1989, when he took on the name Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara — "a person of great insight."
Thai Buddhism's Supreme Patriarch Dies At 100
In October 2013, Associated Press reported: "Thailand's Supreme Patriarch, who headed the country's order of Buddhist monks for more than two decades, died Thursday. He was 100. Doctors said that Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara (SOM-ded PRA YA-na-SUNG-WORN) died at Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok, where he had been treated since being admitted for an illness more than a decade ago. "(The Supreme Patriarch's) overall condition deteriorated and he passed away at 7:30 p.m. from septicemia," or a severe blood infection, the doctors said in a statement. After he was admitted to the hospital on Feb. 20, 2002, the Supreme Patriarch was able to perform leadership duties for a time, but in 2004, a senior Buddhist monk was appointed to work on his behalf. That monk died earlier this year, raising speculation about who the Supreme Patriarch's successor will be. [Source: Thanyarat Doksone, Associated Press, October 24, 2013]
His successor will be formally appointed by Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The permanent secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, Thongthong Chandrangsu, said government offices in Thailand will fly the national flag at half-staff for three days and government officials will wear black outfits for 15 days to mourn the Supreme Patriarch's death.
Lay People, Monks and Etiquette Towards Monks
The relationship between monks and lay people in Theravada Buddhism is very strong. This type of Buddhism could not, in fact, exist in its present form without this interaction. It is a way of mutual support - lay people supply food, medicine, and cloth for robes, and monks give spiritual support, blessings, and teachings. But this is not a tit for that situation. Monks are not allowed to request anything from lay people; and lay people cannot demand anything from the monks. The spirit of it is more in the nature of open-hearted giving.[Source: BBC >>>]
The system works well and is so firmly established in most Theravadan countries that monks are usually amply provided for, Monasteries often have facilities for lay people to stay in retreat. The accommodation is usually basic and one has to abide by Eight Precepts (to abstain from killing, stealing, engaging in sexual activity, unskilful speech, taking intoxicating drink or drugs, eating after midday, wearing adornments, seeking entertainments, and sleeping in soft, luxurious beds). There are numerous ceremonies and commemoration days which lay people celebrate, such as Wesak which marks the birth, enlightenment, and parinibbana (passing away) of the Buddha, and for these events everyone converges on the local temples. >>>
Laymen are expected to eat after, walk behind and seat themselves lower than monks.Do not eat after noon; be mindful about eating or snacking around them. f a monk is sitting, show respect by sitting before starting a conversation. Avoid sitting higher than a monk if you can help it. Never point your feet at any Buddhist while sitting.Only use your right hand when giving or receiving something from a monk. >>>
Women and monks: It is taboo for a woman to touch a monk or his robes or hand something directly to a monk. A woman should never touch or hand a monk something. Even accidentally brushing against their robes requires that they fast and perform a cleansing ritual. Food or donations must be passed to a man first and then on to the monk. Women also should not sit on the back seat of a bus because this is wear monks usually sit. Even the monk's own mother must follow these rules. If a woman does accidently touch a monk's robes an elaborate purification ritual needs to be performed. >>>
According to Buddha.net: "If a layperson wishes to give something to a particular monk, but is uncertain what he needs, he should make an invitation. Any financial donations should not be to a monk but to the stewards of the monastery, perhaps mentioning if it's for a particular item or for the needs of a certain monk. For items such as travelling expenses, money can be given to an accompanying anagarika (dressed in white) or accompanying layperson, who can then buy tickets, drinks for a journey or anything else that the monk may need at that time. It is quite a good exercise in mindfulness for a layperson to actually consider what items are necessary and offer those rather than money. [Source: buddhanet.net <>]
Monk Customs in Thailand
Vocabulary used when speaking with a monk is not the same as everyday vocabulary. Monks deserve respect. Depending on the age of the monk different words are used when talking to a monk. 1) "LUANG PHI" means "YOU" with a monk that could be a brother. 2) "LUANG PHO" means "YOU" with a monk that could be a father. 3) "LUANG PU" means "YOU" with an old renowned monk. 4) "LUANG TA" ( often a man that did become a monk when he was quite old ) is less respectful that "LUANG PHO". 5) "LUANG THERA" is a Thai word used for a man being a monk for 10 years. [Source: Thai World View [Ibid]
A boy has to be seven years old at least in order to be ordained ("BANPHACHA" - ) and become a Buddhist novice. A person who has spent a Lent in monkhood is called "THIT" meaning a cultivated person who is mature enough to have a family of his own. Even for monks, the rank and status appear in Buddhist ceremonies. When a group of monks go for their morning alms walk, the monk with the highest rank and age is at the front of the line while the youngest monk is at the end. [Ibid]
See Southeast Asia
Monk Life in Thailand
The daily routine of the monks in all of Thailand monasteries is pretty much the same. Thai monks wear saffron robes and have shaved or closely cropped hair. Even the king had his head shaved when he was a monk. During their early morning rounds, monks are given beautifully-packaged offerings of rice and vegetables by Thais who bow gently as they present them.
Monks can quit being monks anytime they want. Many boys become monks to pick up Buddhist brownie points, or merit, for themselves and their families. Among the benefits that monks enjoy is being able to travel for free on the buses and trains. Passengers traditionally have given up their seats to the monks in their bid to earn merit.
A hundred years ago, monks handled many of Thailand's social responsibilities—health, education, moral training. Today, monks explain doctrines on television and radio as well as in temples, take computer classes and make website with records of Buddhist scriptures. Some monasteries have schools, libraries and hospitals. Missionaries have been sent to Malaysia, India, Laos and England.
In 2006, monks were given permission by Thailand's Religious Affairs Department, to watch the World Cup after it was deemed that the soccer tournament enriched their religious education by exposing them to worldly affairs.
Many Thai fortuntellers and astrologers are Buddhist monks. Their methods include special wheels used in determining names, palm reading and numerology. Monks also sell amulets and make very detailed tattoos that are said to protect and bringing good luck to their wearer.
One of the biggest fortunetellers in Thailand is Hutta Lekajit, a 41-year-old former monk who is the marquee attraction of The Miracle Channel, a satellite station devoted to the supernatural. On a recent evening, Hutta, wearing a pink pinstripe shirt and white leather loafers, welcomed some guests to his office at a media complex on the outskirts of Bangkok. With its mismatched vinyl chairs and desks strewn with computer equipment , the office could have been the home of a tech startup. As half a dozen editors cut and spliced footage of the show in cramped cubicles, Hutta picked through stacks of fan mail and discussed his twice-weekly show, in which mostly poor Thais go on air to tell him about their problems. "People come on my show if bad things are happening to them, like divorces or debt. They get very emotional when they talk about these things. But I help them solve their problems," said Hutta, who smiles frequently and has a baby face that makes him look 10 years younger than he is.
Female Buddhist Monks in Thailand
Buddhist nuns in Thailand can perform all the same duties as monks and live on temple grounds but they are not bound by the vows that monks take. They are required to sit with lay people in temple prayer halls—not with the monks—and must conform to the taboo of not touching a monk or monk's clothes.
Chatsumarn Kabilsingh, a former academic with the adopted Buddhist name of Dhammananda ("the joy of righteousness") is something of celebrity in Thailand because she went against Buddhist custom and was ordained as a monk. Ordained monk in Sri Lanka, she took a vow of celibacy, divorced her husband, and moved away from her sons to fulfill her vows and live in accordance with the restriction made on women and male monks.
According to the Thai interpretation of Theravada Buddhist scripture, a woman can only be ordained as a monk if five male and five female monk are present. Since there are no female monks ordinations can not take place. In the 1920s, the Thai social critic Narin Kleung had his daughters ordained as monks. They were immediately arrested, derobed and temporarily jailed. In 1928, female ordination was made illegal.
Those that support the idea of women monks cite Article 38 of the Thai constitution, which states that all citizens should enjoy equal protection under the law regardless of origin, sex or religion.
Famous Monks in Thailand
Senior monks are highly revered. It is not uncommon to see their images adorning walls of businesses or homes or upon ornaments inside of taxi cabs. Famous monks include Somdej Phra Buddhacara Toh Phramarangsi (Somdej Toh), who was based at Wat Rakhang Kositaram in Bangkok. Born in 1776 and ordained as a novice at 13, he was ordained as a monk under the royal sponsorship at Wat Takrai, Phisanuloke province. He was a mentor and teacher of the Khmer language to King Mongkot when he was Crown Prince. A monk of profound wisdom, he was renowned for his sagacity and his witty eloquence. He strictly observed all tenets of itinerant monk hood. He passed away at the age of 85. [Source: mybuddha108.com
Luang Pu Mun Bhuridatto served at Wat Pa Suthawas in Sakon Nakhon province Born in 1870 in Ubon Ratchathani and considered the true and prime leader of all monks dedicated to Anathema practice (Buddhist insight meditation) in Thailand, he was totally committed to the study of Dhamma Buddha's teachings and is still revered and loved by all Thai Buddhists because of his effort in mental development to attain true knowledge. He resided at Wat Baan Nong Pue from 1944 until he passed away at the age of 79. His disciples placed his remains in Wat Pa Suthawas, Sakon Nakhon province.
Phra Bodhiyan Thera (Luang Pu Cha Subhaddha) was based at Wat Nong Pah Pong in Ubon Ratchathani province. Born in 1918 in Ubon Ratchathani, he was a mentor of many foreigners and the founder of Wat Pah Nanachat (International Forest Monastery). His principle Buddhist creed is "One must attain a proper belief and moral conduct first before preaching others." He passed away in 1992 at the age of 74.
Phra Kru Bhavanarangsi (Pleung Rerngvichien) made Wat Yai Chaimongkol in Ayutthaya province into great center of religious life. Born in 1902 in Ayutthaya province and ordained as a monk at the age of 21, he was the prime mover in renovating Wat Yai Chaimongkol. Which was deserted, until official permission was given for it to become an official temple where the monks can reside. The abbot's personal creed is "when one is alone, be mindful of one's own thoughts; when one is among friends, be mindful of one's words." Phra Subrahmayanthera (Kru Ba Brahmachak) of Wat Phra Buddhabat Tak Pha, Lamphun province was responsible for reviving Wat Phra Buddhabat Takpah which had been deserted for over one thousand years. He was ascetic monk who firmly believed in minimal human comforts. He passed away in 1987. Kru Ba Sri Vichai Sirvichaiyo of Wat Ban Pang, Lamphun province was born in 1878 and was the spiritual leader of over 5,000 true believers and disciples, who were inspired by him to build an 11 kilometer road up to Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep. The road, now known as Kru Ba Srivichai road, he was completed in 5 months and 25 days. He passed away on 20 February 1938.
Phra Kru Vimolkunakorn (Luang Poo Suk) of Wat Pak Klong Makham Thao in Chai Nat province was born in the reign of His Majesty King Rama IV. Ordained at the age of 20, he was was revered as having great spiritual power and was the royal teacher of H.R.H.Krom Luang Chumporn Khet Udomsak. He passed away with the old age in 1917. Phra Rajsangwornbhimon (Luang Pu Toh) of Wat Pradoochimplee in Bangkok practiced Dhutanga (an ascetic practice to remove defilements) and traveled extensively within and outside Thailand. He passed away at the age of 94 and was granted royal funeral rites and ceremonies.
Luang Phor Kasem Khemako of Susarn Trailaksana (Trailaksana Cemetery) at Wat Luang Por Kasem Lampang province was a monk exceptionally dedicated to Vipassana Kammatthana (Buddhist insight meditation). Through the principle of contentment and mental control over the body, he attained the final stage of meditation while seated in front of the funeral pyre. He has liberated himself from defilements and he is full of loving kindness.
Kru Ba Chaiyawongsabattana (Kru Ba Wong) of Wat Phrabat Huai Tom in Lamphun province is revered by the Karen ethnic group in Lamphun province. He is regarded as a pioneer development monk who has led the Karen to do good, behave properly and improve their way of living. Tai Sue Yen Boon (Yen Boon The Chinese Monk) is a Mahayana monk was born in 1920 in Kwang Tong province, China. Ordained first as a novice in Thailand and later as a monk in China, he returned to reside in Thailand in 1947. He passed way in 1983 at the age of 63. Luang Pu Thuad of Wat Chang Hai in Pattani Province was ordained as a novice at the age 15 and as a monk at the required age of 20 at Nakorn Si Thammarat province. He made a pilgrimage to Ayutthaya where he resided at Wat Ratchanuvas. In his old age he returned to the south to resided at Wat Patdhasingh Banpot Pakoh.
Phra Nirodharangsi Kambnira Pannacara (Luang Pu Desaka) of Wat Hin Mak Peng in Nong Khai province was ordained as a novice at 16 and a monk at the age of 22. A disciple of Luang Pu Mun Bhuridatto, he has resided in all major regions of the country. At present, he resides at Wat Hin Mak Peng, Nong Khai province.
Ajaan Man, Founder of Thai Forest Monk Tradition
Ajahn Mun Bhuridatta Thera (1870–1949) was a Thai Buddhist monk of Lao descent who is credited, along with his mentor, Phra Ajahn Sao Kantasilo Mahathera, with establishing the Thai Forest Tradition (the Kammatthana tradition) that subsequently spread throughout Thailand and to several countries abroad. From 1932-1938, Ajahn Mun practiced meditation in a variety of locations throughout the forests and mountains, in solitude with little contact with people. These years of solitary retreat into the rugged, inaccessible wilderness are very significant in the biography of Ajahn Mun. According to his disciples, he is said to have attained enlightenment or "become an Arahant" during his time in retreat here among the hill tribes, in mountains that hold a unique position in the shamanistic traditions of Thailand. [Source: Wikipedia]
Ajahn Mun was born on Thursday, January 20, 1870, in Baan Kham Bong, a farming village on the Mekong River in Ubon Ratchathani Province of northeastern Thailand (Isan). The eldest of nine children, he was born into the Lao-speaking family. Mun was first ordained as a novice monk at age 16, in the local village monastery of Khambong. As a youth, he studied Buddhist teachings, history and folk legends in Khom, Khmer and Tham scripts from fragile palm leaf texts stored in the monastery library. He remained a novice for two years, until 1888, when it was necessary for him to leave the monastery, at his father's request. Ajahn Mun was fully ordained as a monk at age 22, on June 12, 1893, at Wat Liap monastery in the provincial city of Ubon Ratchatani. Venerable Phra Ariyakavi was his preceptor. His announcing teacher was Venerable Phra Kru Prajak Ubolguna. Mun was given the Buddhist name "Bhuridatta" (meaning "blessed with wisdom") at his ordination.
After ordination, Mun went to practice meditation with Ajahn Sao of Wat Liap in Ubon, where he learned to practice the monastic traditions of Laos. Ajahn Sao taught Mun a meditation method to calm the mind, the mental repetition of the word, "Buddho." Ajahn Sao often took Ajahn Mun wandering and camping in the dense forests along the Mekong River, where they would practice meditation together. This is known as "thudong" in Thai, a name derived from the term "dhutanga", which describes a number of specialized ascetic practices. One of the first long distance thudong was a pilgrimage to Wat Aranyawaksi in Thabor district, Nong Khai Province. At the time, Wat Aranyawaksi was a ruin, an abandoned, overgrown temple in the jungle. Ajahn Mun spent a year in "illumination" in the teak forest around the temple at this early part of his monastic life.
Wanderings and Teaching of Ajaan Man
In 1899, Ajahn Mun was re-ordained in the Thammayut Nikaya, a reformed Thai sect which emphasized monastic disciple and scripture study. Having practiced under the guidance of his teacher for several years, and with his teachers blessings, Ajahn Mun went out on his own to search for advanced meditation teachers. During the next several years, he wandered extensively throughout Laos, Thailand and Burma, practicing meditation in secluded forests. Ajahn Mun and Ajahn Sao went on pilgrimage together in 1905 and venerated the Phra That Phanom shrine, a center of Theravada Buddhism for centuries, most sacred to the Lao people. [Source: Wikipedia]
Ajahn Mun then wandered alone, onward to the north, to Sakhon Nakhon Province on the highlands of the northeastern Plateau, inland from the Mekong River, into the Phu Phan Mountain Range. Today, a museum to Ajahn Mun is located here in the temple residence of Wat Pa Sutthavat, in the city of Nong Han Luang. He then wandered on toward Udon Thani, into a region that was a wild forest filled with prehistoric caves. He continued his wandering pilgrimage deeper into the wildernesses of Loei, a land dreaded and feared by the Thai people, who describe it as "beyond" and "to the furthest extreme" of the world. This rugged wilderness along the Mekong consists of mountains, and extremes of weather, both cold and hot.
In 1911, Ajahn Mun decided to walk to Burma in search of a highly attained meditation teacher who could help him in his struggle for enlightenment. He walked by stages from northeast Thailand down to Bangkok, through the wilderness mountain ranges. According to Thanissaro Bhikkhu, a student in Ajahn Mun's lineage, "his search took nearly two decades and involved countless hardships as he trekked through the jungles of Laos, central Thailand, and Burma, but he never found the teacher he sought. Gradually he realized that he would have to follow the Buddha's example and take the wilderness itself as his teacher." While in Burma he visited the Shwedagon Pagoda among other sites, and spent the Rain Retreat of 1911 at Moulmein in lower Burma, in the Mon states. He was deeply affected by the morality and generosity, and strong monastic discipline of the Mon and Shan people he met in Burma.
In 1912, Ajahn Mun spent the Rains Retreat at Wat Sa Pathum (now known as Wat Pathum Wanaram) in Bangkok, where he received instructions and advice from His Eminence Phra Upali of Wat Boromnivasin. After Rains Retreat, he journeyed up to the town of Lopburi and stayed in various caves such as Phaikwang Cave, Mount Khao Phra Ngarm, and Singho Cave, where he practiced intensive meditation. In 1913, Ajahn Mun stayed in Sarika Cave at Great Mountain (Khao Yai) in Nakhon Nayok. It was during this time, at age 43, when he attained anagami, according to the biography written by his disciple Luang Ta Maha Bua. Ajahn Mun spent the next two or three years living at this location in the Khao Yai Mountains. He struggle with a mortal life-threatening illness during these years. A chapel shrine to Ajahn Mun is located at this cave today and is a major pilgrimage site.
After Rains Retreat in 1928, Ajahn Mun left northeast Thailand and didn't return again until the final years of his life. He went first to Bangkok, and then traveled north to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces, where he remained in meditation retreat for the next 12 years of his life. He was acting abbot of Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai during 1929, appointed under the direction of Bangkok authorities. When his superior, Phra Upali died this year, Ajahn Mun fled his temple without notifying either his dependent monks or the monastic authorities in Bangkok The following years, Ajahn Mun established a meditation retreat on the eastern slope of Chiang Dao Mountain, and frequently spent time meditating in the sacred, remote Chiang Dao caves. Initially, he wandered through the Mae Rim district of Chiang Dao mountain range, staying in the forested mountains there through both the dry and the monsoon seasons that year.
Ajahn Mun was again in Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai in 1933. From here he went wandering into Burma throughout the Karen and Shan states. He spent Rains Retreat of 1935 in Makkhao Field Village in Mae Pong District. In 1936 he spent the retreat near Puphaya Village among the hill tribes. Then the following year, he was in Mae Suai District, Chiang Rai, among the Laui tribes.
In 1940, at age 70, Ajahn Mun began the return journey to his homeland of Isan in northeast Thailand, in response to the persistent urging of his senior disciples. He first traveled down to Bangkok, then northward to Korat. He lingered in vast mountain jungles of Nakhon Ratchasima, staying at Wat Pa Salawan. When he arrived in Udon Thani late in the year of 1940, he stayed at the temple Wat Boghisamphon where his disciple Chao Khun Dhammachedi was presiding abbot. From there he went to Wat Non Niwet for Rains Retreat.
After the rains retreat of 1940 he went wandering in the countryside in the vicinity of Ban Nong Nam Khem village, revisiting the familiar landscapes of his youth. Even at the age of 70, he was still able to take care of himself and get around in the wild environments. In 1941 he spent the Rains Retreat at Wat Nan Niwet monastery in Udon Thani. After rains he traveled to Sakhon Nakhon and first resided at Wat Suddhawat Monastery. He then moved to a small forest monastery named Pheu Pond Hermitage near the village of Ban Na Mon. Pheu Pond Hermitage was in a very remote forest, far into the wilderness, three or four hours walk from the nearest village. (It is today named Wat Pa Bhuridatta in honor of Ajahn Mun.)
Ajahn Sao Kantasilo Mahathera, Mun's first teacher as a new monk, died in 1942. After that Ajahn Mun moved to reside even deeper into the forest. At age 75, Ajahn Mun decided to settle permanently at his Pheu Pond Hermitage in the deep forest, at the head of the Phu Phan Mountains, near Sakhon Nakhon. Due to his failing strength, he was unable to wander into the forests. Ajahn Mun died in 1949 at Wat Suddhavasa in Sakhon Nakhon Province.
Ajaan Man's Forest Meditation
Ajaan Mun's mode of practice was solitary and strict. He followed the Vinaya (monastic discipline) faithfully, and also observed many of what are known as the 13 classic dhutanga (ascetic) practices, such as living off alms, wearing robes made of cast-off rags, dwelling in the forest and eating only one meal a day. Searching out secluded places in the wilds of Thailand and Laos, he avoided the responsibilities of settled monastic life and spent long hours of the day and night in meditation. In spite of his reclusive nature, he attracted a large following of students willing to endure the hardships of forest life in order to study with him. [Source: Wikipedia]
In the early 1920s Ajahn Mun was increasingly recognized as a highly gifted teacher. During these years he attracted growing numbers of disciples among both monks and laypeople. In 1926 he was accompanied by a group of 70 monks in a "thudong" south to Daeng Kokchang Village, Tha Uthen District, heading toward Ubon. A controversy engulfed Ajahn Mun and his disciples at this time. The monastic authorities in Bangkok were in the process of imposing reforms intended to standardize and centralize the sangha, and were pressuring the wandering forest monks to settle down in temples and become "productive" members of society. Monastic administrators were suspicious of these apparently "vagrant" monks who lived in wild forests and jungles, beyond the realm of civilization. Ajahn Jan, the monastic administrator of the province, ordered the people to withhold support from the wandering monks. Several of Ajahn Mun's disciples were taken into custody by civil authorities under suspicion of vagrancy.
Ajahn Mun became increasingly concerned by the encroachments of modern ways that threatened the traditional monastic customs he had been trained in. He began to think of leaving his homeland in order to seek more remote regions beyond the reach of modernizing influences of Bangkok authorities. In 1927, Mun was in Ubon teaching monks and laypeople in Wat Suthat, Wat Liap, and Wat Burapha. He made arrangements for his aging mother, and then took leave of his family to go wandering into the direction of the Central Plains region of Thailand, not certain of his destination. He wandered by stages across the barren lands and sparsely populated lands of central Isan, sleeping under the occasional shade tree, receiving alms food from the poor rice farmers along the way. When he reached the rugged, wild mountains and jungles of Dong Phaya Yen Forest between Sara Buri and Nakhon Ratchasima provinces, he rejoiced at the flora and fauna of nature.
Corrupted Monks and Money in Thailand
Monks in Thailand have come down AIDS and been charged with fraud. One monk was even charged with the rape and murder of a British tourist. A survey in the 1990s found than 10 percent of Thai monks were addicted to methamphetamines. A Thai writer named Sulak Sivaraksa told National Geographic's Noel Grove: "Modern life has made virtuous existence very difficult, even for monks...Now the rich go to government universities or to schools abroad. They are losing the Buddhist teachings, and the monkshood is losing its identity."
Some monks," Sivaraksa said, "began smoking—calling it medicine—and taking drugs...The noble truths of Buddhism are being ignored, such as lack of greed and the importance of suffering and humility." Monks have been found with large amounts of beer and whisky in their residences and singing and carrying on at karaokes with their shaved heads covered. On top of that there have been reports of thousands of fake monks and nun who beg for money dressed as monks and nuns and then pocket the money. Many of these who are arrested for such acts are from the Northeast.
Some monks have bank accounts, handle money and have accepted gifts such as tigers and vintage cars despite explicit bans that are supposed prevent them from doing so. One monk collected Mercedes Benzes until he was forced to sell them. Another pretended to be a colonel so he could enjoy the perks that military leaders were entitled to. One of the reasons of this problem is that Thais have traditionally showered monks with gifts in hope of wining merit. They give money and even cars to abbots and revered monks. In recent years Buddhism in Thailand has been stained by a number of scandals, many of the involving the misuse of temple money. These problems are blamed on a few greedy monks and a lack of transparency and accountability of temple donations.
Monks are paid for ceremonies they perform, with higher ranking monks being pad more than lower ranking ones. It is not unusual for monks to paid thousands of dollars to preside over funerals and other ceremonies. In some places monks are competitive and keen to make as much money as possible from these duties. Monks also sometimes demand hefty payments from people who wish to be ordained and attend exclusive schools. Some monks have used donations to take overseas trips that have dubious links with their religious duties. Others have used temple money to buy the latest digital cameras, mobile phones, flat screen televisions and computer games.
Cases of monk misconduct usually are centered on alcohol use or cavorting with women or men, all forbidden activities. In 2012, about 300 of Thailand's 61,416 full-time monks were reprimanded and in several cases disrobed for violating their vows, according to the Office of National Buddhism. [Source: Jocelyn Gecker, Associated Press, July 18, 2013]
Rich Monks in Thailand
After the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the monk Phra Luang that Maya Bua Yanasampanno of Wat Pa Ban Tad in Udon Thani province donated a ton of gold, worth $8.8 million at the time, and $1 million cash to the national treasury to help out the Thai economy in a time of crisis. The donation ceremony was attended Princess Chulabhorn, the daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Yanasampanno was born in 1913 in Udon Thani province. He became a monk at the age of 21 and was a student of Luang Pu Mun Bhuridatto, a widely-respected Buddhist priest. He is the founder of National Help Fund Foundation, renowned for many fund-raising events and it efforts to help salvage Thailand's economy after the financial crisis in 1997. Yanasampanno passed away in January 2011 at the age of 97. More than a million people attended the cremation ceremony.
In the 1990s Phra Dhammachayo was the main promoter of the Dhammakaya mediation technique in which practitioners visual a crystal ball in their body to slow down their mind. Not above using telemarketing to raise funds, he had has over 1 million followers and ran a temple and foundation with $2 billion in assets. In the late 1990s he built a cone-shaped pagoda, said to be the largest of its kind in the world, adorned with 30,000 silver-covered Buddha. Abbot Dharmachayo was condemned by the government and the Buddhist hierarchy. Criminal charges were filed against him for embezzlement and there were discussions of having him defrocked for promoting idol worship and black magic. Abbot Dharmachayp was ultimately disrobed for embezzling donations.
Monks, Women and Sex in Thailand
Bars with prostitutes and live sex sex shows on Patpong Road welcome saffron-robed monks, who make annual visits to some of the establishments to recite mantras and bless them bar so they will be profitable in the coming year. Before the monks arrive the girls put on proper clothes and make their establishments look respectable. Covering up a soft-core pornographic poster one girl said in a National Geographic article by Peter White, "Monk see that and not want to be a monk anymore." [Source: Peter White, National Geographic, July 1967]
A pamphlet given to arriving tourists in Thailand reads: "Buddhist monks are forbidden to touch or be touched by a woman or to accept anything from the hand of one." One of Thailand's most revered Buddhist preachers told the Washington Post: "Lord Buddha has already taught Buddhist monks to stay away from women. If the monks can refrain from being associated with women, then they would have no problem." [Source: William Branigin, the Washington Post, March 21, 1994]
There are more than 80 mediation techniques use to overcome lusts. One of the most effective, one monk told the Bangkok Post, is "corpse contemplation." "Wet dreams are a constant reminder of men's nature," one monk said. Another added, "If we lower our eyes, we cannot see the cluttered wat. if we look up, there it is—the advertisement for women's underpants." [Source: William Branigin, the Washington Post, March 21, 1994]
Thai Monks, Sex Scandals and Animal Abuse
In 1994, Phara Yantra Amaro Bhikhu, a charismatic Buddhist monk, was accused of violating his vows of celibacy by: 1) seducing a Danish harpist in the back of her van; 2) having sex with a Cambodian nun on the deck of a Scandinavian cruise ship after telling her they had been married in a previous life; and 3) fathering a daughter with a Thai woman who gave birth to the child in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in an effort to avoid being notices. The monk also reportedly made obscene long distance calls to some of his female followers. [Source: William Branigin, the Washington Post, March 21, 1994]
"Yantra, 43, aroused controversy initially for traveling abroad," William Branigin wrote in the Washington Post , "with a large entourage of devotees, some of them women, staying in hotels instead of Buddhist temples and possessing two credit cards. He also often walks on pieces of white cloth, which followers lay on the ground for him to step on to bring them good luck, a practice that some Buddhists believe leads to an undue emphasis on the individual rather than on religious teachings." In his defense, Yantra said that he was the target of "a well organized attempt to defame me." His disciples said that a group of female "monk hunters" was out to destroy Buddhism.
Abbot Thammathorn Wanchai was defrocked after police, accompanied by a television crew, raided his secret residence, where he arranged tryst with women, Among other things the police found porn magazines, women's underwear and a hip flasks full of alcohol.
In the 1990s Thais were outraged when Thai monks were photographed sitting on a cow in Thailand and wearing a leather outfit in Mongolia. Buddhists are prohibited from wearing animal skins and riding on animals.
In 1995, there was great uproar over the case of a 20-year-old elephant named Diamond who was shackled to a tree in two meter flood waters. For nearly its entire life the animal had been chained to the tree near a Buddhist temple and was used to raise funds from visitors. Ignoring pleas from animal lovers, the head monk at the temple refused to loosen Diamond's restraints which gouged deep wounds in its legs. Later the elephant was freed after a cabinet official donated $4,000 to buy the animal. Diamond was then taken to a zoo were its was treated and taught to walk. Later the elephant was released in a national park. [Source: Time]
Jet-Setting Monk in Thailand Amasses Millions—and Crimes
In July 2013, Jocelyn Gecker of Associated Press wrote: "He's known as Thailand's jet-setting fugitive monk, and his story has riveted the country with daily headlines of lavish excess, promiscuity and alleged crimes ranging from statutory rape to manslaughter. Until a month ago, 33-year old Wirapol Sukphol was relatively unknown in Thailand. Now he is at the center of the biggest religious scandal the predominantly Buddhist country has seen in years. Despite the vows he took to lead a life of celibacy and simplicity, Wirapol had a taste for luxury, police say. His excesses first came to light in June with a YouTube video that went viral. It showed the orange-robed monk in aviator sunglasses taking a private jet ride with a Louis Vuitton carry-on. [Source: Jocelyn Gecker, Associated Press, July 18, 2013 ^^]
"The video sparked criticism of his un-monkly behavior and a stream of humorous headlines like, "Now boarding, Air Nirvana." Since then, a long list of darker secrets has emerged — including his accumulated assets of an estimated 1 billion baht ($32 million). In July 2013, week, authorities issued an arrest warrant for the disgraced monk after having him defrocked in absentia. Wirapol was in France when the scandal surfaced after leading a meditation retreat at a monastery near Provence. He is believed to have then fled to the United States but his current whereabouts are unknown. ^^
"The arrest warrant implicates him on three charges including statutory rape, embezzlement and online fraud to seek donations. He is also under investigation for money laundering, drug trafficking and manslaughter for a hit-and-run accident. Authorities are struggling to figure out how he amassed so much money. "Over the years there have been several cases of men who abused the robe, but never has a monk been implicated in so many crimes," said Pong-in Intarakhao, the case's chief investigator for the Department of Special Investigation, Thailand's equivalent of the FBI. "We have never seen a case this widespread, where a monk has caused so much damage to so many people and to Thai society." ^^
"But the case of Wirapol has also shown the benefits of social media, says Songkran Artchariyasarp, a lawyer and Buddhist activist. "Buddhists all around the world can learn from this case," said Songkran, who heads a Facebook group that collects tips about wayward monks. Photos uploaded to his page helped launch the investigation into Wirapol. "Let this be a case study that shows if a monk does something wrong, it's harder to get away with it — especially in the era of social media." ^^
Life, Crimes and Purchases of Thailand's Jet-Setting Monk
Jocelyn Gecker of Associated Press wrote: "Born in the poor northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani, he entered the monkhood as a teenager and gained local renown for claims of supernatural powers like the ability to fly, walk on water and talk to deities. He renamed himself, Luang Pu Nen Kham, taking on a self-bestowed title normally reserved for elder monks. Gradually, he cultivated wealthy followers to help fund expensive projects in the name of Buddhism — building temples, hospitals and what was touted as the world's largest Emerald Buddha. The 11-meter (36-foot) high Buddha was built at his temple in the northeast, touted as solid jade but made of tinted concrete. [Source: Jocelyn Gecker, Associated Press, July 18, 2013 ^^]
"Thailand's Anti-Money Laundering Office has discovered 41 bank accounts linked to the ex-monk. Several of the accounts kept about 200 million baht ($6.4 million) in constant circulation, raising suspicion of money laundering. Investigators also suspect that Wirapol killed a man in a hit-and-run accident while driving a Volvo late at night three years ago. ^^
"It remains stunning how much Wirapol did get away with. During a shopping spree from 2009 to 2011, Wirapol bought 22 Mercedes worth 95 million baht ($3.1 million), according to the DSI. The fleet of luxury cars were among 70 vehicles he has purchased. Some he gave as gifts to senior monks, others he sold off as part of a suspected black market car business to launder his money, Pong-in said. ^^
"Luxury travel for the monk included helicopters and private jets for trips between the northeast and Bangkok. "I always wondered what kind of monk has this much money," said one of his regular pilots, Piya Tregalnon. Each domestic roundtrip cost about 300,000 baht ($10,000) and the monk always paid in cash, he said in comments posted on Facebook. "The most bizarre thing is what was in his bag," Piya said, referring to the typical monk's humble cloth shoulder sack. "It was filled with stacks of 100 dollar bills." ^^
"Like many people, Piya only went public with his suspicions after the scandal erupted. Dozens of pictures have been posted in online forums showing Wirapol's high-flying lifestyle — riding a camel at the pyramids in Egypt, sitting in a cockpit at the Cessna Aircraft factory in Kansas. According to the pilot and investigators, Wirapol was interested in buying his own private jet. ^^
"Even more incriminating were accusations of multiple sexual relationships with women — a cardinal sin for monks who are not allowed to touch women. Among them was a 14-year-old girl with whom he allegedly had a son, a decade ago. The mother filed a statutory rape case against him last week. ^^
"Police have yet to determine how many people he swindled, but the trail of disappointed followers is long.One of them is a Bangkok housecleaner originally from Ubon Ratchathani who remembers first hearing him preach a year ago. "His voice was beautiful, it was mesmerizing. He captivated all of us with his words," recalled Onsa Yubram, 42. When he ended his sermon and held out his saffron bag, hundreds of people rushed forward with donations. "His bag was so full of cash, they had to transfer the money into a big fertilizer sack. He told us, 'Don't worry, no need to rush. I'll stay here until the last of you gets to donate.'" ^^
"Onsa now feels betrayed but says her belief in Buddhism is too strong to let this scandal shatter her faith. "As a Buddhist I can understand why this happened. Monks, in a way, are ordinary men who have greed and desire," she said. "Some are bad apples, but that doesn't mean every monk is bad."
Monks Lose Their Relevance in Changing Thailand
Thailand is suffering from a shortage of monks in an increasingly secular society. The meditative lifestyle of the monkhood offers little allure to young Buddhists raised on shopping malls, smartphones and the Internet.
Reporting from Baan Pa Chi, Thailand,Thomas Fuller wrote in the New York Times: "The monks of this northern Thai village no longer perform one of the defining rituals of Buddhism, the early-morning walk through the community to collect food. Instead, the temple's abbot dials a local restaurant and has takeout delivered. "Most of the time, I stay inside," said the abbot, Phra Nipan Marawichayo, who is one of only two monks living in what was once a thriving temple. "Values have changed with time." [Source: Thomas Fuller, New York Times , December 18, 2012]
"The meditative lifestyle of the monkhood offers little allure to the iPhone generation. The number of monks and novices relative to the population has fallen by more than half over the last three decades. There are five monks and novices for every 1,000 people today, compared with 11 in 1980, when governments began keeping nationwide records. Although it is still relatively rare for temples to close, many districts are so short on monks that abbots here in northern Thailand recruit across the border from impoverished Myanmar, where monasteries are overflowing with novices. [Ibid]
"Many societies have witnessed a gradual shift from the sacred toward the profane as they have modernized. What is striking in Thailand is the compressed time frame, a vertiginous pace of change brought on by the country's rapid economic rise. In a relatively short time, the local Buddhist monk has gone from being a moral authority, teacher and community leader fulfilling important spiritual and secular roles to someone whose job is often limited to presiding over periodic ceremonies. [Ibid]
Government figures put the number of monks in the country at 290,000 last year, but the forest monk Phra Paisan said that Thailand, in fact, had no more than 70,000 full-time monks — about the same as the number of villages in Thailand. The Wall Street Journal reported that another source of worry in religious circles is the fact that Thais are having fewer children than they used to as more families move from farms to the country's cities. Thai women now have an average of 1.5 children, down from more than six in the 1960s. That means fewer teenagers are ordained as novices. All Thai Buddhist males generally get ordained at some point in their lives, though most often in their teenage years and sometimes earlier. [Source: New York Times, Wall Street Journal]
Fuller wrote in the New York Times: Novices once spent months in a monastery as part of what was considered an essential step for boys along the way to adulthood. Today, if they are ordained at all, boys typically spend a week in monk's robes, giving rise to the term "factory monks" because they are churned out so quickly. Phra Nipan, the abbot, said his only real role today was to preside over rituals like funerals, weddings and the blessing of a new home. "People today have telephones," he said wistfully. "If they have troubles, they call their friends." [Fuller, Op. Cit]
"Monks are suffering a decline in "quantity and quality," Phra Paisan told the New York Times, partly because young people are drawn to the riches and fast-paced life of the cities. The monastic education of young boys, once widespread in rural areas, has been almost entirely replaced by the secular education provided by the state. Scandals surrounding some monks have contributed to the decline. Social media has helped spread videos of monks partying in monasteries, imbibing alcohol, watching pornographic videos and cavorting with women and men, all forbidden activities. There have also been controversies involving allegations of embezzlement of donations at temples. [Ibid]
"William Klausner, a law and anthropology professor who spent a year living in a village in northeastern Thailand in the 1950s, described the declining influence of Buddhist monks as a "dramatic transformation." Monks once played a crucial role in the community where he lived, helping settle disputes among neighbors and counseling troubled children, he wrote in "Thai Culture in Transition." Today, most villages in the area "have only two or three full-time monks in residence, and they are elderly and often sick," he wrote. [Ibid]
Half of Thailand's Buddhist Monks Obese
Alex Ward wrote in the Daily Mail, "A study of 246 monks from the Dhammayuttika Nikaya and Mahayana movements in 11 Thai provinces revealed that nearly half of them are clinically obese and suffering from lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. The research pointed to the oily, sweet foods monks are offered by worshipers as the reason behind their unhealthy lifestyle. Food is traditionally offered to monks as they beg for food on the streets to survive. [Source: Alex Ward, Daily Mail, August 1, 2012]
The monks do not do much exercise either according to the study. It said: 'To make matters worse, the only exercise an average monk takes is sweeping the courtyard and walking the streets asking for alms, or food.' Figures showed that 45 per cent of the monks in the study were either obese or morbidly obese. They are also more likely to develop allergies due to their rich, oily, sugary diet. A major cause was the amount of fizzy, sugar-loaded drinks drunk by monks, particularly in the evenings when they abstain from eating. Only 21 per cent of the monks questioned have regular health check-ups and doctor visits.
Health officials now plan a food education program to help the huge holy men to slim down. They hope to offer dietary and exercise advice appropriate for their lifestyles, teaching about them about nutritional alternatives to their unhealthy food and drink choices. They also plan to prepare guidelines on what worshipers should and should not offer to their holy men in order to keep them healthy.
Thailand's Hip Hop and Rock' n' Roll Monks
Thailand's Buddhists are a bit annoyed with today's young monks. As mobile phones and other devices grow more popular, it's becoming harder for religious leaders to control the images of Buddhism in the media and marketplace.James Hookway wrote in the Wall Street Journal: "Each year as monsoon rains sweep their way over Thailand, tens of thousands of teenage boys shave their heads and are ordained as Buddhist monks in a traditional rite of passage. Some find their life's vocation during the few weeks they spend in the monastery, and they become full-time monks. Others post videos of themselves on YouTube, as they play air guitar to hard-rock tracks like Yngwie Malmsteen's "Iron Clad," or recite religious chants to thumping hip-hop beats. [Source: James Hookway, Wall Street Journal, August 14, 2012]
Besides rocking out to Mr. Malmsteen, who was born in Sweden and lives in Florida, some monks film themselves playing pranks on other novices or shouting out lyrics to the likes of Thailand's heavy-metal band Bodyslam. They often use deodorant sticks or whatever else is at hand as stand-ins for microphones. Brooms often double as guitars. The clips are quickly becoming a genre of their own on YouTube and other sites, with some users taking one clip and remixing it with fresh backing music. The result: mash-ups of monks with shaved heads cavorting about in wigs to Dead or Alive's 1980s hit "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)."
Monks old enough to know better are getting caught up in the excitement, too. Phra Klairung Rujidhammo was recently catapulted to national fame when he was filmed performing suggestive dance moves, known here as coyote dancing after the film "Coyote Ugly" set in a New York dance-bar. Phra Klairung, a chunky temple secretary in his mid-forties, quickly apologized after the clip went viral, explaining that he was trying to cheer people up after flooding hit the area around his temple in northern Bangkok. His superiors gave him a two-week suspension, and Phra (Phra is a religious title) Klairung is back collecting food offerings and other alms from the local community each morning.
Image Sources:
Text Sources: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Times of London, Lonely Planet Guides, Library of Congress, Tourist Authority of Thailand, Thailand Foreign Office, The Government Public Relations Department, CIA World Factbook, Compton's Encyclopedia, The Guardian, National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Reuters, AP, AFP, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic Monthly, The Economist, Global Viewpoint (Christian Science Monitor), Foreign Policy, Wikipedia, BBC, CNN, NBC News, Fox News and various books and other publications.
© 2008 Jeffrey Hays
Last updated May 2014


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We will be celebrating Purim on Saturday, March 11. (We trust you will be joining us if you live locally.) Purim is a fun holiday. We have a great time dressing up in costumes, eating great food, playing games, and retelling the Purim story in a fun way. But in the midst of our celebration, we cannot forget the serious circumstances and events that are commemorated by this holiday. In today's climate where we see anti-Semitism on the rise, we recall how in ancient Persia there were those who sought to annihilate our Jewish people. There is always an enemy of the people of G-d who seeks to kill, still and destroy, but our G-d is greater. As He delivered our Jewish people from the hands of wicked Haman, He will protect and preserve them today. We also can be assured that He will continue to watch over us personally as we continue to seek Him.
One of the things that we see is how G-d strategically placed Hadassah in the courts of the King of Persia. It was not by accident that she became queen. It was divine appointment. Nothing in our lives is simply a coincidence. Hadassah, a Jewish woman, did not just happen to be the new queen. Mordecai, a Jewish man did not just happen to discover the plot to kill the Jews. G-d had strategically placed each of them in the place where they were so that He could show forth His mighty deliverance. G-d has placed you where you are for a reason.
Know this that G-d is always working even behind the scenes. Sometimes we may not understand what He is doing. I am sure that Hadassah wasn't necessarily thrilled about becoming one of many women in the harem of a foreign king. She was a captive in this strange land. Yet, G-d was directing her steps to not only protect her personally but to bring about the deliverance of the entire nation of Israel. Adonai knows what He is doing in your life and mine. We may not always like the situations we find ourselves in, but we need to keep our eyes on Him believing that He will work all things together for our good. (Romans 8.38) Look for G-d's hand in your life.
Finally, G-d gave insight and discernment to Mordecai and Hadassah. He gave them direction and they courageously stepped out allowing His power and deliverance to flow through them. It is so easy to get frustrated by things happening in our lives and the situation in our world as we see and read the news. However, what we need to do is receive a fresh revelation from Adonai as to what He would have us do in the midst of our personal lives, our communities, and the world around us. Divrei HaYamim Aleph (1 Chronicles) 12.32 tells us that the men of Issachar were those "who understood the times and knew what Isra'el ought to do." Like Hadassah and Mordecai, like the men of Issachar, we must seek G-d to not only understand what is happening in our lives and the world around us, but to KNOW what we ought to do. The end result will be deliverance and release not only for us personally but for many around us.
As you ponder and reflect on Purim, may you remember that G-d is always there even when you can't see Him. I pray for fresh revelation and the courage to step out in faith.

subset: commoncrawl


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Srinagar: Militants attacked Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF) personnel at its Group Training Centre (GTC) Lethpora area of Awantipora in southern Kashmir's Pulwama district during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.
According to reports, militants attacked GTC with grenades and heavy firing at around 2 am in the night.
Reports said that at atleast three CRPF personnel were injured in militant attack who have been rushed to hospital.
Police sources told Kashmir Reader that a fidayeen group stormed into CRPF GTC Lethpora after lobbing grenades and resorted to heavy firing on government forces personnel.


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Bobó de Camarão (Shrimp Bobó) is a classic Brazilian recipe from the state of Bahia on the northeast side of the country. This recipe is a combination of traditional ingredients from Brazil like yucca root , coconut milk, shrimp and the flavorful palm oil, also know as dendê in Portuguese. In my opinion this is one of the best Brazilian dishes. The best part is that it's very easy to make and tastes wonderful!
Ingredients for 4 people:
1 1/2 Lb of shrimp, shelled and deveined (save the shells for the broth)
1 lime
2 cups of water
1 cup of yucca root (peeled and cooked – stem inside yucca removed)
100 ml coconut milk
2 Tbsps. of palm oil
2 Tbsps. of grapeseed oil
1 onion (diced)
2 garlic cloves (diced)
2 tomatoes (diced)
1 green pepper (diced)
1/2 bunch of cilantro (chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste
Coconut milk (as needed if cream is too thick)
Sauté the shrimp shells in 1 tbsp. of grapeseed oil. Season with salt and pepper. When the shells become pink and start sticking at the bottom of the pan, add 2 cups of water. Let it simmer.
In a hot pan, combine 1 tbsp. of the grapeseed oil and 2 tbsps. of the palm oil. Sauté the onions and the garlic. Add the shrimp and cook until it gets a little color. Add the tomatoes, green peppers and cilantro. Let it cook for a while at medium low temperature.
In a blender, puree the yucca root and the coconut milk. Do it in batches so it doesn't clog. Combine the mixture with the shrimp.
Strain the broth from the shells and add it to the shrimp. If it is still too thick, add a little bit more of the coconut milk.
Adjust seasonings.
Serve the shrimp over white rice.
Hope you enjoy this traditional Brazilian dish!


text: I'm 35 y/o.I've recently stopped drinking (60 days thereabout) and have gained almost 30 lbs, mostly muscle in 2 months. I hit the gym hard daily except for rest days, and am consuming @ 1 gram protein for every lb body mass daily.(In the form of whey isolates and egg whites)I keep packing it on with no end in sight. I've gotten noticable gains and even been accused of juicing it by my friends. My BMI is now .1 over normal. What concerns me is that waaay back I was allowed into Canadian Forces on "Teen Allowance " for BMI, as I was well underweight.I aalways assumed I was just a skinny guy by nature.(Though I drank like a fish even at 17).Even during my 1 dalliance w/ steriods (1 cycle Sustenon), and working as a blocklayer's labourer, I only got up to 180 lbs. Is this gain normal?Healthy? Are there any dangers inherent in the amount of protein I'm consuming? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks


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Hi, welcome to Build a Fantasy World!
As the name suggests, this site is about all things fantasy.
From general writing, to fantasy worldbuilding, this blog will be full of tips and ideas that should help you on your quest to write great fantasy novels!
It will be particularly useful for beginners in this genre but there should also be something for the pros too
I'd love to here from fellow fantasy writers. Take a look around, say hello, share ideas, suggestions and tips. Hope you enjoy reading!


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Easy joke is easy...
Holy shit! Has it really been since January since I updated this here 'blog? God almighty, yes it has. Well, I'm sorry Gentle Readers. A combination of being busy and apathy toward 'blogging has been my downfall. But, I'm back now if you're still interested. It's been a long and interesting seven months since we last spoke, and shit has most definitely gotten real since then. If you've got the time, I'd love to tell you about it.So. Where to begin? Well, I spent the first part of the year cranking out a bunch of books for Fantasy Flight, playing in my band, and generally being as aggressively indolent as possible. It was a time of ups and downs, strikes and gutters. Honestly, a lot of the time I spent wondering what the hell I was doing, and wondering if I shouldn't just go to sea or take up driving a truck or something. Then, out of nowhere, came Gen Con.
Gen Con was great to me this year. I came away with three paying jobs, including two rad assignments for FFG and rebooting the Heavy Gear RPG for Dream Pod 9, the potential for some work with Cubicle 7, Third-Eye Games, Paizo and Privateer Press, and a bunch of new contacts.
Apparently all the hard work and worry and stress I put into my writing over the past two years is paying off and the chickens are coming home to roost. I've got name recognition in the industry now, which is at once awesome and weird, and people know me and my work and like what they see. It's still touch and go though, it's not like people are knocking down my door to have me write about spaceships and giant robots for them, but it's a much better showing than last year.
So there, that's sort of my year in a nutshell. My plan now is for more shameless self-promotion, more blogging, and a lot more book making. Also, I'm going to redesign this site 'cause it's ugly as day-old sin. Stick around, won't you? I'll do my best to update at least once a week and run my yap about games and writing. 'Cause seriously, if it's one thing I've got it's a lot of grossly uninformed opinions about gaming!


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….and (dammit!)…..it's almost over!
The sandwich could very well be my favorite food category. Now, I love the taste of steak. I'm captivated by the richness and texture of crab legs or lobster. Blueberry pie gives me chills. Salads are so tasty and so good for you.
But nothing hits all the right notes quite like the versatile sandwich. You start with bread, which simply reminds one of home. Add a meat or a fish element – some kind of base ingredient. Add a texture component, like shredded lettuces or crisp veggies or Durkee Fried Onions or potato chips. Then add a last flavor booster or a signature sauce, and there you have it. The perfect food.
I've gone wild and created some nicely imaginative sandwich recipes and I've also concocted some pretty trippy combinations that didn't quite hit the mark. How about Peanut Butter and Garlic Aioli and Pickle and Onion on a croissant? #nuclearbreath. Or naam loaded with albacore tuna, cucumber, feta, sprouts, peeled carrot, creamy dill yogurt and a big shot blast of balsamic vinegar? This summer, I went full-bore avocado-crazy, putting it in everything I can think of (God, I love that little green orb so much!).
For those of you who add mayonnaise – just a few million of you out there – you should make your own at home. I've got the perfect recipe from a legendary Minneapolis restaurant…Charlie's Café Exceptionale. The venerated restaurant closed in 1982 after nearly 50 years in operation, but a fair number of its dishes survive. Believe it or not, this mayonnaise was a major component in Charlie's incredible potato salad. That's right, I said potato salad and Charlie's Potato Salad recipe is to die for. But don't kick the bucket yet. Make this mayo for yourself. I'll share the rest of the potato salad recipe later.
Here's the recipe – follow every ingredient exactly.
1 pasteurized egg (to pasteurize, put a large egg in 140 degree water for 3 minutes. That's all. It takes a much higher temperature to cook the actual yolk)
1 tsp dry mustard (not wet – no French's)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp cayenee pepper
2 tbls lemon juice (NOTE! Do NOT use two tablespoons. Use ONE only. This is an amendment to my subsequent posts. Two tablespoons renders you with a runny mess, not thick and luxurious and spreadable.)
1 cup vegetable oil (not olive oil, not canola oil….vegetable oil only)
Mix it in a blender. Put in all the ingredients, except 1 of the tablespoons of lemon juice and the oil. Blend on medium, then drizzle the vegetable oil slowwwwly until the mayo thickens, then add the last tablespoon of lemon juice. This makes about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups of mayo and thanks to pasteurizing the egg, should keep in the fridge for a month or more. Believe me, this stuff tastes sooooooo much better than Miracle Whip or Hellman's and is super easy to make.
Now go make mayonnaise! -Dirty Jack


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Heritage Category: Listed Building
Grade: II
List Entry Number: 1103502
Date first listed: 04-Jan-1967
Date of most recent amendment: 18-Jun-1986
Statutory Address: ROOKERY HOUSE, GRIMSBY ROAD
The above map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. For a copy of the full scale map, please see the attached PDF - 1103502 .pdf
The PDF will be generated from our live systems and may take a few minutes to download depending on how busy our servers are. We apologise for this delay.
This copy shows the entry on 20-Jan-2019 at 16:10:32.
Statutory Address: ROOKERY HOUSE, GRIMSBY ROAD
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
District: North East Lincolnshire (Unitary Authority)
Parish: Laceby
National Grid Reference: TA 21719 06635
Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
Reasons for Designation
Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
(north side)
2/41 Rookery House (formerly listed as The Rookery) 4.1.67 II - House. Mid-late C18, perhaps with earlier origins to rear wing. Brick with slate roof to front, pantiles to rear. L-shaped on plan: 2-room central entrance front to south with C20 single-room addition to left, 2-room wing to rear right with outshut in angle. 2 storeys, 3 bays; symmetrical, with single-storey single-bay addition. Chamfered stucco plinth. Doorcase with engaged Doric columns carrying plain entablature and cornice, round-headed opening with fluted architrave, key and impost blocks; half glazed 6- panelled door beneath fluted cornice and Gothick fanlight in panelled reveal. Slightly recessed 12-pane sashes in wooden surrounds with stucco flat arches and projecting stone cills. First floor windows with louvred wooden shutters. Moulded stucco cornice with stone-coped parapet. Brick- coped gables; end stacks. Right return forms secondary front of 4 bays: stucco plinth, half-glazed door to 3rd bay with 2-pane overlight in architrave beneath stucco cambered arch; 12-pane sashes in flush wooden architraves under similar arches; windows to first bay are C20 insertions. Dentilled brick eaves cornice. Brick-coped gable. Axial stack. Interior. Open well closed-string staircase with moulded handrail, column balusters and plain newels. Moulded dado rail to entrance and stairhalls. Panelled window shutters and 4-fielded-panel doors in architraves. Cupboards to first floor front bedrooms with fielded-panel doors and H-hinges. Good moulded ceiling beam to back kitchen. Barrel-vaulted brick cellar to rear wing.
Listing NGR: TA2171906635
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number: 164407
Legacy System: LBS
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
End of official listing


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Shop House Abrasive
Stacked Bowl Set
Ceramic stacking bowl set with white gloss glaze interiors and black exterior with white and light green crystalline bursts.
Large bowl is 3.5" tall with a 7" diameter at the lip. Small bowl is 3" tall with a 6" diamter at the lip.
Handmade in Oakland, CA, USA. Dishwasher safe, but handwashing will help keep the luster longer.


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The image planes are layered in a way that creates a parallax when the camera moves in the scene. The combination of 2D and 3D makes what would be still images much more interesting and sets the audience up to the unique style of our animation.
|Rendered Still (not the final lighting)
|Screenshot of Layering 1
|Screenshot of Layering 2


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Answer to Question #35060 in Inorganic Chemistry for Nicole
Question #35060
Geoffrey used 2.498g of a mixture of CuSO4 x 5H20 and salicylic acid in this experiment. He recovered 1.324g of salicylic acid and 1.247 g of CuSO4 x 5H2O. What is the % salicylic acid in the original mixture? What is the % CuSO4 x 5H2O in the original mixture?
Expert's answer
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Looking to inspire young minds when it comes to science?
I like to adopt the Ms. Frizzle frame of mind.
Learning about bacteria is fun, but has your family ever GROWN bacteria? Let the "professionals" show you how AMAZING it can be!
Looking to inspire young minds when it comes to science?
I like to adopt the Ms. Frizzle frame of mind.
Learning about bacteria is fun, but has your family ever GROWN bacteria? Let the "professionals" show you how AMAZING it can be!
Have you ever sat through a meeting that could be described as… dysfunctional, boring, pointless, dominated by one individual, lecture like… the list could go on and on. We sometimes make excuses blaming one individual or a couple of people. It is much harder to believe that we have a part in being able to be a change maker and help the meeting become effective and/or ground breaking. It just takes being intentional about the way we communicate and the culture that is being set within the group.
Every year end my fourth grade classroom throws an End Of The Year Celebration! It is a great time of reflection, celebration, tears, and lots of laughs! Here are some thoughts, pictures, and printables from the celebration. I would love to hear what you do with your students too!!
Two products that we love using not only in the classroom but at home! Early elementary students need lots of practice distinguishing long and short vowels! The more hands on fun we can provide the better!
Find the Sweet Vowel Word Hunt and Monster Vowel Word Hunt in our stores!
What is the difference between short and long vowels? Depending on their position in the word and the pronunciation of that word, the length of the vowel can change and have a different sound. Not all letters make the same sound in all words, and that's what vowel length is about.
When syllables end in a vowel and then consonant (as in the examples above), the vowel is usually short. If there is more than one consonant, the vowel is almost always short.
The most common sound for each vowel is its "short" sound:
The alphabet sounds (when the vowel "says its name") are called "long vowels." We call them 'long' because we hold them longer than the short sounds, but they are completely different sounds– not a longer version of the same sound.
Do you ever feel that you do not have enough evidence when assessing an overall grade in your writers workshop? I have to admit, at times I have not felt confident explaining a grade to a parent or colleague when only having a students' latest piece of work, conferring notes, and my gut to go from. With a majority of students I am very confident, I know where they are at and know where they need support. Other students I find it harder to put my finger on what they are struggling with, especially if it is not a direct goal of the unit. One of my solutions has been identifying my structure of assessments and checkpoints through out my writers workshop.
For each workshop unit my grade level team began creating lists of components that fully support our view of the students progress, strengths, and weaknesses. I know that my colleagues and I have found this component and assessment sheet helpful, so I thought I would share it with you!
I use this with the corresponding checklists, rubrics, and assessments for each unit. This makes my workshop flow so smoothly. It also helps me feel organized while gaining a clear picture of where each student is at in my workshop. This is also useful as a grade level to remain consistent with our grading and speaking to parents about the workshop.
My newest unit is The Persuasive Letter Writing Unit. This is one of my favorite units! It has just taken me awhile to get it all out of my head and on paper for you! There are many different types of letter writing but persuasive writing lends itself so well to this letter unit!!
The Writer's Workshop: Persuasive Letter Writing Unit is easily adaptable for grades 3-5. 20 Lessons with connection, teaching point, active engagement, and link. It includes anchor charts, minilessons, handouts and much more.
If you would like to see all of what comes in this 107page unit head over to my TeachersPayTeachers Shop to see the description!
Design a button for your blog using your favorite design program. (Powerpoint, Photoshop, ) It will need to be either 150×150 or 200×150 pixels (I prefer the bigger). Today I am going to show you my new favorite way… Canva.com It is FREE and easy to use. Here is a 3 minute video of how to use Canva if you are interested.
Copy the example below

Now you will insert the HTML Coding that you created into your Blogger Template.
To do this head to your Blogger Dashboard and click on the Layout Tab. See the green arrow below.
The product that is produced from the code should be similar to the one below. Sit back and enjoy your work!
Tomorrow is the day! We are back to school and it is the perfect time to capture a memory. This year I will have a Kindergartener and a Second Grader! In honor of the first day of school I am sending out a freebie for parents and teachers alike!
In this freebie you will find signs for grades Kindergarten through Sixth Grade in two different colors! Don't see what you need let me know and I can whip it right up!
Are you already back in school…don't worry you wont miss out because you can use these digitally. You will see in the example above that you are able to take this image and place it on a picture from the past year.
Here are the specifics:
You can use the signs two different ways…


text: IFEBP>Resources>Magazines>Plans & Trusts>Web Exclusives Web Exclusives Page ContentInterested in writing a Plans & Trusts Web Exclusives or printed article? Please contact the editor at firstname.lastname@example.com. Plans & Trusts is available free to members of the International Foundation and also by subscription.If you have trouble opening any of these articles, please download the latest version of Adobe Reader. September 2014 Removing Barriers: Disability Management and the Employer's Duty to Accommodateby Liz R. Scott, Ph.D.About one-third of all human rights employment complaints in Canada are disability-related. This article provides tips for employers and unions in fulfilling the duty to accommodate.Older ArticlesIf you would like access to older articles, please contact the Foundation's bookstore at (888) 334-3327, option 4, or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Hide Forgot
If I boot into single user, cd to /etc/security/selinux/src/policy and
try "make load" or "make reload", it fails in enforcing mode.
Specifically, it can not execute checkpolicy. The log messages are:
Mar 25 23:45:38 dell kernel: security_compute_sid: invalid context
system_u:system_r:checkpolicy_t for
tcontext=system_u:object_r:checkpolicy_exec_t tclass=process
Mar 25 23:45:38 dell kernel: security: context
system_u:system_r:checkpolicy_t is invalid
sulogin should be setting the admin shell context to
root:sysadm_r:sysadm_t, which would be able to run checkpolicy.
From the message above, it appears that your single user shell is
running as system_u:system_r:sysadm_t, and system_r is not authorized
for checkpolicy_t. First question is: Why isn't sulogin being run,
or is there a problem with the sulogin patch?
A workaround would be to add 'role system_r types checkpolicy_t;' to
checkpolicy.te to authorize the role for the domain. Or you could add
'role_transition system_r checkpolicy_exec_t sysadm_r;' to force a
transition in role upon executing checkpolicy.
> First question is: Why isn't sulogin being run,
The sulogin is only run AFAIK when there is some problem with fsck or
RAID. I am not talking about that - I am talking about the shell
promps you get (w/o having to enter the rool password) when booting
into the single-user mode.
This should be fixed by the latest policy 1.9.1-2
sulogin can be run for single-user boots via inittab; this ensures
that even a single-user boot requires root password. A good idea, IMHO,
but your choice...


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Saturday, April 14, 2007
Art Lesson - Child-friendly Batik
I'm finally catching up a bit... I did this lesson with 46 sixth graders a week or so ago. I'm able to do this lesson with the middle-school sixth graders because we can fit it into their curriculum. They are learning about India, so I steer them in the way of Indian-type of designs. They also get a little bit of history on batik, which could also be incorportated into lessons on Indonesia, or even China. Actually if you researched, you could probably find some more countries where batik is a big art form.
This is pretty child proof, at least for responsible, or older children. It takes two sessions. I first have them draw their design onto paper, then trace it on to a cotton fabric. We usually just buy some white bandanas at Michaels. Then they draw over their pencil markings with white glue (instead of the usual hot wax). I add a tiny bit of water to the glue so that it flows into the fibers of the fabric easier. It's a fine line of too much water and not enough. Not enough will give a less white contrast once rinsed. You must stress to make sure to almost over-do the glue, and to keep the design simple, and bold. This first session takes the most time and I have to really push the kids so that they get done in the 50 or so minutes. I learned about that the first year I did this project. A lot of kids didn't get done, and my helper and I had to finish the glueing for a bunch of the kids! A lot of work!!
The next day is the painting process. Because it's water soluable glue, you must paint over it, not submerge into a dye bath. And you must not scrub too much over the glue once it's wet. At the school I use a watered down acrylic paint instead of dye. The cheaper "craft"-type of acrylic works better than the "artist" type - it just mixes in with the water better. Dye seems to be very irritating to the eyes, and I didn't want to chance a problem. If you were doing this at home, you could use dye with eye protection. I also have to emphasize wearing bad clothes, because of the permanence of acrylic. They have the option to wear a smock, but it's good to tell the kids this. There is also a fine line with the acrylic. Too much water will give a pretty weak product. Not enough and the fabric is kind of stiff. You have to really mix the paint up and get the pigments mixed in. I remind the kids to mix once and a while (I do the same with the glue). They just paint over the fabric, and they can use more than one color. So many kids overdo it and add too much color on top of each other, which really muddies it up. And next year I'll just have a brush per container of paint, rather than rinsing the brushes between colors. When they do this too much, it causes the paint to get too watered down. We hang them to dry. Then I take them home and hand wash them. I just worry that the washing machince will fade them too much. It's a lot of home-work for me, but when it's one of the few art projects our sixth graders get, I find the extra work much worth it. And they turn out just gorgeous!
3 comments:
- Sam I Am said...
oooo how pretty!!!! what a beautiful way to brighten up the yard..hehehehe..
love them!!!!
- April 15, 2007 at 11:15:00 AM PDT
- Sandra Eileen - Artisan Jewelry For Your Good Life said...
Wow, I wish I could have been there. To help out and learn myself. I'd love to do Batik
- April 15, 2007 at 6:04:00 PM PDT
- Felicia said...
They all turned out terrifically!
- April 16, 2007 at 4:10:00 AM PDT
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Welcome to WebmasterWorld Guest from 188.8.131.52
Some of the key features of PHP 5 include:
The Zend Engine II with a new object model and dozens of new features. XML support has been completely redone in PHP 5, all extensions are now focused around the excellent libxml2 library (http://www.xmlsoft.org/). A new SimpleXML extension for easily accessing and manipulating XML as PHP objects. It can also interface with the DOM extension and vice-versa. A brand new built-in SOAP extension for interoperability with Web Services. A new MySQL extension named MySQLi for developers using MySQL 4.1 and later. This new extension includes an object-oriented interface in addition to a traditional interface; as well as support for many of MySQL's new features, such as prepared statements. SQLite has been bundled with PHP. For more information on SQLite, please visit their website. Streams have been greatly improved, including the ability to access low-level socket operations on streams. And lots more...
changelog [php.net]
I wouldn't, sounds painful, different boxes, fine.
>> And how long before my webhosts upgrade?
1 - 5 yrs I would guess ;)
>> Is it 100% backward compatible with PHP4?
as far as I know it should be, I will tell you if I have any horror stories.
varkeyword. So, in
STRICTerror_reporting mode, something like this...
class myClass {
var $days = array("Sun", "Mon", "Tue", "Wed", "Thu", "Fri", "Sat");
Strict Standards: var: Deprecated. Please use the public/private/protected modifiers in ...
Just a heads up for those going down this road.
A good resource regarding this:
The fantastic thing about PHP is that it is extremly common. Every webhosting company out there offers your standard L.A.M.P. server. If I write a web application, and I need a new server, or I switch to a new host, or whatever the situation may be, I know that my project is extremly mobile. I can switch my PHP/MySQL apps to a new server in less than an hour.
If PHP 5 isn't immediatly adopted and quickly becomes part of the ever common LAMP platform, then using it is pointless. If I need to dramaticly reconfigure my server to use PHP5, and I can't easily migrate to another server without a load of trouble, then why shouldn't I use Python, or Ruby, or even a custom web server in C++? If I am going to do the work for an uncommon configuration and limit myself to only custom configured machines, why not just make the jump to a better technology?
PHP 5 is of course nessicary in order to keep PHP modern, but it could also bring a quicker death to PHP.
Yes, but if you want to use PHP 5 features, then PHP is no longer ubiquitious.
And if you want to use PHP4 only functions, they won't work in PHP3. Some recent additions to PHP4 won't work in earlier versions of PHP4. Such is life. To add anything to PHP means a previous version won't work with whatever is added. What can we do. Some servers are still on versions of PHP pre-the change to register_globals being off by default. I imagine if they were to upgrade, many users' scripts would fail (unless they used
at the head of their pages).
$variable = $_GET['variable'];
The big question is will it work in PHP5.0.0
If you use new features you can never expect that it will work with other versions.
To get around this I've used function_exists() and if it doesn't I create a small hack function that does the job. Off the top of my head I can't remember what I needed to do this for but a new (and simple) function was created in newer versions of PHP but for backwards compatibility I wrote a PHP function to do the same and the built in function and only created it if it didn't exists.
Anways that's something different, Trying to get new code to run on old version you should expect to have issues.
Running old code on new versions you should expect to have it work :)
Is it possible to run PHP 4 and PHP 5 on the same machine at the same time using different extensions?
Not a big problem at all. I've had 3 or 4 different versions of php going before. You just need to have a separate apache install for each php install. The trick is more in getting your httpd.conf files right. If you want to test php 5 try having your new apache install listen to a different ip address or port (ie 8080).
Running old code on new versions you should expect to have it work
I hadn't thought of it the other way round. There could be problems with PHP5 then as it introduces new (replacement) things like the new Zend engine and XML parser.
Again, it's a case of having to accept this in the name of improvements. It's like you can't expect your VCR tapes to play in a DVD player.
The PHP online manual is handy for finding alternative scripts when new features aren't available. Often I've seen users post workarounds for missing features.
Ideally a multi-function script might be written that queries the version of PHP and uses the correct script to match. Now that would be compatibility!
You ask a tough question, and you'll get a million different answers, but I'll give you my take on it. I've been running the beta with little or no issues so far. (First off, why subject yourself to beta? Well, to help further the development for one, but that's a whole new thread). The best reasons to migrate to any new release will not just be feature-set, although that can often be a driving factor. As a matter of fact, that is often what drives new releases -- a customer has a requirement that they forward to development and the dev team says, "yeah, we should add that to our product in the next release". The dev team gets it ready and does a beta release. Customer realizes it is "ready" and puts the beta in place to start using the new feature. Bugs get worked out, etc. and eventually a version release is approved and published. Does that mean you or I should get on that release? Not really, not if I don't need the feature. If there were security updates or performance enhancements that tickled our fancy, now that would alter our decision-making quite drastically. However, with any software upgrades or rollouts, you really need to assess the changes and the impact to your particular installation before anything else. Then if the decision is to implement the upgrade, you first need to test, test, test before GO LIVE. That said, the single area that I would take under serious consideration for anybody using PHP objects is going to be in the area of the New Object Model, as I mentioned earlier. The Zend article states that PHP's handling of objects has been completely rewritten, allowing for better performance and more features.
this can be used a quick fix
not the most elegant but should save time
your opinion?
if (!function_exists('version_compare')) {


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The Drunken Whore… Live
This Friday, I will be taking part in a durtygurls reading. I'm only one of the open mic-ers, but nonetheless… this is gonna be cool.
If you're interested in seeing the show, email me at email@example.com, and I'll give you some information on it. Basically, the show starts at 8 p.m., cover is $7, and it's going to be fun. As you might be able to tell, I don't have the information with me at the moment. Stupid work and its barring of access to outside email.
Anyhow… in the meantime, I could use your input as to what columns you think I should bring with me. I'm thinking I'll bring 4 — I don't know how much time I'll have at this point, but I'd rather have too many than not enough. Personally, I was leaning towards something like, "You did what on my what?" and "And that's why… the lady is a tramp," but I want to know what you guys have to say. After all, you're the reason this site's around.
So, please, leave your thoughts in the comments section, and let me know what you think would be good to hear.


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|Piazza del Campo
|The Campo from the tower. Each section of the paving represents one of the contrade.
|The tower staircase.
Not for the claustrophobic!
What started as a year seeking out la dolce vita in the midst of all the smog and designer outfits of Milan and is now the continuing story of my exploits in Italy (a place which has remained close to my heart even though I no longer live there).
|Piazza del Campo
|The Campo from the tower. Each section of the paving represents one of the contrade.
|The tower staircase.
Not for the claustrophobic!
Are all Christians priests? Is it possible for all believers in Christ to approach God the father with only Jesus Christ as a mediator? Yes. Jesus is our high priest. There is the priesthood of all believers. There is Jesus the high priest. There is no mention of the office of priest in the New Testament church, that is a man-made tradition. There is no office of "priest" that is the authority in the local church or the mediator between man and God.
1 Peter 2:5-9 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ..........9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
All Christians are part of the priesthood.
Revelation 1:5-6 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood---6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father--- to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
All who have been washed by the blood of Jesus have been made priests to God the Father by Jesus. THERE IS NOT AN OFFICE OF PRIEST; all Christians are priests.
Hebrews 4:14-15 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
Jesus is our one and only high priest. He is the only priest we need.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator also between God and men, the man Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the only mediator between God and men. The Virgin Mary is not a mediator. There are not man-made priests that are mediators between God and men.
YOU ARE INVITED TO FOLLOW MY BLOG. http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com


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Former carriage house becomes estate of its own
Greenwich: Waterfront property perched on .282 acres sprawls out toward the Sound
Behind gated stone walls is a waterfront gem that dates back to 1955, when it began its Greenwich life as a carriage house for the estate next door. The high stone walls sustain privacy, and the mailbox is set deeply into the left-hand wall. The compound is perched just above the shimmering waters of Smith Cove off Steamboat Road in Greenwich. Views from the house, the garage studio and the terraces and patios on .282 acres extend out to L.I. Sound and to the islands beyond.
The tall gates swing open to a cobblestone courtyard and the two-car garage of brick and wood, topped with a 580-square-foot studio and bath that evokes a tree house and anchors a waterview Juliet balcony.
Within the walled gardens and to the right is a series of verdant green terraced lawns and inset steps that slope down to the water, according to Heather Platt Gorin of Cleveland Duble & Arnold in Greenwich, who has listed the property just above $4 million.
The Colonial-style house, set sideways to the street, is entered through a doorway with sidelights under an unusual broken-arch pediment with slim pillars on either side.
The large living room has carved display niches on either side of the fireplace, which is surrounded by blue and white Dutch tiles picturing buildings that range from a windmill to a castle. The fireplace wall has wide beadboard with a chair rail and block-paneled wainscoting below. The entire waterside has French doors and long divided-light windows to expand the view.
The dining area is off the living room, and adjacent is the white St. Charles kitchen, with backsplashes of blue and white tile.
On the opposite side of the first level is a library with built-in bookshelves, cabinets and a chair rail. Nearby is a small, separate bedroom and a bath with fixtures in pinky-mauve and white tile walls.
The stairway with beadboard walls leads to the master bedroom whose fireplace is surrounded by tiles in a modified heart shape in green and white, and the bath matches. A second bedroom, or office, is here, along with a bath with gray and cream shower.
A wall-length computer station has file drawers beneath and bookshelves on the wall above.
Throughout the main level are floors of terra cotta tile and brass registers for the heating system.
Behind the main house and set right over the water is a terrace with full awning and wrought-iron railing with tall lampposts at either end that runs the length of this magical home. To one side is a boat launch with a hoist, and fieldstone terracing at varying levels run up to the garage.
One near-water patio hosts a boat house, crowned with a turret and shaded by an expansive white birch. On the side are low brick walls festooned with ivy. Another patio stars a sculpture of a water girl, which is to remain with the property, and there's even a fountain.
Avid fishermen both, the owner taught her late husband, a third-generation Greenwich resident, salt-water fishing, and he taught her fly casting.
Steamboat Road, at one time just a stony, rutted wagon path that went through woodlands to the shore, was once named "the walk to Pippin Point" and later, appropriately, Rocky Neck.
The Smith Cove side of what is now Steamboat Road was subdivided into 50-foot-wide house lots in 1836 by the Rocky Neck Co., whose shareholders included three Meads -- Alvan, Thomas A. and Zaccheus -- Jonathan A. Close, Walter Davis, William A. Husted and Augustus Lyon, all of whom have roads or areas in town named after their families, even today.
It was the first residential park laid out in Greenwich, with 50-foot-wide lots on the Smith Cove side destined for houses, and lots on the Greenwich Harbor side intended for commercial ventures, according to Frederick A. Hubbard, writing for the Greenwich Press in 1928.
The very first project on the road was four large cellars for potatoes, whose shipments were scheduled by the farmers to keep control of the New York potato market. Later, the storage cellars were topped by the Selleck House, which took in roomers and boarders.
By 1868 businesses were flourishing, among them Benjamin C. Mead, boatman; W. and T, Ritch, who dealt in building and foundation stone; Selleck & Runyan who ran the boarding house; Thomas Funston, carman, and coal, lumber and grocery merchant, Robert Wellstood & Co. Brush, Webb & Close also sold lumber and coal, along with hardware, according to a map from the Greenwich Historical Society.
The 58 lots on both sides of the road, totaling 11 acres, were purchased for a total of $3,500 and originally marketed for a grand total of $200 each. By 1850, the lots were all sold, and the Rocky Neck Co. had registered a net profit of almost $14,000.
Prices rose, and in 1923 four lots went to the Peck Coal Co. for $15,000. By 1938, the Maher Brothers Corp. had purchased the same property for $120,000. The commercial efforts are gone now to be replaced by the Delamar Hotel, the Indian Harbor Yacht Club, and co-op, condo and office buildings.